Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Tina pushed open the heavy iron door and rubbed her arms. Despite the sunny day, the place felt ominously cold and terrifying. "Mom, Grandpa, are you sure you don't need me to accompany you?" Tina asked.

Grandpa Brookes shook his head. "No need. Just wait outside for us. Alina and I can handle this feud alone."

Tina nodded and watched as Natalie and Grandpa Brookes entered. She then sat in the car and started eating a strawberry cake.

As Natalie pushed open the door, a nauseating stench of filth hit her. The person sitting in the room slowly turned her head at the sound. Her hair was messy and draped over her shoulders, clearly unwashed for days. Her clothes were stained, and her bare feet were caked with mud. The foul smell emanated from her.

Seeing such a scene, Grandpa Brookes sighed deeply. "Rachel..."

Rachel had been confined here since surviving an explosion at a cliff and being treated in the hospital. The place looked like a detached villa but was essentially a prison cell with fully furnished, albeit black, furniture that never saw the light of day. The large yard felt like a haunted house. There were no lights, no windows, and even the walls were black.

Rachel, living in this perpetual darkness, suffered a fate worse than death. Although food was delivered daily just to keep her alive, she lost all sense of time and place, unable to hear anything and only finding food when hunger compelled her to fumble in the dark.

Suddenly exposed to light, Rachel struggled to adjust. After a long while, she managed to see who was before her. She slowly stood up, her mouth agape but no sound coming out. She stared blankly at Natalie and Grandpa Brookes. After what seemed an eternity, she suddenly ran towards them, shouting, "I am the only true daughter of the Brookes family, I am the only true daughter..."

Natalie struck her, pushing her back and shielding her father.

Grandpa Brookes shook his head, realizing the depth of Rachel's obsession. "Rachel, there's nothing left to say. I raised you all these years, and now our ties are severed. I will never forgive you. Stay here and fend for yourself." With that, Grandpa Brookes patted Natalie's hand, signaling it was time to leave.

Natalie had no desire to speak further with the madwoman. Today's visit was merely to help Grandpa Brookes make a final break.

He had sincerely raised Rachel as his own daughter, never mistreating her. But their father-daughter relationship had to end.

As they turned to leave, Rachel's eerie laughter echoed in the darkness, her face twisted and grotesque. She resembled a character from a horror movie, lying on the ground.

"Fate? Ha, you talk to me about fate?"

"What is our fate? Was it when someone suggested adopting a child would bring prosperity to the Brookes family? Or was it that I, as an adopted daughter, could bring blessings to your daughter?"

"Ian, spare me your righteous indignation! You're nothing but a hypocrite. Adopting me was never about love!"

Her words were a raw exposure of her deep-seated bitterness and disillusionment with the man she once considered her father.

"Alina, I only regret that I didn't hit you harder back then. If I had managed to kill you, there would be no Tina, nor would I have ended up like this!" Grandpa Brookes turned around, gave Rachel a deep look, but ultimately said nothing before Natalie quietly left.

After the two of them came out, Grandpa Brookes slowly said, "The things Rachel said, she must have heard many baseless rumors. Many people don't understand why I adopted Rachel and Angela, given that there were already many children in the family, and I never explained it. Over time, these rumors started, and I thought that with her higher education, she wouldn't believe them, but..."

Natalie was somewhat curious: "Dad, why did you adopt her in the first place?"

Grandpa Brookes stopped, turned to look at Natalie: "Actually, Rachel was the child of one of my subordinates. Her parents died in duty, and I originally planned to send her to an orphanage and sponsor her until she was grown. But you said you wanted a sister, not wanting her to be without family. Alina, do you regret it now?"

Natalie smiled after hearing this, realizing that karma had come back around to her.

"Well, I picked up an ungrateful creature."

Natalie laughed: "I don't remember how I felt back then, but if you ask if I regret it, probably not."

The word 'regret' never existed in Natalie's world; even picking up an ungrateful creature was no big deal.

She had raised wolves before.

Jared: "Master, is it possible that I want to be human?"

Tina: "Uncle Wolf!"

Ian glanced at his daughter, "Tina really takes after you!"

Natalie wrapped her arm around Grandpa Brookes', "Hmm, I take after you too!"

Father and daughter shared a smile; there's not much to regret in this world.

Those who regret are those who can't withstand the so-called consequences.

Ian, Natalie, and Tina were not ones to lament their fate.

They always took matters into their own hands, no matter the consequences, they wouldn't be brought down. So, naturally, there was no talk of regret.

After Tina finished her strawberry cake, Natalie and Grandpa Brookes also walked out of the villa.

The mother and daughter drove Grandpa Brookes back to the Brookes family, then headed to the laboratory.

Natalie stood outside the door, feeling sentimental, "My daughter really is capable, restoring my research institute just like it was."

Tina pouted, "Mom, are you praising yourself?"

"Of course, you're my daughter, if you're capable, isn't it because I am?" Natalie was unabashedly proud!

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In the lab, aside from Wraith, everyone stood tensely by the door.

Tina walked in, surprised, "What are you all doing?"

John looked serious at Tina, "Ma'am, Wraith is experimenting again, it's blown up three times this week!"

Three times!

If I remember correctly, today is only Thursday?

Tina was about to rush in.

Wraith, the profligate, was supposed to be working on an antidote, not wasting money!

Natalie stopped her, "Don't go in yet, it's going to blow."

Just as she finished speaking, a loud "bang" came from the lab.

The tightly closed lab door blew open, emitting billowing black smoke.

Tina cursed under her breath, put on a gas mask, and rushed in to drag the semi-conscious Wraith out.

Looking at the blasted laboratory, Tina kicked Wraith hard in the thigh.

"Damn! Who the hell wants to destroy me! This stuff is irreplaceable!"

Wraith screamed, fully awakening, and upon seeing Tina's face, promptly played dead.

This wasn't just anyone, this was the harbinger of doom!