Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

When Marie heard those words, her body stiffened, and she swayed on her feet, nearly fainting from anger. Tina, ever composed, swiftly placed a calming pill into her mother's mouth, steadying her.

Tina's expression hardened, her cold, unrelenting gaze locked onto Stephanie, exuding a quiet yet menacing authority. Beside her, Jared's sharp eyes swept over Stephanie, his icy contempt palpable in the room. Stephanie, clutching Asher's leg as if it were her lifeline, trembled violently before finally letting go, her hands shaking.

Her gaze shifted downward as she bit her lower lip. "No matter what you say, Uncle Asher took advantage of me. That's a fact. You can beat me, kill me, do whatever you want, but it won't change the truth!" Her voice wavered, but her words were resolute. "He's the one who wronged me!"

Her fingers clutched the hem of her dress so tightly her knuckles turned white. Though she outwardly played the victim, her mind churned with darker, more calculating thoughts: Marie should have some pride. She'll divorce him after this. Then, I'll be Mrs. Asher Farrell. The family will be mine.

No more slumming it under someone else's roof. I'll live in luxury, a queen in my own palace.

Tina's cold stare lingered on Stephanie, her sharp eyes scanning the young woman's delicate, tear-streaked face. Stephanie, sensing Tina's hostility, assumed she was preparing to attack her again. But Tina turned back toward Asher, her voice steady and firm.

"Dad," she asked, "do you know where Stephanie's room is?"

Asher, who had been silent and visibly shaken, finally spoke, his tone resolute despite his pale complexion. "No. I don't know where her room is," he said firmly. "I've never been there. I'm busy at the company most of the time, and Marie handles the household. I've never had any reason to ask."

Marie, still seething with barely restrained fury, refused to meet Asher's gaze, but she nodded grimly. She didn't want to believe her husband was capable of such betrayal. This wasn't the man she married. Years ago, he had resisted Sonia's relentless attempts to seduce him. So why would he fall for someone like Stephanie now? It didn't add up.

Women like Stephanie-delicate, scheming, always playing the innocent flower-were everywhere in their social circle. If Asher had been inclined toward such women, he would have acted on it years ago.

But even with her doubts, Marie couldn't ignore the possibility. If Asher had truly done what Stephanie claimed, there would be no forgiveness. Ever.novelbin

Stephanie, watching the silent exchange, curled her lips into a faint smirk. One question and he thinks he's off the hook? Dream on. Clearing her throat, she raised her voice.

"So what if he doesn't know where my room is? He was in my room. In broad daylight, no less. Everyone saw it! He was lying next to me, naked. And let's not forget the bloodstains on the bed-undeniable evidence!" Her words rang out like gunshots, her grip on this narrative unyielding.

Tina took a slow, deliberate step forward, her posture composed and elegant. Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she approached Stephanie. When she stopped, her shadow fell over the disheveled woman still kneeling on the ground. Stephanie raised her head, glaring defiantly through the curtain of her tangled hair. Though her appearance was pitiful, her eyes burned with resentment and hatred.

Tina's gaze dropped slightly, her expression unreadable. Then, without warning, she raised her foot and brought it down on Stephanie's back, hard.

The sickening crack of a snapping bone echoed in the room. Stephanie let out a blood-curdling scream, her body convulsing as she collapsed to the floor. Her chin scraped against the cold tile, and her fingers clawed desperately at the ground. Blood dripped from her lips as her cries filled the air.

Tina wrinkled her nose, stepping back with a look of disgust. "So fragile," she said coldly. "And yet you talk so much nonsense. I was addressing my father-who gave you permission to interrupt?"

Her voice was laced with venom, calm yet terrifying. "Are you in such a hurry for me to uncover the truth and send you straight to hell?"

Stephanie's body trembled violently, every movement amplifying the pain in her shattered spine. Tears mixed with sweat as she gasped for air. "Tina, I'll sue you! Y-You've gone too far! I'm the victim here, and you're treating me like this!" Her voice cracked with desperation. "Brother... Uncle... help me! Please! I'm only like this because of you!"

Her sobs came freely now, raw and panicked, and for the first time, they felt real.

Jared's expression darkened as he took a step toward her, his voice sharp and commanding. "Shut up."

Stephanie flinched, her pleas dying in her throat. Asher, standing like a statue, appeared conflicted, his face pale and his fists clenched. Every time Stephanie called out to him, his expression grew more pained.

Tina noticed but said nothing. Instead, she lifted her foot from Stephanie's back, her heel grinding against the floor one last time. Stephanie howled in agony as the pressure released.

Tina crouched down, her face inches from Stephanie's. Her lips curled into a cold smile. "Nice manicure," she murmured, her tone almost conversational. "But there's something under your nails... What is it?"

Before Stephanie could respond, Tina reached for a nearby knife. The blade gleamed as she moved it swiftly, slicing off one of Stephanie's nails with surgical precision.

Stephanie didn't realize what had happened at first, but when the blood began to drip, the pain hit her like a tidal wave. She screamed again, her entire body trembling.

Tina held the nail between her fingers, examining it with cold detachment. She tapped it lightly, and a fine powder fell into her palm. Jared, crouching beside her, narrowed his eyes. His voice was low and dangerous. "That's... an aphrodisiac?" Marie gasped audibly, her hands flying to her mouth. "Tina, is that true? Did she really... drug Asher?"

Tina nodded, her voice steady. "Yes. And this isn't just any aphrodisiac. It's a slow-acting one. At first, it sedates the victim, clouding their mind. Then it takes full effect."

"So he was completely unaware," Jared said, his eyes flashing with anger. "She drugged him and dragged him into her room."

"Exactly," Tina confirmed. "But for him to wake up with no memory at all? That's unusual. Even a drug this strong shouldn't completely erase his memory."

Jared's expression grew darker as he understood her meaning. Rising to his feet, he barked orders to the servants. "Search the house. I want every suspicious substance brought to me immediately. And find Eric!" His voice was sharp, cutting through the tension in the room.

Asher, still silent, looked as though he might collapse. Humiliated, violated, and furious, he stood frozen, his face shifting between anger and despair.

Meanwhile, Stephanie lay motionless in a pool of blood, wishing for unconsciousness. But she knew Tina wouldn't let her escape so easily.

Her mind raced. Eric won't betray me. He can't.

The sound of hurried footsteps broke her thoughts as Eric stumbled into the room. His eyes widened in horror at the sight of Stephanie, her blood staining the floor.

His voice cracked as he stammered, "S-Stephanie! What... what happened to you? I just got back-how... how did it come to this?"

He clung to the doorframe as his legs buckled beneath him. His voice rose, panicked. "Was it them? Did they do this to you?"