Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

The Bailey family, the Langdon family...

It was time for all these hidden families, still lurking in the shadows, to face a reckoning. A reshuffling of power was long overdue.

"Uncle, let's go."

Tina reached out and held Jared's hand. Their pair of bright, jet-black eyes met-both unwavering, both resolute.

This time, they'd start with Elsa's in-laws. They'd rip open a crack in this façade of arrogance and show the world that there were still hidden families no one could ever hope to shake.

At the police station entrance, Luke Gill stood silently, watching the backs of the three figures disappear into the distance.

Half of his face twitched, pain flickering faintly. He reached up to touch his swollen cheek, his fingers brushing against the dusty smudge left there-a mark from Tina's shoe when she'd kicked him. "Farrell family, Reed family. Impressive."

---

At the Bailey estate, dawn had barely broken, but Ella Bailey's courtyard was already bustling with activity.

The moment Ella stepped through the gate, a cacophony of yelling and shouting greeted her ears. Her expression shifted briefly, surprise flashing in her eyes before settling into a neutral gaze. She grabbed a passing maid, who carried a bottle of medicine clutched tightly in her hands, and asked, "What's going on in there?"

The maid hesitated, but under Ella's sharp gaze, she dared not conceal anything. Bowing her head, she replied, "Your husband... was beaten up because of Miss Kelly. The master is furious right now." Luke Gill was beaten up?

Ella's eyes darted side to side, a flicker of doubt in her expression. Yet, despite the uncertainty, she couldn't stop the satisfaction swelling in her chest.

Turning to look at Woods, her black-suited bodyguard, she saw him shake his head. He clearly had no idea what had happened either.

To be honest, even Woods was a little taken aback.

Since Luke Gill had joined the Bailey family, he'd been held in high regard-not quite as the heir, but certainly as someone with a privileged position in the old man's eyes.

Within the Bailey family, only Vivienne could be considered Luke's equal.

Though Luke Gill wasn't skilled in martial arts, most people outside the family gave him face out of respect for Mr. Bailey.

And now, someone had dared to lay a hand on him?

"Miss, do you want to go inside and take a look?" Woods asked, his voice calm but curious.

After all, Ella Bailey was known as the person who despised Luke Gill the most within the Bailey family. Now that someone had beaten him up, it stood to reason she'd want to witness the aftermath firsthand. Sure enough, Ella's red lips curled into a mocking smile. From the moment the maid had mentioned Luke Gill being beaten, the grin hadn't left her face. "Of course! How could I miss such a delightful scene?"

She strode forward, heading toward the tea room. A decorative screen blocked the view inside, but the commotion grew louder as she approached.

Victor's enraged voice boomed from within, accompanied by the sound of slamming fists and clattering dishes.

"Unbelievable! Does the Farrell family think they're the rulers of Sinoria now? That girl, Tina-how dare she lay a hand on my Bailey family's son-in-law? This is outrageous!"

Ella stopped in her tracks, a sneer playing on her lips.

The next moment, Vivienne's saccharine, affected voice drifted out.

"Calm down, Victor. Don't let yourself get worked up over a nobody like Tina. She's just some pretty young thing Mr. Farrell took a fancy to. Luke didn't even get hurt that badly. It's really not worth getting angry over." Victor roared back, "How can I not be angry?! That Logan refused to work with me back then, even cutting ties with his own daughter to avoid helping me. And now, after all these years, his descendants are attacking my family! Like grandfather, like granddaughter-Tina is as arrogant and heartless as Logan ever was!"

"So it was Tina who beat up Luke Gill?"

Ella had been standing in the courtyard long enough to piece together the story. She couldn't help but chuckle. "This girl's got guts."

For helping her vent some of her frustrations, she decided to temporarily forgive Tina for standing her up the other day.

As Victor continued to shamelessly slander the Farrell family, Ella's brief amusement faded. Her hand clenched at her chest, then slowly relaxed as she listened to Victor and Vivienne egg each other on, with Luke Gill chiming in occasionally, pretending to play the peacemaker.

The thrill of watching the drama unfold was gone.

She couldn't help but wonder-not for the first time-what her mother had ever seen in Victor.

"Miss, are we not going in?" Woods asked. He'd been following behind Ella and was surprised to see her turn away from the tea room with a grim expression.

In the past, Ella would've relished a moment like this. She lived for watching Luke Gill suffer. But this time...

"What's there to see?" Ella's tone was cold. "Instead of wasting time on him, we should be thinking about how to get what we need from Tina."

From the moment she stepped into the courtyard to the second she walked out, her movements were muted by Victor's relentless shouting.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Inside, Luke Gill endured his discomfort in silence, peering past the screen toward the courtyard. For a fleeting moment, he thought he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure.

His dark eyes flickered, but he quickly dismissed the thought.

That woman-if she knew he'd been beaten up-would've been the first to barge in and laugh at his misfortune. There was no way she'd just leave.

Lowering his gaze, Luke suppressed the strange unease in his chest.

Victor was still ranting tirelessly, but Luke found it laughable.

All this noise, and yet Victor still refused to suggest going after Logan directly.

Elsa was right-Victor was nothing more than a dog wagging its tail at the Langdon family. He barked loudly, but when it came to real action, he was utterly useless.

After a moment's pause, Luke looked up at Victor. "Dad, please calm down. Our main goal is to get Elsa's belongings. The soft approach clearly isn't working anymore. Those two old fools are probably still in the hospital. If you ask me, we should have Mrs. Ogden stir things up."

In the corner, Kelly shrank further into herself, not daring to move. She was terrified Victor would find out this whole mess was her fault-if it weren't for her, Elsa never would've uncovered the truth.

Hearing Luke change the subject, she let out a quiet sigh of relief and quickly chimed in, "Yes, Dad. We're running out of time. Why not go all in and use public pressure to force Elsa's hand? I don't believe Tina can stay by her side forever!" Victor's temper finally cooled. "Public pressure has been tried before, but it didn't work. Back then, Elsa refused to hand over the items. Now, with the Farrell family's backing, she's even less likely to cooperate."

Luke's expression remained calm, but a glint of malice flickered in his eyes.

"Tina might be capable, but those two old fools are on death's doorstep. If they're in critical condition, what can she possibly do to save them?"

"Achoo!"

At the hospital, Tina stood by Joseph Dyers' bedside, rubbing her nose with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Jared reached out to touch her forehead. "Are you feeling sick? Did you catch a cold from being out in the wind last night?"