Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

In the living room, Hayden Cohen had just settled on the sofa when his eyes caught a sealed small glass bottle on the coffee table. "What's this?" he asked, curiosity lifting the object in his hands.

"Don't touch," Tina reached out to take it back. It was an essence of Lavender Sage, highly concentrated and could cause allergies if spilled on skin.

Hayden, always one to push boundaries, hid the bottle behind his back and with a meaningful smirk, glanced between Jared Farrell and Tina. Chuckling, he teased, "Let me guess, is it something risqué, like lubricant perhaps..." Tina, usually indifferent to his banter, caught from the corner of her eye Marie returning alone, having pursued Linnet Sinclair earlier. She reached to reclaim the bottle.

Hayden dodged, and in doing so, the bottle of Lavender Sage essence flung from his grip, shattering at Marie's feet. A strong fragrance immediately overwhelmed the apartment, and everyone found it difficult to breathe. Stunned, Marie, stepping over the broken glass, strode in with fury. Opening her mouth to reproach Jared, she sneezed mid-sentence. "How could you-Ahchoo! Linnet is-Ahchoo! You-Ahchoo! Ahchoo! Sneeze!" She managed only a few words before the pervasive scent triggered a barrage of five sneezes, leaving her eyes red and teary.

Feeling a rare pang of guilt, Tina glared at Hayden and handed some tissues to Marie, who, overwhelmed by itchy nose, couldn't bother with disdain and dabbed away her tears and sniffles. "What is that smell-Ahchoo!" Finally, Marie, unable to stand it anymore, fled sneezing.

The remaining four in the living room exchanged looks.

Jared had braced himself for a day of nagging from his mother, but a bottle of essence had efficiently dispatched her. He considered it a good omen, promising to stock up on more bottles to scatter around whenever his mother brought trivial annoyances to him. He planned to also prepare some for Sophia, who had been nearly driven insane by his mother's nagging.

A potential conflict dissipated into nothingness.

Noticing it was already 11 a. m., Tina, uncharacteristically warm, invited Hayden Cohen and Nathan Lehman for lunch, offering to cook.

"Don't!" Hayden leapt up, about to flee.

"Miss Reed, I've just ordered a delivery; it will be here soon, no need to trouble yourself," Nathan said, his face turning sour as he continued to order more items through the app, regardless of what they were.

"Is that so?" Tina, feigning disappointment, had hoped to show off her improved cooking skills. "Well, next time then."

Hayden and Nathan exchanged a relieved look, silently vowing never to visit Jared during mealtimes again-it was too dangerous. They suddenly understood why Sophia, previously always stuck to Tina and Marie, had opted not to come today. Smart girl, knowing when to keep away.

Unexpectedly, Marie returned in the afternoon, determination renewed. As Nathan opened the door to reveal Marie, masked and storming in, Jared and Hayden fell silent.

"Where is Tina?" Skipping pleasantries, Marie headed straight upstairs.

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As Jared gave him a stern look, Hayden shrugged. "The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law feud is an age-old dilemma. It was bound to happen. Now, it's a matter of who outwits whom."

Offering a wry suggestion, Hayden added, "If you're worried about your fiancée being bullied by your mom, maybe you should go help?"

"My worry is for my mother," Jared massaged his temples. Provoking Tina was indeed a risky affair. But perhaps, he thought, it was good for his mother to learn a lesson, trusting Tina to keep things under control. In the fragrance room.

After lunch, Tina returned to her neatly arranged perfume studio. When Marie entered, Tina was pondering over the newly delivered Lavender Sage essence.

Upon hearing the door, Tina turned around.

Marie, still recalling her unflattering sneezing fit from the morning, involuntarily stepped back upon seeing the essence in Tina's hand. Quickly masking her retreat with a bold stride forward, she eyed Tina's perfume bench and skeptically inquired, "Do you really know how to make perfumes?"

Her visit was not to introduce Linnet Sinclair to Jared; she had just happened to meet Linnet and her mother, Mrs. Sinclair, at a poker table that morning. Mrs. Sinclair, an old card-playing friend, had casually mentioned Tina's presumptuous challenge to Sean the previous day.

Linnet had chimed in, stating that Sean was an internationally recognized perfume prodigy, tutored by the celebrated Q, and he held the title of "The Prince of Perfumes." Yet, Tina had rashly challenged Sean to a scent duel-a move considered outright humiliating by onlookers.

Marie also saw the news, with social media already pitting crowds in favor of Sean against Tina, most deriding her audacity.

Among the scattered chuckles of her card friends, Marie fumed over Tina's naive decision. If Tina had been a nobody, it would have been a mere spectacle. But as Jared Farrell's fiancée, she represented the face of the Farrell family.

If Tina's defeat was too humiliating, it would invite criticism toward the Farrell family itself. Marie, annoyed past her limit during the game, decided to confront Tina to persuade her to cancel this perfume challenge. And Linnet Sinclair had insisted on accompanying her.

"Tina, I heard you've arranged to face the 'Perfume Prince' Sean next Friday for a perfume challenge?" Marie asked coldly.

"Yes," Tina nodded, aware of today's news and Marie's likely knowledge of it.

As Marie hesitated on how to persuade Tina to retract the challenge, her gaze was suddenly drawn to a perfume bottle in a nearby glass cabinet.

"Is this... Eastshore Nightfall?!"