Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

When Jared Farrell opened his eyes, dawn was breaking over the balcony. He sat up and saw Tina still sitting quietly in front of the sliding glass door, staring at the mini computer in her hand. The morning light streamed through the door, casting a gentle halo around her. She had been looking at the character “Wolf” on the screen for a long time before she slowly lifted her gaze to meet Jared’s complex look from the bed. Cole Lyon had found out that after her mother’s incident, the new team leader who took over her mother’s team was codenamed “Wolf.” So, was Jared Farrell “Wolf”? Were he and her mother colleagues?

“Tina, what’s wrong?” The morning light also fell on Jared Farrell’s well-shaped brows and eyes, softening his smile.

Tina was silent for a moment before turning her mini computer towards him. “Who are you really?” She asked, seeing the black screen and the bright red “Wolf” character on it.

Jared Farrell was not surprised. He had known from the start that Tina’s stay at his house was not to take care of his injuries or for romantic reasons; she was investigating him. So, he had been waiting. Waiting for her to uncover everything herself. He never locked his door at night, deliberately set his phone password to her birthday, and knew about every search she conducted in his house, yet he pretended not to notice. He could now confirm who she was. He could have no secrets from her.

“Serene.”

Suddenly, Tina’s expression froze. When she looked up at him, the smile on her face vanished, replaced by a deadly seriousness. “Serene” – that was her nickname, used only by her mother. No one else knew this name, not even Hugo. Because “Serene” was what she had insisted her mother call her after they escaped a deadly pursuit, reminding her to stay calm and controlled. But how did Jared Farrell know this name?

In that moment, the usually composed Tina felt a surge of murderous intent.

Jared Farrell felt the chill emanating from her, his lips slightly parted as he finally managed to squeeze out a few words, “You don’t remember me, do you?”

Tina’s eyebrows, shaped like willow leaves, were tightly knotted. She reevaluated Jared from head to toe, and mentally reviewed every person she had met. She was certain that she had never seen him before they met.

“Explain yourself,” she said sternly.

Jared touched her head gently, his voice soft and tender, “Serene, I’ll buy you a strawberry cake every year from now on.”

Suddenly, Tina’s eyes lit up, and the coldness vanished in an instant. Her voice involuntarily rose an octave, “Uncle? Wolf Uncle?”

Coughing, Jared Farrell almost choked on his own saliva. “Uncle! Wolf Uncle?” Such an old nickname! So far, she was the only one who had ever called him that.

When he first met her, she was just two years old, and he was already twelve. She, unable to pronounce “brother” despite her mother’s corrections, had boldly declared that anyone ten years older deserved to be called “uncle.” As for “Wolf Uncle” – she always said he was like a wolf, hence the nickname. That nickname lasted only a year before his codename was changed to “Wolf” in memory of those times.

“Serene, I thought you had forgotten me,” Jared Farrell gathered his thoughts and whispered.

Tina’s face broke into a bright, genuine smile, “I could never forget. I’ve always remembered.”Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

This smile was heartfelt; she hadn’t smiled like this in a long time. The feeling of reuniting with a loved one made her feel as if she still had family in this world, still a connection to her mother.

Jared Farrell was different from Hugo. Hugo, though he cared for his mother, had started his own family and did not bear much resemblance to her. But Jared Farrell – she had only been two years old, yet her memory of people who had been in her life was exceptionally clear. Wolf Uncle was the kindest person to her aside from her mother. He, like her mother, indulged her unconditionally, fulfilling all her whims and tolerating her whimsy and petulance. In their presence, she could be completely unrestrained.

But she hadn’t seen Wolf Uncle since she was three. It had been so long that he had changed completely, and she hadn’t recognized him at all.

Touched by the smile on her face, Jared Farrell softly ruffled her hair, saying, “Tomorrow, I’ll make you a strawberry cake. I owe you many years’ worth, and I’ll make it up to you.”

“Okay,” Tina smiled in response.

The two looked at each other and fell silent. After a moment, Tina pursed her lips and turned to Jared Farrell,”Uncle, why were you investigating my mother? And why do you have her pendant?”

After a pause, she added, “Lark was my mother’s codename.”

“Lark was my mentor,” Jared Farrell said, his eyes full of affection as he touched her head.

“Mentor?” Tina was taken aback. She had never known Jared Farrell was her mother’s student. She had always thought he was just a friend of her mother’s.

“Yes,” Jared Farrell took Tina’s hand and sat down with her. “When I found out you were in trouble, I rushed over, but it was too late.”

Ten years earlier, he had joined a special team, taking over as team leader from Lark. Using his position as a member of the Farrell family, he investigated Lark’s team and secured a crucial serum, handing it over to the nation. Lark had many identities as the leader of a special team, and she had mentored him under the name Nora Winslow. That’s why, even though Tina had been around him for a long time, he had only recently been sure that she was his mentor’s daughter.

After Jared finished explaining, Tina was silent for a moment, then said, “So, you were after the serum?”

“Yes,” Jared looked at her seriously. “Tina, this serum is very important to the country. I have to take it.”

Though he didn’t elaborate, Tina understood. He knew she had the serum.

Tina didn’t respond immediately, and Jared didn’t press her. After a while, she spoke up, “My mother told me there were two serums, one with me and one with the Reed family. I haven’t been able to find the one with the Reed family, and Mr. Reed won’t tell me.”

She paused, then continued, “But I think my mother lied to me. There should be at least five serums.”

Jared nodded, “Right! There’s also one with the mother of a child at Ensford High School.”

Tina pursed her lips, “I can hand over the serum, but I want to meet my mother’s former team leader. I want to know about my mother’s past.”

“No problem.”

Jared was silent for a moment before looking at Tina, “Do you know my mentor’s real name?”

Lark was a mystery to everyone. She could be the team leader known as Lark, or his mentor Nora Winslow, or even Hugo’s ex-wife, Rebecca. To this day, no one knew her real name.

“Natalie Whittaker!”