Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

On the other side, after leaving the hotel, the Farrell family members quickened their pace to follow Logan. Jared, Hayden, and Nathan were walking behind. It wasn’t until they saw a few cars driving away that Jared stopped and said to Nathan, “Keep an eye on Hugo.”

Nathan was taken aback, not quite understanding why. Hayden was also confused, but he didn’t hesitate to ask, “Really, you? You just got engaged to the girl, and now you’re watching her father? Are you burning your bridges after crossing the river?”

Jared glanced at him with an expressionless face and said, “He might have the potion.”

Both Hayden and Nathan widened their eyes in disbelief. After a while, Hayden finally responded, “Potion? Hugo? You’re not joking, are you?” Although Hugo was the third son of the Reed family, he was as ordinary as they come. How could something as important as the potion be in his possession?

Jared’s lips were pursed, his stern face betraying no emotion. “I found out that the potion is related to Tina’s mother. Hugo proposed to give something to Elizabeth, and it’s very likely the potion.”

“What are we waiting for then? Go find him! How can we let him give it to Elizabeth? Does he think he has too many days left?” Hayden was somewhat anxious. The potion was an extremely important object and a ticking time bomb. The order from above was clear: find the potion at all costs, even if it meant death.

The GTO had dispatched assassins who had already infiltrated Ensford. Whoever possessed the potion was as good as dead. Besides, several other forces were also searching for the potion; it was a hot potato.

Since Hugo had it and wasn’t keeping it a secret, even offering to give it to Elizabeth publicly, wasn’t that akin to courting death?

“We can’t go!” Jared said solemnly. “It’s not certain whether what he’s giving to Elizabeth is the potion, nor whether he’s as benign as he appears on the surface. We can’t startle the snake in the grass.”

Jared looked up and instructed Nathan, “You keep an eye on Hugo. The moment he hands the potion to Elizabeth, act immediately and seize it!”

Stealing was not his usual style. But given the gravity of the situation and the need for stealth, theft was the only option.

“Yes,” Nathan nodded gravely.

Jared paused, then added, “You don’t act personally, let others do it.”

“I understand.”

Pinkwater Alley.

After Hugo returned home, he called Tina aside, “Tina, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”

Tina stopped in her tracks and sat on the sofa, “What’s the matter?”

She had wanted to ask Hugo about what he was planning to give to Elizabeth, but since Hugo had something to say, she decided to listen first. She had found Hugo to be an upright person during their interactions. But as for the potion, she wasn’t sure.

She had seen many people, of all sorts, and if Hugo’s integrity and kindness were all an act, then he was too formidable. She hoped her judgment was not wrong. She didn’t want her image of Hugo to change in her heart.

“It’s like this,” Hugo licked his lips, choosing his words carefully, “Your mother was a very good perfumer. When she married into my family, she created several perfumes that led the Reed family from a fallen house to glory.”

Tina nodded. She knew her mother was a perfumer. In fact, her mother had many identities, but the Reed family only knew of this one.

Tina stayed silent, waiting for Hugo to continue.

“After your mother left, she called me once. She gave me the formulas for the perfumes. She developed a total of twenty-eight perfume formulas, of which she used eight during her years with the Reed family. After she left, I never took out those formulas again. But now, I’ve decided to give one of the perfume formulas to your grandmother.”

Hugo looked at Tina cautiously, actually fearing she would be angry, as after all, these were her mother’s legacy. After Rebecca left with Tina, he had searched frantically but to no avail.

One day, Rebecca suddenly called him, telling him that she had left the perfume formulas hidden in a book on his bookshelf, and then hung up. The next time he heard from her, she had passed away.

He was heartbroken. After finding the perfume formulas, he intended never to take them out again in his life; he felt the Reed family did not deserve the glory that Rebecca brought.

But now, he had no choice.

Elizabeth was like a leech, only sucking their blood – once his, and now Tina’s. By giving up the formula, he hoped to completely sever ties with the Reed family and give his family peace.

Tina was taken aback; she had not expected Hugo to talk about perfume formulas. She had assumed what he wanted to use to break free from Elizabeth was the potion. When she saw that he was silent, Hugo thought she was truly angry and hurriedly said, “Tina, I know you and your mother were very close, and I don’t want to give away the perfume formula, but… your grandmother is just too much. Today, during the engagement, with so many people around, she caused such a scene. If I don’t use the formula to shut her up, I’m afraid she’ll continue to cause trouble.”

“I thought of using the formula to secure our family’s peace, but after all, it belongs to your mother, and it must have your approval. If you’re unwilling, then I…” Hugo paused, thinking, then continued, “I’ll go look for investors tomorrow.”

The old lady had originally wanted ten million dollars. If he later claimed the formula was lost, the Reed family would have no recourse.

After a moment of silence, Tina slowly said, “Mr. Reed, I have a question for you.”

“Ask,” he said.Content from NôvelDr(a)ma.Org.

“You know the value of my mother’s formulas. You haven’t had a good time in the Reed family over the years; why didn’t you sell the formula for money?” Tina looked up at him. “There are so many perfume companies; just selling one would have made your life much easier.”

“Tina, you don’t understand!” Hugo sighed, “I owe your mother too much. She did a lot for this family, and I couldn’t do anything for her. I once promised to protect her, but I broke my word…”

Hugo’s voice broke as he said, “Before her death, I didn’t even get to see her one last time. This formula is the last thing she left behind, and I don’t want to trade it for wealth and honor.”

Tina looked into Hugo’s eyes, trying to see if there was any pretense, but she only saw sincerity.

After a while, Tina asked again, “Did my mother only give you the perfume formulas? Did she leave anything else?”

Hugo abruptly paused, and after a long moment, he said, “No, she only gave me the perfume formulas.”

The flicker of panic in his eyes did not escape Tina’s notice. She did not press further, simply stating, “Mr. Reed, you can decide about this matter on your own, you don’t need to ask me. Whatever my mother gave you, it’s yours.”

With that, she got up and left. As she turned the corner, her step faltered ever so slightly, thinking to herself, Mr. Reed, I hope you’re worth it.