Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

The atmosphere grew silent for a moment. Mack looked at Lily Ward and asked, “Lily, are you also interested in jade gambling?”

“A little,” Lily Ward replied modestly with a smile. “My grandfather loved it, so he often took me to various jade markets when I was young. I watched him gamble on stones with others.”

“I’m very interested too,” Mack said, delighted to find a common topic with Lily Ward. “I’ve even been to mining areas to buy raw stones and watched workers pick and wash them.”

“Why don’t we accompany Ms. Reed this afternoon?” Lily Ward suggested. “My friend has both windowed and unwindowed raw stones this time, for guests who want to try their luck.”

“Sure,” Mack agreed enthusiastically.

“I’d like to go too, Lily. Would you mind taking me along?” Griffin said, unwilling to be left out.

“I want to go too,” Audrey Woodwind chimed in, glancing at the bracelet on Tina’s wrist. She thought if her grandmother wasn’t biased, she could pick a good stone at the market and have it made into a bracelet at Annabelle’s expense.

She smiled at Annabelle. “Grandma, you haven’t given me a graduation gift yet. If I find something I like but don’t have enough pocket money, will you cover it?”

“Audrey!” Esther frowned in displeasure. “If you want something, your parents will buy it for you.”

“Alright, I’ll cover it,” Annabelle said, understanding Audrey Woodwind’s little scheme. To maintain harmony among the younger generation, she couldn’t show favoritism.

“Thank you, Grandma,” Audrey Woodwind beamed with joy.

With that, everyone expressed their desire to go together.

“Miss Reed, why don’t you join us too?” Lily Ward suggested to Tina. “You probably haven’t had the chance to visit a jade market before. It could be an eye-opener for you. If you find something you like, I’m sure Annabelle will get it for you.”

Her words subtly belittled Tina’s taste and experience.

Tina leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, and glanced at Lily Ward before smiling slightly. “Let’s go then.”

She needed some jade stones anyway and had planned to buy some in a few days. But now that someone was stirring trouble, she decided to go along and see what happened.

“Tina, Lily is right. Buy whatever you like; Grandma will cover it,” Annabelle said, supporting Tina against Lily Ward’s subtle insults.

“Dad will cover it too,” Jasper added. He took out a share transfer agreement. “This is my gift to you. I’m transferring ten percent of Reed Corporate shares to you. You can buy whatever you want.”

Everyone at the table except Annabelle gasped. Ten percent of Reed Corporate shares were worth billions; the annual dividends alone were more than most people could earn in ten lifetimes.

“Jasper is really generous!” Liliosa said with intense jealousy in her eyes as she thought of her missing daughter and couldn’t stand Jasper’s daughter getting such good things.

But since the shares belonged to Jasper, he could give them to anyone he wanted. Even Liliosa could only make snide remarks without saying anything outright.

Willow’s expression froze for a moment as she glanced coldly at Tina.

Tina nonchalantly accepted the agreement. Although ten percent of Reed Corporate shares were insignificant compared to her own assets, she accepted them without hesitation since they were owed to her and her mother by Jasper.

She briefly met Willow’s cold gaze before Willow quickly looked away as if it were an illusion.

In the end, all the younger members of the Reed family decided to visit Oakhaven’s jade market together while the elders showed little interest except for Liliosa and Willow.

Damian, the oldest among the younger generation, wasn’t interested in the jade market either but decided to go because Liliosa had strong objections against Tina and he didn’t want Tina to suffer any disadvantage.

As they were about to leave, a young man with silver hair, large sunglasses, and dressed flamboyantly like a peacock walked into Whispering Pines with a suitcase while humming a song. “I’m back!”

Just as he took off his sunglasses and was about to strike a pose for everyone, Esther rushed over and twisted his ear. “Didn’t you say your flight arrived at nine? Why are you back now? Where did you wander off to?”

“Mom! Mom! Let go!” Arthur grimaced in pain as Esther twisted his ear, bending over and whining. “I’m a super popular star now; fans recognize me everywhere! Where could I have gone?”

Mrs. Brown chuckled from the side while instructing someone to take Arthur’s luggage upstairs.

Though Esther and Liliosa were married off, they remained close to their family and often stayed over; their children also had fixed rooms at Whispering Pines.

“Super popular my foot! Who recognizes you?” Esther scolded him before letting go and pointing at Tina standing beside Damian. “This is your cousin Tina.”

Arthur was about to show off his charm when he saw her face clearly and widened his eyes in shock. “Se… Sel…”

Tina glanced at him with a half-smile.

Arthur immediately straightened up and shouted dramatically, “What are you doing here?”Belonging to NôvelDrama.Org.

His voice was so high-pitched it almost cracked!

Esther looked at him strangely. “Do you know each other?”

Arthur was about to say something but stopped when he saw Tina’s look-something reminiscent of years past-and shivered all over. “No!”

Esther slapped him on the back of his head angrily. “Why are you so excited if you don’t know her? Hurry up and greet her!”

“Cousin…” Arthur’s words took a sharp turn mid-sentence. “Hello.”

“Cousin is fine; why add ‘little’?” Esther scolded him again. “Don’t use your frivolous ways on your cousin!”

“I’m not frivolous!” Arthur protested indignantly. “I just got back and you’re already hitting me! I might as well not have come back.”

“Perfect timing,” Esther said sternly. “Your cousin is going with everyone else to Lily’s friend’s jade market; accompany them and take care of your cousin!”

Arthur reluctantly agreed under his mother’s watchful eye.