Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Elsa knew the situation couldn't possibly be that simple. Someone must have been pulling the strings behind the scenes.

But back then, the Dyer family had already fallen, and those who once flattered them had turned their backs after her parents passed away. It was a miracle they didn't actively kick her while she was down. Asking for help from them was a hopeless dream.

The persecution from the hidden families, however, didn't stop.

Elsa wept so hard she could barely breathe. She coughed twice, her voice trembling as she spoke. "My father-in-law, Joseph Dyers, was accused of bribery. After that, accusations kept piling up-private tutoring, corporal punishment of students. They even accused him of molesting a student."

Joseph Dyers had once been one of Ashbury's most respected teachers. But after the accusations, his reputation was utterly ruined.

It wasn't just him. The fallout affected Elsa's mother-in-law, Hannah, as well. Her job became untenable, and she was repeatedly taken in for questioning by the education bureau. Eventually, both Joseph and Hannah were fired from their school jobs, and the storm finally subsided.

Elsa's tears fell harder. "Now they're saying... the girl my father-in-law allegedly molested back then recently committed suicide by jumping off a building. Her parents are blaming him for it. They filed a police report, and now he's been taken away."

Tina listened in silence, her brows furrowed tightly.

At the wheel, Jared absorbed every word, his expression stoic. After a moment's thought, he asked, "What was the girl's name? Is her family still in Ashbury?"

Elsa wiped her tears and replied, "Her name was Pippa Ogden. After everything happened, I heard her parents thought it was a scandal, so they moved to Ensford." "Ensford?"Content is © 2024 NôvelDrama.Org.

Tina hadn't heard that name in a long time. She paused briefly, then smiled faintly. "Don't worry. Now that this has resurfaced, it's time we put an end to it."

Elsa felt a surge of gratitude but knew this would be no easy battle.

She opened her mouth to object, but Tina had already turned away and was making a call.

"Look into a family named Ogden in Ensford. Their daughter's name is Pippa Ogden. They moved there five years ago from Ashbury, where she attended Ashbury Middle School. The family left after a teacher molestation case. Yes, that's right." After hanging up, Tina sent another message to Jayden: "Dig up everything on the bribery case involving Joseph and Hannah Dyers. I need detailed records."

Elsa watched in stunned silence as Tina effortlessly took charge. She didn't even know what to say.

Gripping Tina's hand tightly, Elsa felt, for the first time, that the impulsive decision she had made all those years ago was the best choice she'd ever made.

If it weren't for Tina, she would have long crumbled under the Bailey family's pressure and handed over the formula.

Tina didn't say much, simply patting Elsa's hand as a gesture of reassurance.

Up front, Jared kept his eyes on the road, his deep black gaze fixed ahead. "Bribery and private tutoring charges are relatively easy to deal with. Accusations of molestation, however, are much harder to disprove-especially after so many years. Even if there was surveillance footage in the teacher's office back then, it's likely been deleted by now. Is there any chance there were eyewitnesses to the incident?"

Elsa bit her lip and shook her head.

"There weren't any. After the girl accused my father-in-law, they didn't even bother with an investigation. They just declared him guilty. He didn't go to jail, but he was detained for over ten days. During that time, my mother-in-law, Austin, and I ran around desperately trying to appeal the case, but it was useless."

Jared didn't seem surprised. He shifted tracks.

"What about the bribery case? Who accused him?"

Elsa froze mid-motion, her hand still holding a tissue to her tear-streaked face. Her clear, bright eyes darkened with hatred as she clenched her jaw.

"Who else could it be? It was that little brat! If it weren't for my father-in-law sponsoring him, he wouldn't have even been able to afford school. And yet, in the end, he was the one who accused my father-in-law of taking bribes and conducting private lessons! The worst part is, those people believed him! They didn't even consider how that boy's dirt-poor family could afford to pay anyone anything!"

At the detention center, Kelly was in a foul mood after being summoned in the middle of the night.

Led into the holding area, she caught sight of Joseph and Hannah Dyers locked up in their cell. Just looking at the elderly couple-dressed in clothes that together weren't worth as much as one of her shirts-filled her with disdain. Still, Vivienne's words echoed in her mind.

No matter what it took, Kelly had to get the formula from Elsa. If she succeeded, she'd finally prove herself to the Langdon family. If she failed, she'd be stuck marrying that nobody Hayden. The thought alone made her stomach churn.

She cast another disdainful glance at the elderly couple, her expression full of contempt.

An idea suddenly formed in her mind-cruel and cunning. She gestured to the officers nearby. "You two, give these old fools a taste of what happens when they waste everyone's time." Standing in the shadows, Kelly's voice didn't carry to Joseph Dyers, who remained unaware of her presence.

The officers, however, looked visibly uncomfortable. One of them stepped forward hesitantly. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but we can't use physical punishment on detainees."

Kelly's face darkened immediately. "Why not? They're criminals, aren't they? Isn't it normal to use a little force during questioning? Are you telling me you've never done it before?" The officers exchanged uneasy glances, inwardly rolling their eyes.

Done it before? Absolutely not!

Did she think they wanted to lose their jobs-or worse, end up on the wrong side of the law themselves?

One officer muttered under his breath, "We'd rather enjoy the sunshine and stay out of trouble, thank you very much..."

"What was that?!"

Kelly jabbed a crimson-painted nail toward the officer's face, her anger barely restrained. After a moment, she forced herself to calm down.

"Fine. Lower the temperature in their cell. Release some mosquitoes or something. Surely you can manage that much?"

She sneered, her voice dripping with malice. "Those two old fossils don't look healthy. A little cold air and a few bugs should do the trick."

When Tina and her group arrived at the police station, they found Education Bureau Director Mr. Powell still keeping the girl's parents company in the lobby.

The girl's mother, a woman with elegant makeup and sophisticated attire, was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue, sobbing dramatically.

"My poor child! Ever since what happened back then, she's been battling severe depression. We had no choice but to leave Ashbury for treatment. Finally, she was starting to heal. And now that old monster dares to target us again? If something happens to my daughter, I won't go on living!"

Mr. Powell, standing beside her, tried his best to console her.

"There, there, Mrs. Ogden. Look, your daughter is fine now, isn't she? Don't cry. As for this Joseph Dyers, he used to work with me. Even back then, his character was awful!"

He began recounting every rumor and accusation that had circulated online years ago, ticking them off on his fingers for emphasis.

Finally, he shook his head in feigned regret. "It's such a shame. The man had talent, but instead of using it properly, he chose to throw it all away."