Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 548: Linden Hosts a Banquet, Invites Tina and Jared

Jared reached out, scraped some cream with his finger, and popped it into his mouth. A second later, his face contorted in agony, an expression of pain like none had ever graced his features before. Tina, alarmed, asked, "Could it be poisoned?" Jared waved his hand dismissively, leaning on Tina's leg, "It's just very bitter." Tina was speechless. "Is it really that bitter?" she questioned, tasting it herself, nearly allowing her fondness for strawberry cake to plummet. It was supposed to be cream, yet how could it be so bitter! Suddenly, Tina remarked, "It's like something my mother would make." As the words left her mouth, both she and Jared paused abruptly. They slowly lifted their eyes, their gazes meeting. The cake, indeed, bore an uncanny resemblance to Natalie's handiwork. They sat in silence, each hardly believing their own thoughts, though all signs of late seemed to point in one direction.

After a while, Tina shook her head, "I've never tasted a strawberry cake this awful." Jared unwrapped a piece of strawberry cake he had brought along and fed it to Tina, "Eat this one, it's sweet." Tina chuckled, her eyes glancing unintentionally at the bitterly disappointing cake. After finishing the sweet cake, Tina leaned back on the sofa, patting her stomach, "Uncle, didn't you say you needed to see me about something?"

Jared produced two invitations and laid them before Tina, "Take a look." Tina picked them up, flipping through them with a smile, "The director wants to meet me, could have just said so, why all the fuss?" Although Linden was hosting the banquet under the guise of the Reed family's name and had invited both Tina and Jared, they were no fools to Linden's true intentions. The banquet was clearly orchestrated for Linden to meet Tina.

"So, are we going?" Jared asked, observing Tina's expression which already hinted at her thoughts. Tina laughed, "Of course, we'll go. If we didn't, think of all the drama we'd miss." That evening, Tina and Jared dressed up and attended the event. Esther, with Audrey, greeted the guests at the door, their faces brightening upon seeing Tina. "Tina, you finally made it, I've missed you. Tried calling but couldn't get through," Esther approached warmly, taking Tina's hand. Esther seemed particularly cheerful, her husband's return evidently uplifting her spirits, her smile deeper than before. "I was off to Clearwater recently, had my phone off," Tina explained with a smile, then turned to Audrey, "Have you fully recovered?" After the accident, Tina had saved the person and hadn't followed up, since there was no longer any danger to their life. Audrey nodded, "Yes, I'm completely healed, but my cousin..."

"What happened to Griffin?" Tina inquired.

Audrey's eyes welled with tears, feeling guilty about Griffin's condition. If she hadn't been so reckless as to throw away her helmet, and had not been shielded by Griffin, he might have been alright. Esther sighed, "Griffin had woken up, but his condition worsened suddenly that night. After emergency treatment, his life was saved, but the doctors say he suffered brain damage and might remain vegetative." Tina was momentarily stunned, having performed the surgery herself, she was confident there had been no errors.

What on earth was going on?

"Why didn't you inform me? Where is Griffin now?" Tina demanded in a deep voice.

The person she had saved was having a relapse?

Otherwise, Griffin would never have ended up in a vegetative state. Esther tried to soothe Tina, "We did want to

not family? Is

grew even more

family could never

family felt the same,

know your heart, but we just couldn't face coming to you again," Esther said, wiping away tears, the guilt weighing heavily on her

reproaching, "Alright, Aunt, where is

sent abroad for treatment by Damian. They say it's a good

in Ashbury, she couldn't possibly go after him; she'd have to let Griffin rest a while longer. "Let's go inside. I'll introduce you to your uncle," Esther

various

and Tina approach, he walked over

truly, the reputation is well-deserved. You look like a fairy," Linden greeted her with a smile. With such a polite introduction, Tina

a smile, her face gentle, yet her eyes concealed layers of coldness. Linden seemed not to

hand in a gesture of politeness, as

their first meeting, shook his hand, "Just

of polite