Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

In the entire villa, at this moment, only a few square meters around their feet were illuminated. Everywhere else was plunged into pitch darkness, the two maintaining defensive positions for a full half-hour, with silence still reigning all around them. Apart from their breathing, no other sound could be heard. The short-tempered bodyguard number one frowned, "Damn, what's going on? Is it just a normal power outage?"

They weren't worried about Eric escaping through a window. The moment Eric had returned, the Lyon family's security had him encircled tightly from inside out, leaving no room for escape. Stephanie usually traveled with bodyguards, and escaping under these circumstances would be impossible even for ten Erics.

Bodyguard number two slowly relaxed his stance but remained tense, "I don't know."

He paused, then took out a walkie-talkie, "This is Team Three, there's an electrical issue in the villa, send someone to check the fuse box. I can't believe that in such a luxurious place we would run into this kind of issue by chance."

In the darkness, Stephanie was hiding around the corner of a corridor, secretly watching the only lit area of the villa, her teeth biting her lip, eyes eager. She had managed to sabotage the villa's lighting controls, and yet, why weren't they checking it? If they stayed there, how could she ever rescue Eric?

Stephanie's palms grazed the wallpaper as she nervously fiddled with it, making a crackling sound.

"What was that sound?"

The second bodyguard, exceptionally sensitive to noise, especially given the surrounding quiet, heard the slight disturbance clearly. As he spoke, the chandelier overhead flickered twice and then brightened again. Eric looked up at the glaring light, his cracked lips curving into a mocking smile, "Idiots."

Outside, unbeknownst to Stephanie, the sudden illumination made her hiding spot obvious, and the bodyguard downstairs spotted her presence without even looking up. Bodyguard number one locked eyes with her directly, "Miss Lyon, what are you doing here?"

His scrutinizing gaze made her forehead break out in a cold sweat as she fumbled with her fingers, "I... I was scared! I didn't know what happened, it just suddenly went dark, and I didn't dare stay by myself, so I came out to check." Stephanie blinked rapidly, her face a picture of innocence.

The two bodyguards exchanged a glance, not entirely believing her story. But Nathan's orders were only to keep a close watch on Eric, and with no harm done today, they were reluctant to complicate matters further.

"The power's back now, Miss Lyon, you should return to your room," said bodyguard number one, without a sideways glance. He didn't even offer to walk her back, his arm outstretched, his gaze oppressive. Stephanie cast one glance at him and quickly lowered her head, cursing those unromantic fools to herself - even now, they were still focused on their duties. But it was too late for any further action on her part without raising suspicion. Resigned, she nodded obediently and returned to her room.

The next day. Tina and others arrived close to noon. As soon as the vehicle neared the villa, Stephanie rushed out impatiently from the house, "Why did you only come now?!"

Like a hand grenade in fast-forward, she blurted out the words as her body uncontrollably hurled itself towards Jared.

The man's expression furrowed as he pulled Tina back a step.All rights © NôvelDrama.Org.

Thud!

Instead of landing in the man's sturdy, warm embrace, Stephanie ended up face-first on the ground. "Poof!"

Watching her frog-like sprawl, Courtney, who had followed Tina to join the fray, couldn't help but laugh out loud. Then, sporadic laughter erupted around them.

Lying on the ground, Stephanie was in a dilemma-neither rising nor staying down seemed right.

Her face went through a gamut of expressions before she finally pushed herself up.

"Cousin, you finally showed up. If you hadn't come, my brother would have been tortured to death by Tina." "What does that have to do with me?"

Tina asked, perplexed.

Stephanie glared at Courtney, who was still laughing heartily, and wiped away tears that sprang from pain.

"Tina, I know you don't like me or my brother. But you've already drugged us, so why keep my brother locked up? By doing this, you're infringing on his freedom."

Courtney snorted, "Freedom? Miss Lyon, have you ever been educated? All my life, I've only heard of privacy rights, never 'freedom rights.' Did you forget? You live in Sinoria, not Alderanth." "I..."

Stephanie clenched her teeth, "Cousin, look at them. Anyway, it's wrong for you to detain my cousin illegally!"

Tina, unwilling to engage with fools, glanced at Jared.

The man, holding his wife's hand, merely gave a look and Nathan stepped forward to pull Stephanie away.

"Eric was captured by my orders. If you have a complaint, go to the police," Jared coldly dropped the remark, not even glancing at Stephanie as he and Tina walked into the mansion.

In a room on the second floor, Eric, who had been captured days ago, finally saw someone other than a bodyguard.

"Jared, what right do you have to capture me? What have I done to deserve this treatment?"

As he voiced his objections, Stephanie, tears wiped away, rushed into the room.

Her petite frame stood defiantly in front of Eric.

"We're relatives after all. Isn't this a bit too much?"

Her unpowdered face was smeared with mud from the floor, mixing with her tears, creating a pitiful yet poignant beauty.

She straightened her back, her expression filled with defiant resignation, "Is this how you honor the deceased of the Lyon family? Aren't you afraid of facing our grandmother and the others underground?" "Ah!"

"Tina, what are you doing?!"

A loud slap echoed through the room.

Jared watched the two siblings' pretense with cold eyes, holding Tina's hand, "If you want to slap her, I can do it for you, why dirty your own hands?"

Tina pulled out a tissue, leisurely wiping her hands, her gaze lifted nonchalantly at Stephanie, "Have you been with the Lyon family so long that you forgot you're just my experiment now?" Stephanie shuddered, a flash of resentment crossing her eyes.

She hadn't forgotten she was Tina's experiment.

It had just been so long since Tina had done anything to her that she had begun to think Tina might have decided to spare her.

So, she had gradually forgotten the past events, living a privileged life with the Farrell family, as carefree as she had been with the Lyon family, still the princess with nothing to worry about.