Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 1029: The False Death Drug

Time had left barely a trace on her face. Thaliana's posture was as poised as ever, and the brilliance in her eyes remained the same. The only noticeable difference was her hair-once tied in a crisp ponytail, it now fell freely over her shoulders.

She inclined her head slightly. "Aunt Thaliana, hello. I'm Tina," she introduced herself.

Thaliana looked at Tina, but her gaze seemed to pass through her, focusing on someone else. "I heard from Connie. Tina, they say you carry the shadow of your mother. How is she?"

Tina pressed her lips together before replying, "She's doing well. She's not in the capital at the moment; she went abroad with my dad for their honeymoon."

"If she knew you had returned, she would be thrilled."

Hearing this, Thaliana paused, visibly startled. "Your father is...?"

Tina answered directly, "His name is Ruud."

At the mention of the name, a flicker of surprise flashed in Thaliana's eyes. She shook her head in disbelief. "I never would've guessed. So, the person your mother held in her heart all these years was him. No wonder she kept his name a secret for so long... it makes sense now."

A strange feeling flashed through Tina's heart, but she quickly dismissed it. It couldn't be her. Other people might pretend, but Aunt Thaliana wouldn't.

Realizing her distraction, Thaliana suddenly clapped her hands. "Look at me! Seeing you brought back so many memories of your mother, I got carried away. Please, have a seat."

She made her way to pour water but stopped when she found the kettle empty. Turning to the two of them, she said, "You two chat. I'll go get some water."

Courtney nodded. Watching Thaliana pick up the kettle, she couldn't help but express her concern. "Mom, be careful not to scald yourself."

Thaliana smiled softly, asking her to keep Tina company and promising she'd be back shortly.

Now, only Tina and Courtney remained in the room.

Tina observed Courtney's expression and gestured toward her hand. "Let me see your injury."

Courtney hesitated, trying to pull back, but Tina's unwavering look made her reluctantly extend her hand. Tina's fingers lightly brushed over it, and after a moment, she seemed to understand the cause. She reached into her bottle and took out a healing pill, handing it to Courtney.

hesitated. "Tina, I'll recover in a few days.

days. Do you

she would never drag the team down. Watching Courtney finally swallow the pill, Tina opened

notifying the team. Her expression turned

it that way. "Relax," she said softly. "I

she

the reason earlier but hadn't expected

admitted, "Honestly, Tina, I couldn't believe my mom was back at first. I

first time, her initial reaction had also been disbelief, followed by overwhelming joy at the reunion. But no matter how much she doubted, she always tried to approach situations

did you first realize it was

question, a flicker of hesitation

"Don't overthink. I'm only asking because I want to make sure nothing overlaps. Don't

be impersonating Thaliana, deceiving them, or manipulating their emotions. But this was her

her internal conflict, decided not to press further. "You don't have to say anything if you don't

a moment.

might be missing out on the complete story. Head over there to dive into

week ago?" Tina

"I'm certain. It was Friday afternoon. I was leaving the lab and noticed someone following me on my way home. After

them

I might have encountered a professional assassin. The next day, as I was preparing to report it to the team, I

you realized

"I wasn't sure at first. She looked so much like her, but I decided to

Thaliana has returned, why didn't

know Asher Vance was dead. She was afraid that

false death drug back then, but the overdose damaged her brain. For a long time, she didn't

false death drugs carried such risks. If the antidote wasn't administered within a specific timeframe, the

the destruction plan clearly stated that Thaliana's death had been labeled as

matter further. Just then, Thaliana returned with a kettle

surprised. "Mom, you went

glasses of water.

as gentle