Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Natalie Whittaker. Jared Farrell’s icy gaze flickered slightly at the mention of the name, as if it rang a bell somewhere in his mind. He stared at Tina, his dark eyes brimming with deep relief and gratitude, “Thank goodness.”

“Thank goodness,” Tina smiled back at him, relieved that he was a friend rather than a foe. The lingering question in her heart had finally been resolved, and she was indeed thankful that she did not have to face Jared Farrell in a life-or-death battle.

The morning light of summer was just right, and several birds landed on the balcony, chirping brightly. “Uncle, we can cancel our marriage arrangement now,” Tina said to Jared Farrell, her expression as serene as a light cloud.

However, the tenderness on Jared Farrell’s face froze instantly, his recent joy of recognition shattered by her words. “Why?” he asked. Why did she want to dissolve their marriage arrangement? He would not allow it!

“I agreed to this engagement to investigate the matter of my mother’s pendant,” Tina explained calmly, “I never intended to marry.”

“I disagree,” Jared Farrell held her hand, his tone carrying a hint of mild anger.

Tina frowned slightly, waiting for him to continue.

“Do you know why your mother had someone deliver this pendant to me before she died?” Jared Farrell continued, “Because it was a token of our marriage arrangement, a proof that your mother entrusted you to me, so I don’t agree to dissolve it.”

“You’re refusing because of my mother’s last wish?” Tina’s frown deepened.

“No, it’s because I like you, and I hope to protect you for the rest of my life,” Jared Farrell took out the pendant and, under Tina’s gaze, hung it around his neck, gently caressing its smooth surface. “This is the proof that you belong to me.”

Tina was stunned for a moment; Jared Farrell’s face suddenly closed the distance between them, dominantly yet tenderly kissing her.

Tina froze; the kiss was so sudden. But, it seemed-she quite liked the feeling of kissing him.

She wrapped her arms around Jared Farrell’s neck, returning the kiss. “Then-let’s not cancel it.”

With her response, Jared Farrell deepened their kiss. The morning sunlight streamed in, casting their entwined shadows on the light grey floor tiles of the bedroom, inseparable and clinging to each other.

The next day, at Ensford High School.

Since the last physical education class for Class 22D was scheduled for that afternoon, Jared Farrell accompanied Tina to school. With exams less than half a month away, the remaining review plans were well arranged, and there would be no major changes. Tina came to school mainly to supervise studying, with nothing else much on her plate.

During the physical education class, Tina had planned to go outside to the student street to buy a strawberry cake, but as she passed by the gym, she heard a scream. Her hearing was excellent, and she immediately recognized it as Elena Heisler’s voice, so she stopped and went to take a look.

Elena Heisler was sitting on the ground, covering her eyes, next to a fallen basketball that had clearly hit her hard. The other students of Class 22D were gathered around her, and Shonna Woodham anxiously pulled her hands away to check her injury, “How is it, did it hurt your eyes?”

Elena Heisler rubbed her eyes and shook her head.

Shonna Woodham sighed in relief, but seeing a large bruise forming under Elena’s left eye, she was still furiously upset.

“Mr. Sinclair, you went too far!” Velma Lehman, known for her temper, jumped up and pointed at Emrys not far away, “How could you, a teacher, intentionally hit Elena with a basketball!”

Emrys had been suddenly appointed by the school board as a substitute PE teacher for their class, which Tina was aware of when she came to school that day.

Mr. Stiller had disagreed with Emrys’s appointment. Although he was only a PE teacher and it wouldn’t affect the students’ studies much, Emrys had openly hit Elena Heisler at school just the day before, making him unfit to be a teacher.

There were many influential people on the Ensford High School board, and Emrys was a foster son of the Ashbury Reed family. Although the Reed family couldn’t compare to the Farrell family, it was still easy for them to place someone in Ensford High School as a teacher. Mr. Stiller had no choice but to agree.

Emrys looked unashamedly at Velma Lehman, “How could your eyes see that it was intentional?”

He casually shrugged, “It was just an accident.”

“You!” Velma Lehman knew about the conflict Amber and Elena Heisler had the day before, which is why Elena transferred to Class 22D.

Seeing Emrysblatantly lie, she was speechless with anger. Such a morally bankrupt person running to be a teacher?

She was determined to have her family come to the school to complain.

“Let’s hurry and take her to the medical room,” Emrys sneered, then said to Elena Heisler, “Next time you see me, better walk around; I wouldn’t want to ‘accidentally’ slip again and hurt you…”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Before he could finish his sentence, two basketballs suddenly flew from two directions, striking him squarely in the face with two loud thumps, causing him to stagger back, seeing stars.

“Sorry, my hand slipped.”

Two distinctly different voices rang out simultaneously.

“Miss Reed!”

“Mr. Farrell!”

Class 22D’s students looked on in surprise at Jared Farrell and Tina.

Seeing Jared Farrell, Emrys’s face turned green as he roared, “Jared Farrell, you again!”

“What?” Jared Farrell’s gaze was icy as he stared down Emrys, “My student, you dare to bully?”

He was supposed to have a basketball class today too. He had taken Albert Sitwell and Hendrik Stiller to the equipment room to fetch a basket of basketballs, and upon returning, he witnessed the incident.

“It was just an accident!” Emrys clutched the spot where the basketball had hit, his voice full of gritted teeth, “You hit back too!”

He had intended to charge at Jared Farrell in retaliation, but remembering Jared Farrell’s bodyguards were probably nearby, plus the incident from the day before, he didn’t dare make a move.

Jared Farrell, hands in his pockets, stood tall and imposing, his handsome face expressionless, “Apologize.”

“Hah!” Emrys scoffed, his eyes sweeping over Jared Farrell, knowing he couldn’t face him head-on, but unwilling to lower himself to apologize.

“How about this,” Amber, who had been enjoying the spectacle, chimed in as she saw the stalemate, “Why don’t Emrys lead our class in a basketball match against Class 22D?”

Several boys from 22A had been part of the school basketball team before focusing on their exams. They had won numerous awards in city, provincial, and national high school basketball competitions, so Amber was confident in their strength.

As for Class 22D, aside from Albert Sitwell and Hendrik Stiller, there weren’t many good basketball players.

22A was sure to win.

“If we lose, then Emrys will apologize to Elena Heisler. If we win…” Amber paused meaningfully, Emrys took up the thread, pointing at Jared Farrell and Tina, “If we win, you two will have to kneel and apologize in front of the whole school!”

“Hah!” Jared Farrell laughed.

Since when did he need to trade a challenge for someone else’s apology?

He took his hands out of his pockets and stepped towards Emrys.

Tina, sensing his intent, blocked his path, “This is a school!”

If it weren’t for the school setting, she wouldn’t mind teaching Emrys a lesson in her own way.

But, she had seen enough darkness and didn’t want the students to witness too much of it.

Jared Farrell looked into her eyes and suddenly smiled, “Alright, I’ll listen to Tina.”

His gaze then shifted back to Emrys, intense and commanding, his voice chilling, “If I lose, I’ll kneel and apologize to you. If you lose, you kneel to Elena Heisler!”

“Deal!”