Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Halfway through the meal, Thaliana lifted her wine glass and toasted Tina.

"Tina, this toast is on behalf of our family's Connie. I want to thank you. If you hadn't taken her out of Ensford back then and mentored her, I can't imagine what she might have become."

"Now that she's by your side, working for you, I believe this must be the best arrangement heaven could offer."

Perhaps reminded of her own past, Thaliana's eyes turned red.

Tina stood up as well, her tone calm. "You're giving me too much credit. Courtney's achievements are the result of her own hard work. All I did was recognize her potential."

As she spoke, she replaced the wine in her hand with tea, explaining, "I've caught a bit of a cold recently, hope you don't mind."

Thaliana nodded in understanding and waved it off, finishing her own glass of wine in

one go.

The meal ended harmoniously. Afterward, Tina offered to give Thaliana a ride home.

As the three of them exited the restaurant and were about to get into the car, a sudden wave of murderous intent swept over them.

From across the street, several men in black appeared, armed and heading straight toward them.

"Tina, watch out!"

Courtney immediately stepped in front of Tina to shield her.

Before Courtney could take action, a dozen elite guards materialized around Tina, swiftly surrounding the men in black.

Within minutes, the situation was under control.

Tina's expression remained cold.

These were Uncle's people. They wouldn't show themselves unless absolutely necessary.

It seemed Claudia had noticed something.

Just as everyone began to relax, a passerby on the sidewalk glanced over casually.

A gun barrel gleamed in the light, aimed directly at Tina.

Tina raised an eyebrow but stayed calm. Energy gathered in her palm as she prepared to neutralize the threat.

But before she could act, the gunman shifted his aim to Courtney and fired without hesitation.

Tina's eyes darkened as she instinctively moved to intervene.

However, before she could, someone stepped in front of Courtney.

The suddenness of the event caught everyone off guard. Tina's guards had been focused entirely on her safety, neglecting those around her.

Their orders were clear: protect Tina at all costs.

Thaliana took the bullet and collapsed immediately.

Courtney's face went pale as she caught the unconscious Thaliana.

"Mom!" she cried out. "Are you okay? Don't scare me!"

Tina gestured to her team, instructing them to track down the shooter. She then

ordered a car to take the injured Thaliana to the hospital.

At the hospital, Tina personally performed the surgery, carefully extracting the bullet lodged in Thaliana's shoulder.

As she stitched up the wound, she noticed a small butterfly tattoo near the site, already marred by an old scar.

After leaving the operating room, Jared approached and grabbed her hand. "Tina, are you okay?"

Tina shook her head, scanning the area. "Where's Courtney?"

Jared hesitated before replying, "We caught the attackers. She insisted on interrogating them herself."

Tina knew Courtney's nature. She wasn't the type to sit outside a surgery room and cry. Someone had hurt the person she cared about most. Of course, she'd want revenge. Tina removed her surgical scrubs and said to Jared, "Uncle, call my parents. I need to speak with them."

Jared, still shaken by the day's events, asked hesitantly, "Right now?"

Tina nodded. "Now."

Ten minutes later, the call connected. Alina's voice came through, cheerful and lighthearted. "Miss me already?"

Tina's tone was steady, devoid of any emotion. "Mom, Aunt Thaliana is back."

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There was a pause on the other end, followed by a sharp rise in Alina's voice. She sounded ecstatic. "Thaliana's back? When did this happen?"

"How is she? Does she still have that baby face?"

"No, wait... She's almost forty now, isn't she? She can't possibly still have that face. A forty-year-old body with a twenty-year-old face would be terrifying..."

Tina sighed.

Sometimes she really wondered how her mother's mind worked.

"Mom, answer me this: does Aunt Thaliana have a butterfly tattoo on her back?"

Alina answered quickly, "Yes, she does. Why?"

Her tone shifted, suddenly realizing something was wrong. "Tina, what happened to Thaliana?"

Tina didn't want to worry her mother over the phone, so she simply said, "Come back first. We'll talk in person."

After hanging up, Tina's eyes flickered with thought.

Could it be that her suspicions were wrong?

Back at the hospital, Jared ensured someone was keeping watch over Thaliana. Meanwhile, Tina prepared to check on Courtney, only to be stopped by Jared.

"Nathan and Jason are already with her. What you need right now is rest."

The seriousness in Jared's tone startled Tina for a moment. She blinked. "Uncle, I'm fine."

Jared's expression remained grim. He had listened carefully to the reports from earlier

and was determined to stay by Tina's side from now on.

"Standing through a two-hour surgery, and you're telling me you're fine?"

Tina hesitated.

Had Uncle really been waiting outside the whole time?

Forced to rest at home, Tina could only gather updates via phone.

It was Nathan who answered her call. Upon hearing Tina's voice, he greeted her respectfully, "Madam!"

"How is Courtney?" Tina asked directly.

Nathan sighed. "She's losing it. Her methods are so brutal, Jason and I were stunned.

She's leaving them barely alive, torturing them over and over."

"What have they said?" Tina's voice was calm.

"They admitted to taking a large sum of money. As for their orders, they claim it was to target someone specific."

"All the tests confirm they're telling the truth, but..."

"But what?" Tina pressed.

Nathan hesitated before continuing. "Courtney doesn't believe them. She's determined

to get every answer and refuses to stop. The screams are scaring the men under my command."

Tina's tone remained steady. "Let her be. Handle the rest yourself."

Nathan fell silent.

He had been overthinking.

If Tina had been there, those men wouldn't have lasted even ten minutes.noveldrama

The next day, Tina received a call from Master Tam while on her way to the airport to

pick up her parents.

Alina, after learning about Thaliana's return, hadn't wasted a second. After two connecting flights, she was finally on her way back.

"Master, I'm on my way to pick up my parents. I'll come see you afterward." Master Tam's tone was lighthearted yet serious. "Girl, don't say I didn't give you enough time. It's not me that's in a hurry, it's this thing. I'm at your grandfather's house, and I don't dare touch it lightly."

Tina didn't hesitate. "Nathan, turn the car around. Head to the Brookes family estate."

Nathan was speechless.

Tina truly had a mind for business.

Even her parents could be pushed aside.

The car, which had barely made it halfway to the airport, quickly changed course

toward the Brookes family estate.