Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Amber had taken the day off again. She didn’t need to be there, but she wanted to witness Hugo’s family’s disgraceful departure with her own eyes, so she had asked Elizabeth for leave to stay at home.

Throughout the conversation between Hugo and Elizabeth, she had remained silent; at her young age, it wasn’t her place to speak in such situations.

However, she never imagined that Hugo would suddenly turn the conversation to her and force her to make a choice.

Her fingers clenched tightly, lips bitten, eyes brimming with tears, she looked the picture of aggrievement, “Dad, are you going to cut ties with me, too?”

Hugo’s expression remained unchanged, his speech even-tempered, “I want you to make a choice. If you come with me, you can’t come back here. If you stay with your grandmother, you can’t come looking for me. Amber, you can’t have both the fish and the bear’s paw; you must choose one or the other.”

It was his intent to have Amber choose.

Over the years, he had watched Amber’s behavior and character, and he was disappointed.

Especially after Tina’s return, Amber’s actions had chilled his heart.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

The situation between him and Elizabeth had become irreparable. He had made his choice, and Amber, as his adopted daughter, had to make hers too.

“Dad, why do you have to be at odds with grandma? You used to be fine with each other. Grandma is old, and she has her difficulties too. Even though I am your adopted child, I have always treated you and mom as my real parents. I wish our family could all be happy and joyful.”

Amber’s eyes reddened as she cried, “I know Tina has been angry with me since she came back, thinking that I took everything that belonged to her. But it wasn’t my choice. Dad, can’t you not sever ties with grandma? I don’t want to leave you all!”

Hugo’s brow furrowed, and he rebuked her in a low voice, “Enough!”

He had almost shouted, and Amber, who had never seen him in such a terrifying manner, trembled in fear.

“Your sister has never been angry with you. She hasn’t even mentioned you at home. Where did you get the idea that she’s angry with you for taking her things? Amber, ask yourself, in the two years you’ve been in my house, haven’t your mother and I gone without food and clothes to provide for you? Zackary is my biological son, and sometimes he went hungry, but I never let you starve.”

Amber looked down, silent.

A trace of mockery flickered in her eyes, unnoticed.

If she had a choice, she would never have wanted to be adopted by Hugo. Poor as she was, living in Moon Gate Estate meant others feasted on meat and fish while her family could only afford vegetables, her cousins wore branded clothes while she could only wear clothes worth a few hundred dollars.

So she ingratiated herself with Elizabeth and was taken back to the Reed family. She didn’t think she was wrong; who doesn’t want to rise above their station?

She was only less fortunate in birth than Tina. If she had a better start in life, she would have outshone her current self.

“My family may not be rich, but since you came to our house, I’ve done my best to treat you well. I admit I had a motive; I treated you well in the hope that someone would treat Tina the same. But I can honestly say I’ve never wronged you. On the contrary, it seems you’ve always resented us for not providing the best for you!”

“Dad, that’s not what I mean,” Amber said impatiently.

Who wants to listen to these moral lessons?

If Hugo had no use remaining in the Reed family, she would wish for them to sever ties with Elizabeth as soon as possible.

“I don’t want to say what you mean. I can see you’re annoyed,” Hugo glanced at her indifferently, “Make your choice now, whether to go or stay, it’s up to you.”

Amber pursed her lips, a cold look flashed in her eyes, but still with a look of aggrievement, she said, “Does it have to be this way? Can’t our family be good?”

“Yes, it must be this way,” Hugo said seriously.

“Then… I choose grandma.” Amber was silent for only a few seconds before making her choice.

Hugo had anticipated this outcome; he was not heartbroken, just nodded to the lawyer, “Mr. Rylands, please add this condition and have Amber sign it.”

The lawyer had no objections and looked to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded at him, and the lawyer added the condition.

After everyone had reviewed it and found no issues, they all signed the agreement.

After signing, Hugo took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Elizabeth, “This is the complete formula.”

Without waiting for Elizabeth’s response, he turned and left with Jennie and Tina.

No one in the Reed family felt any regret or sorrow at his departure.

Elizabeth checked the formula, noting two additional ingredients, and then handed it to Pinewood, “Send this to the R&D department right away. We need to develop the perfume as soon as possible.”

She paused, her face serious, “Remember, we must succeed and not fail. The Reed family’s comeback depends on this perfume.”

Pinewood nodded, “I understand, Mom!”

Talon suddenly thought of something, “But developing a perfume requires capital, and we’ll also need to promote it. Our family doesn’t have much money left.”

“Don’t worry about the money. If we have to, we’ll sell my jewelry. I’ve calculated it; the development and marketing costs should be about five million dollars, which my jewelry can cover.”

A loan was out of the question.

The Reed family had loans at several banks that were soon due, and it was unlikely the banks would lend them more.

Talon sighed, “We have no other option.”

Outside of Moon Gate Estate, in a large tree, two men with binoculars were perched.

“Nathan, Mr. Reed has left, and he didn’t take out any medicine. Are we going to continue watching?” a man with a crew cut asked his companion Nathan.

Nathan put down the binoculars and took off his earpiece, “Let’s go.”

Half an hour later, Nathan returned to Jared’s villa.

“Mr. Farrell, Mr. Reed didn’t give his mother the medicine. What he gave was a perfume formula, but whether it’s true remains to be verified.”

They were too far to see clearly; they only saw Hugo hand Elizabeth a sheet of paper and talk about perfume, but they couldn’t be certain of its authenticity.

They never trusted only what their eyes saw or ears heard; they believed in evidence.

Jared sat on the couch, his long fingers tapping slowly, his voice low and somber, “Find a way to get the paper from Elizabeth and verify if it’s related to the medicine. Hugo’s details must be thoroughly checked again.”

“Linh is already on it.”

Linh was the man who had been with Nathan earlier.

Nathan had planned to leave directly, but then he felt something was off, so he had Linh find an opportunity to get close to the Reed family.

After a moment of silence, Nathan said, “Mr. Farrell, are you sure you want to investigate Mr. Reed? He is, after all, Miss Reed’s father…”

“Even if he is my father.” Jared had an intuition that Hugo must know something about the whereabouts of the medicine.