Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Tina and Hugo left the Moon Gate Estate at ten o’clock at night. They were just about to head back to Pinkwater Ally when Sophia ran over. “Miss Reed, we’re going to have dinner, won’t you join us?” Sophia pleaded, tugging at Tina’s hand with a soft and sticky voice. The Reed family had recently been involved in a scandal, which had ruined the appetites of the guests. It was estimated that all the guests would need to cook again when they returned home.

Tina was about to refuse when Nathan approached, pushing Jared in front of her. Jared spoke up, “Come with us. Sophia really likes you. She won’t be able to sleep tonight if you don’t go.” He then turned to Hugo and Jennie, “Mr. Reed and Mrs. Reed should also come along. It’s a good opportunity for us to formally meet!”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“No, thank you,” Hugo declined. “You go ahead and eat; we won’t join the crowd. Zackary has school tomorrow; he needs to go to bed early.”

“That’s fine, tomorrow I’ll come to ask Miss Tina to marry me, and then we’ll have a formal meal,” Jared didn’t insist. Hugo turned to Tina and instructed, “Tina, come home early after dinner. A girl shouldn’t stay out overnight. If it gets too late, call me, and I’ll come to pick you up.” With that, he gave Jared a fierce look, filled with a warning that seemed to say: If you dare to bully my daughter, I’ll fight you with my life!

Jared’s mouth twitched! He hadn’t taken advantage of her when she was drugged; why would he when she was sober? Tina, who had been planning to refuse, found herself saying, “… okay!” It seemed that the decision had been made for her; did she even have room to refuse?

After getting in the car, they decided on a place to eat. Four adults and a child, five different tastes… They ended up going to the city center and chose a restaurant at random. They parked the car in the city center, got out, and walked.

The streets of Ensford were bustling at ten o’clock. Many restaurants were open, offering a variety of choices. Nathan pushed Jared while Sophia, who rarely went out shopping and would quickly return home even when she did, couldn’t contain her excitement. She hopped and skipped, dragging Tina to clothing stores for children and then to shoe stores! Although these stores were just ordinary shops, not big brands, shopping for clothes is a woman’s nature, and Sophia was no exception. She had never had the chance to pick out pretty clothes for herself. Now, seeing them, she forgot about dinner and tried on many outfits. By the time they found a place to eat, she had bought a dozen sets of clothes.

“Wow, cake!” Sophia had just handed her newly bought clothes to Hayden when she spotted a popular cake shop. She excitedly pulled Tina, “Miss Reed, they have cake; let’s buy some! I haven’t had any in so long.”

Tina, who had been bored with the shopping, suddenly lit up at the mention of cake, “Cake? Where?” She had been walking with her head down and hadn’t noticed any of the shopfronts on the street. It had been a long time since she’d had cake. When she was in the mountains, Cole would buy some for her every few days. After she came down from the mountains, Cole had more things to handle on her behalf, and since she could buy it herself anytime, he hadn’t bought her any more. But she seemed busy every day; by the time she thought of eating cake, it was always too late, and the cake shops were closed.

“There!” Sophia pointed to a nearby spot, “Miss Reed, let’s hurry! I saw there are only two strawberry cakes left; if we’re late, they’ll be gone.”

“Strawberry cake!” Tina’s eyes could not have been brighter as she scooped up Sophia and dashed towards the cake shop. Their speed left Jared, Hayden, and Nathan dumbfounded. What had just happened? Was that a gust of wind? But there was no wind! Then they saw Tina, holding Sophia like a robber, swiftly grab the two pieces of cake from the glass display, pay, and leave all in one smooth motion.

Meanwhile, a customer who was about to take a strawberry cake was left with their hand hanging in mid-air, completely stunned! By the time Tina and Sophia came back, each holding a spoon and eating their cake, Jared and the others were just beginning to recover.

Sophia took a bite of the cake and asked Tina with joy, “Miss Reed, you also like strawberry cake? I should have bought more when I came with Jared. It’s a pity there were only two left, and they’re so small not satisfying enough!”

The cakes were indeed small, just enough to whet their appetites.

“Yep,” Tina replied, her mood significantly improved, her face wearing a charming smile, “I really like it.” She had a fondness for strawberry cake, and almost whenever a new variety was available, Cole would buy it for her. She had tasted no less than a hundred different kinds of strawberry cake, but none compared to the one she remembered.

She had once tasted a strawberry cake made by someone’s own hands, a flavor she could never forget. But the image of the person who made it was becoming blurry in her mind, so much so that she could hardly recall their face.

Jared and the others simply watched them enjoy the cake. Seeing how delighted they were, Hayden couldn’t help but ask, “Is the cake really that good?” It looked ordinary to him; there was nothing special about it! And cakes were mostly cream, which would make you gain weight! Didn’t all girls fear getting fat? How could they eat it so happily?

Tina, in a good mood, offered pleasantly, “Do you want to try?” The server had given her extra spoons, and seeing that she was in good spirits, she was willing to share a taste with them.

Hayden glanced at the cake and declined, “No, it’s okay, you enjoy it.” There was so little; if he had some, there wouldn’t be much left.

Jared didn’t say a word, just stared at Tina with a look that had a glint of something indecipherable, and after a long moment, he said softly, “You really like strawberry cake?”

“Yes!” Tina replied, smiling brightly, her mood soaring.

Jared seemed contemplative, his gaze on her carrying a deeper meaning. She and the child shared the same taste. Was it just a coincidence?

“Hmph!” Hayden couldn’t help but click his tongue, “The heart of a girl is as hard to fathom as the bottom of the ocean! Miss Reed has always seemed so cold, but who knew that a cake could reveal her cute side. One of these days, I’ll have to buy one myself to see if it’s really that good.”

Jared gave him a sidelong glance and said to Tina, “From now on, I’ll take care of your cakes. Whenever there’s a new kind, I’ll send it to you.”

“Really?” Tina’s eyes sparkled, “I’d like that. Strawberry cake is my favorite.”

She paused, then added, “Of course, I’m open to other flavors too.”

Her preference was, of course, strawberry cake.

“Alright,” Jared agreed with a light smile.