Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

At the dining table, the family enjoyed a harmonious meal. Midway through, Elsa raised her glass to Tina and Jared. “Tina, Jared, I toast to you!”

Tina raised an eyebrow, smiling. “Why toast to us?” By seniority, it should have been her and Jared toasting Elsa.

Elsa smiled. “I am usually busy with work and rarely come home. I know Grandma Ye has always looked down on Mom and Dad, but I haven’t been able to help much. Since you came back, you’ve taken good care of them. I can feel that they are much happier now than before, thanks to you.”

“I toast to you for taking on my share of filial piety.”

Her biological father passed away when she was ten. Jennie struggled alone to raise her until she was fifteen when she met Hugo. Hugo treated her like his own daughter, even after he and Jennie had Zackary and adopted Amber. He never neglected her.

Because she worked in a confidential department, leaving work required approval, so she rarely came back and found it hard to care for them.

Tina’s smile was charming. “Alright! I’ll accept this toast! But I’ll use tea instead of wine.”

“Fine!” Elsa didn’t insist and drank her wine in one gulp.

After dinner, Elsa put down her chopsticks and seriously said to Hugo, “Dad! Mom! I came back this time not only to see you but also because we have been reassigned to Ashbury.”

Hugo and Jennie were stunned. “To Ashbury? Why so suddenly? You didn’t mention it before,” they exclaimed.

“It was a last-minute decision by the leadership. I’ll probably come back even less often now,” Elsa said apologetically. “Please take good care of yourselves while I’m away.”

Jennie slammed the table angrily. “You’ve been away for years, rarely coming home. Now that you’re finally back, you’re leaving again? Do you think this house is a hotel?”

Hugo tried to calm her down. “Why are you angry with the child? It’s not her fault that her job requires her to move. You’re usually so understanding; why are you being unreasonable about this?”

Jennie glared at him. “Is this being unreasonable? Look at how old she is! She’s been dating for years but won’t get married! Every time I urge them to marry, she brushes me off!”

Turning to Elsa, Jennie said, “Are you planning to delay your marriage again this time?”

“Mom!” Elsa felt awkward. “My job is important; I don’t have time for marriage!”

“That’s nonsense!” Jennie shouted angrily. “What kind of job doesn’t allow employees to marry? Bring your boss here; I want to ask what kind of heartless job doesn’t let employees marry!”

The argument grew heated while Tina and Jared sat quietly without commenting.

Elsa was only twenty-four, not very old. However, Jennie had experienced the hardships of raising Elsa alone after her divorce and wanted her to find someone who truly loved her.

Jennie had once mentioned to Tina that she didn’t like Heath Garrison much. He had dated Elsa for years but never visited their home or talked about marriage, making Jennie feel he was wasting Elsa’s youth.

So when Elsa mentioned moving to Ashbury, Jennie’s reaction was strong.

“I’ve told you my job is important; it’s not the right time for marriage!” Elsa didn’t want to argue with Jennie right after coming home and tried explaining patiently. “Mom, please don’t worry about my marriage; we’ll get married when the time is right.”

Jennie was determined this time and directly asked Heath Garrison, “Heath, give me a straight answer today! You’ve been dating Elsa for so long; when will you marry her?”

Heath Garrison smiled. “Our jobs are currently very busy; we don’t plan on getting married yet. But rest assured, once our jobs stabilize in a couple of years, I will definitely marry Elsa.”

Upon hearing this, Tina glanced at Heath Garrison with a cold gaze that seemed to see through everything but remained silent.

Jennie frowned. “Another two years? By then she’ll be twenty-six! If you don’t marry her by then, she’ll be considered old.”

Heath Garrison continued smiling. “I swear I will marry her.”

Jared also glanced at him nonchalantly.

“No way!” Jennie’s face darkened. “Elsa can’t wait another two years; neither can we…”

Before she could finish speaking, Tina interrupted, “Elsa knows what she’s doing; Heath will marry her.”

She wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin and looked at Heath Garrison. “Right? Heath?”

Heath Garrison met Tina’s piercing gaze and felt a pang of unease but still smiled and said, “Yes.”

Tina smirked slightly without saying more.

Seeing Tina’s confidence calmed Jennie somewhat. She thought there must be a reason behind Tina’s assurance and decided not to press further.

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief and gave Tina a grateful smile.

After dinner, Elsa took out seven tickets for Willow’s piano concert at Ensford Opera House and excitedly said, “Dad, Mom, Tina, Jared! My idol Willow is having a concert in Ensford on Saturday; please join me!”

She had planned to return in a few days but came early just for Willow’s concert.

“Elsa loves Willow so much; she went through a lot to get these tickets,” Heath Garrison added with a smile.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Alright.” Hugo and Jennie agreed even though they weren’t interested in piano concerts because they wanted Elsa to be happy before she moved to Ashbury.

Tina and Jared also nodded in agreement despite their lack of interest because they wanted Elsa to enjoy herself.

After dinner, as Jennie helped arrange rooms for Elsa and Heath Garrison, Elsa brought up Amber’s situation. “Mom, does Amber count as fleeing from justice now?”

Jennie fell silent at the mention of Amber’s name and sighed softly. “Let her be.”