Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

"Hey, hey!"Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

Paula jabbed at the completely frozen Hayden. Seeing no reaction, she leaned closer and shouted into his ear, "What are you thinking about?! Let go of me already-she's gone! Stop taking advantage of me!"

Hayden snapped out of it, suddenly realizing his hand was still resting on Paula's shoulder. "No, I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean... I was just... I didn't mean it like that..."

As Kelly walked away, Hayden's mind slowly pieced together what had just happened. The memory of his earlier words made him panic. His handsome face turned beet red as he stammered an explanation, desperate for Paula not to misunderstand.

Paula's playful smile faded slightly, and Nathan, watching from the side, felt like punching his friend. What an idiot! No wonder he's still single.

Nathan, grateful to Paula for coming to his rescue and saving him from being paired with Hayden, opened his mouth to help smooth things over. But Paula beat him to it.

"I understand," she said with a knowing smile. "I was just helping you out. If Nathan hadn't messaged me, I wouldn't have known you were here."

"Good, good. As long as you understand," Hayden blurted, nodding furiously.

But as he spoke, he glanced at the speechless Nathan standing behind him, his eyes full of doubt. When did these two get so familiar? He didn't voice his question, though.

Instead, he politely escorted Paula to a cab. Only after she was out of sight did he turn to Nathan, a glare of suspicion in his eyes. "How do you have Paula's number? And why would you call her?"

"What else was I supposed to do? Stand there and let that lunatic pair me with you?" Nathan retorted, rubbing his arms in exaggerated disgust. "You might not mind, but I do!"

Hayden bristled, his competitive streak flaring. "What do you mean, 'mind'? Are you discriminating against me?"

Nathan shot him a look of disdain. "No, I'm not discriminating against any minority group. I'm just discriminating against you. Now, hurry up! Mrs. Farrow is still waiting for us."

Rolling his eyes, Nathan cut the conversation short. "We've got a court case against Luke Gill the day after tomorrow. Security at the villa needs to be tightened today in case the Bailey family tries to snatch our witness. And don't forget, we need to pick up that girl tomorrow. Let's go, let's go!"

Hayden, successfully distracted, frowned. "I almost forgot. We've got another witness arriving tomorrow. I just hope Serena can cure Mr. Farrell's aunt."

"You don't trust her medical skills?" Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow. Hayden had been Serena's biggest fan back when he didn't recognize Tina. How did he regress so much?

Feeling the weight of Nathan's gaze, Hayden quickly tried to explain himself. "No, that's not it. I just think... given Mr. Farrell's aunt's condition, it'd already be a miracle if she survives. Waking up seems unlikely."

Nathan gave him a look of mild annoyance but said nothing.

Meanwhile, at the laboratory, Tina was reviewing Simone Farrell's medical records, which Wraith had meticulously organized. After a moment of silent contemplation, she answered the same question Hayden had been pondering. "It's not that difficult," she said.

Wraith's eyes widened as he glanced at the unconscious woman in the hospital bed. "Not that difficult?! Forget the poison in her body for a moment-just look at her physical condition. Even if she wakes up, rehabilitation will be a massive challenge!"

Most patients who wake up from a vegetative state-despite years of careful care to prevent muscle atrophy-still require extensive recovery before they can stand. Simone Farrell, on the other hand, had been neglected for over a decade, reportedly living in terrible conditions. Even Wraith, with all his expertise, had no confidence in fully restoring her.

And yet, Spectre claimed it wasn't particularly hard?!

Wraith was visibly shocked, but Tina remained unfazed. "Just because you can't do it doesn't mean I can't. I've beaten you countless times before, haven't I? I trust my abilities."

"How exactly are you so confident?" Wraith asked incredulously. "Even if your medical skills are exceptional, science still has its limits. The poison in her body can be neutralized, sure-but curing a vegetative state, an unsolved medical challenge? How do you plan to do that?"

Tina pressed her lips together, her expression turning slightly odd as she glanced at Wraith. "Well, isn't it possible that her vegetative state was caused by the poison in her body?"

"Of course," Wraith replied without hesitation. "In fact, if it weren't for the poison keeping her alive, she'd have died ages ago."

Initially, he had worried that neutralizing the poison might cause Simone Farrell to die immediately. But seeing Tina's calm demeanor, he figured she must have another plan in mind. Still, her bold assumption stunned him. Jared, who had been silently listening to their conversation, finally summarized their debate in his own mind: Wraith firmly believed that even if Simone Farrell woke up, she would be bedridden for the rest of her life. Although Jared trusted his wife, his heart still sank. His anger toward Victor burned even hotter.

Closing his eyes, he suppressed his frustration and said in a low voice, "As long as my aunt is alive, nothing else matters." "Uncle, don't you believe me?" Tina snapped, slamming the file onto the table.

With her hands on her hips, she fixed Jared with a dangerous glare.

Jared froze. "Tina, I didn't mean it like that. I just-"

"

Tina wasn't interested in his excuses. Covering her ears, she mimicked a dramatic scene from a soap opera, shaking her head. "I don't care. You hurt me today, so you have to make it up to me!"

Wraith, tired of their bickering, quietly snatched the medical file Tina had been working on and slipped out of the room. Peter Crispin, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire, followed suit, leaving the couple alone. Once everyone was gone, Tina grabbed Jared's arm without giving him a chance to protest. "I want hotpot. And barbecue. As compensation, you're taking me out for both. Let's go-I'm starving!"

Jared couldn't help but smile at her antics. How could he not see that she was trying to cheer him up? The coldness in his gaze softened instantly. Wrapping his arm around her, he said, "Alright. Whatever you want, I'll get it for you." The two walked off together, their figures gradually disappearing from the laboratory. Wraith, still engrossed in the medical records, didn't even notice when they left.

Elsewhere, Ella Bailey finally relaxed after receiving a text from Tina. The tension in her shoulders eased, and her expression softened slightly.

Ruud, seated at the head of the table, noticed the subtle change in her demeanor. His sharp gaze swept over her. "You seem... happy lately," he remarked coldly.

Ella stiffened, worried she'd been caught slacking off during the meeting. "Not really," she replied quickly. "It's just that the Bailey family has stopped causing trouble for me, so I've been feeling a bit more relaxed."

"Is that so?" Ruud's tone was laced with suspicion. "I heard Victor's brother was kidnapped by Tina. Didn't they ask you to go to the Farrell family to demand his release?"