Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

“What are you taking?”

The old man took the cigarette Courtney tossed to him, skillfully slipping it into his pocket while grumbling, “People keep coming here to rummage through things. Besides this junk, there’s nothing worth taking!”

“Grandpa, has anyone else been here recently?” Courtney asked urgently.

“Yes, a few days ago, some men in black came and searched everywhere. When I asked who they were, they tried to rough me up. Their attitude was terrible!” The old man grew angrier as he spoke.

“Are you okay?” Courtney asked, even more worried.

“I’m fine. I threatened to call the police, and they ran off,” the old man said proudly, puffing out his chest. “Always call the police if there’s trouble!”

Courtney sighed in relief and exchanged glances with Jared and Tina.

“Let’s get what we came for,” Courtney said, heading toward the basement.

Jared and Tina followed. As Tina turned back, she met the old man’s gaze. He snorted coldly and walked away with his head held high.

In the basement, which was once Natalie’s main research lab, Tina immediately noticed an abandoned biological 3D printer. Her eyes flickered slightly. Jared also softened as he looked around the lab.

He remembered being a young boy when he first visited this lab, marveling at its wonders. Later, he learned that many groundbreaking medical research results had come from here, making him proud of his mentor. Sadly, the person with such grand ambitions was no longer alive.

Courtney ignored their thoughts and went straight to a corner where a mouse hole was visible on the floor. She bent down and gently tapped on the hole’s entrance. Two white mouse heads popped out.

The mice seemed to recognize Courtney. They squeaked twice before retreating into the hole and soon pushed out a small glass vial filled with green liquid.

“Are these your mice?” Tina asked as she watched Courtney take the vial and reward the mice with cookies and candies she had bought earlier.

“No, they’re probably descendants of the lab mice used in experiments here,” Courtney replied, shaking her head. “The first time I came here, they dared to come out and ask for food. I found them very intelligent and not afraid of me at all. So I decided to hide the vial here.”

Who would think of hiding something important in a mouse hole?

“Here,” Courtney handed the vial to Tina with great care, knowing how much her mother had sacrificed for these vials.

Tina silently took it.

“Let’s go,” Jared said.

Courtney patted the two mice still squeaking at her feet and left the basement with Tina and Jared. When they returned upstairs, the old man was gone.Content held by NôvelDrama.Org.

“Grandpa, we’re leaving!” Courtney shouted into the air.

“Hmph,” came a cold snort from a hidden corner where the old man was watching them.

As Jared drove them away, he asked Courtney, “What are your plans now?”

“I haven’t thought about it yet,” Courtney replied hesitantly. For years, she had been busy studying or hiding from GTO.

“You’ve been exposed now,” Jared said calmly. “You have two choices: come with me as an ordinary subordinate or join me at X Bureau to take on your mother’s mission. Or you could stay with Miss Reed; she can protect you too.”

Courtney remained silent.

“No rush; take your time to think it over,” Jared continued as he drove. “You still need to attend university. But don’t make rash decisions like this again; we might not always be able to save you in time.”

Courtney nodded, “I understand.”

By the time they reached the city center, it was already daylight. Jared checked his watch-it was 6:15 AM-and they were likely to hit rush hour traffic soon.

“Let’s go to my place first,” Jared suggested to Tina. “My grandfather wants to meet you.”

“Okay,” Tina agreed. It was only right to visit the Farrell family. She quickly sent a message to Jin asking him to deliver some prepared gifts there.

Just as she finished sending the message, Jared slammed on the brakes abruptly. The car jolted violently as seven or eight vehicles surrounded them.

This was Ashbury; how dare GTO block them so openly in the city?

Her expression turned cold just as a well-dressed man stepped out of one of the cars ahead-Jasper Reed!

Jared got out of the car despite his disheveled appearance from earlier fights. His demeanor remained dignified and composed as he confronted Jasper Reed with narrowed eyes that scanned their surroundings before speaking coldly, “Mr. Reed, what is this about?”

“Jared, I mean no harm; I’m here to take Tina home,” Jasper Reed replied calmly while looking past Jared at Tina through the car window.

Tina met his gaze lazily but did not avoid it; there was even a hint of mockery in her eyes.

She mocked how easily Elizabeth and she had fooled them into accepting an imposter into their home causing chaos within their family; she mocked how he couldn’t even recognize his own daughter initially.

But who said he didn’t recognize her?

From the moment he first saw Tina at her recognition banquet resembling Natalie so closely except for an icy demeanor unlike Natalie’s warmth-he suspected something amiss because such coldness likely stemmed from hardships endured during childhood which made her guard against everyone around her-Jasper Reed felt immense guilt towards Jared saying softly yet firmly: “Tina is my biological daughter.”