Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

Dexter had considered the possibility, his tone tinged with melancholy. "If that's the case, it's going to be troublesome. Not to mention the molestation case happened years ago, but now... If they claim that the child took her own life due to severe depression after meeting Mr. Dyer, there's no way for us to verify it." "Who says there's no way?"

Tina, armed with the information Cole had previously uncovered, stepped into the elevator with a purposeful stride. "Wait for my news. I'll get back to you." As the elevator doors slid shut, she decisively hung up the call.

Jared watched the numbers on the elevator panel climb higher, a trace of concern flickering in his eyes. "Tina, are you sure that woman's daughter will help us?" Tina answered bluntly, "I'm not sure."

Jared: ...novelbin

Nathan: ...

Her honesty left them speechless, unsure of how to respond.

Sensing Tina's sharp gaze, Jared cleared his throat awkwardly. "So, we're here today to get her to talk?"

"Yes."

The elevator chimed softly as it arrived on the fifteenth floor.

Tina waited for the doors to fully open before stepping out. She walked down the hallway to the farthest corner, where the dimmest VIP room was located.

Through the glass window on the door, they could see a young woman no older than her early twenties sitting on the stark white hospital bed.

She wore a blue-and-white striped hospital gown, her complexion devoid of any color. Thin to the point of emaciation, she looked like a skeleton barely cloaked in flesh.

Her lips were cracked and bleeding, but she didn't seem to care. Her empty eyes stared out the window, fixated on nothingness.

A few birds perched on the windowpane, hopping about carefreely, unbothered by her presence. They locked eyes with Pippa Ogden through the glass, but the moment she reached out a hand, they flapped their wings and scattered. Nathan's sharp eyes caught the bandages on her arm, revealed as she stretched.

Long strips of white fabric wrapped from her wrist to where her sleeves hid the rest, as if her entire arm was covered in wounds.

He frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping the room. "Why is it so quiet? Didn't Mrs. Ogden claim she visits her daughter every day? It's already midday, and no one's even brought her lunch?"

Throughout the floor, other VIP rooms had caregivers or attendants bustling about.

This corner, however, felt like it had been forgotten by the world. No signs of life. If not for the girl inside, Nathan might have thought no one occupied this room at all.

Tina and Jared had noticed it too.

Mrs. Ogden used to post daily updates on her account, sharing photos of Pippa's hospital room three times a day, right on schedule. Yet now, it was past one o'clock, and she was nowhere to be seen. "Something's off," Jared muttered coldly, pushing the door open without hesitation.

Tina and Nathan followed him inside.

Hearing the noise, Pippa Ogden turned her head.

It was only then that the three of them noticed the bandages wrapped around her neck as well.

Her eyes held no trace of surprise or alarm at the sight of strangers. They were barren, like those of the living dead, as if nothing in the world could stir even the faintest ripple across her face.

In that moment, Tina was certain-this girl was indeed suffering from severe depression.

She stopped in her tracks and tugged lightly on Jared's sleeve. The three of them halted at a distance that wouldn't threaten Pippa's sense of safety.

"You're Pippa Ogden," Tina stated confidently.

Pippa didn't deny it. She gave the faintest of nods, her lifeless eyes shifting slightly, but she said nothing.

Tina, however, could sense the thoughts stirring within her. She pulled a chair closer and sat down. "We're here about the situation online. Your mother accused Joseph Dyers of molestation. You're aware of this, aren't you?" At the mention of this, a flicker of light appeared in Pippa's otherwise dull eyes.

Her pupils trembled, and pain filled her expression. If one looked closely, they might even catch glimpses of guilt and unease in her gaze.

"I..." Pippa began hoarsely, her voice rough and grating. "I know. Mr. Dyers... he didn't molest me. I..... I wronged him....."

They hadn't expected to get what they wanted so easily.

All of Tina's prepared arguments dissolved in her mind. She averted her gaze, her eyes scanning Pippa's frail form and the hospital gown that hung loosely on her frame. Even in an S-size gown, she looked lost in the fabric. Every slight movement revealed layers upon layers of bandages beneath.

A flicker of emotion passed through Tina's dark eyes. After a moment's hesitation, she voiced her question: "If you weren't molested, what caused your severe depression?" "You... don't think I'm faking it?" Pippa froze.

She stared blankly for several minutes before reacting. Slowly, she asked, her voice filled with disbelief, "Why? That woman... she thinks I'm pretending. Why do you believe me?" Tina shrugged. "Because I'm Spectre."

Nathan: While this is true, ma'am, don't you think you're being a little too blunt?

Jared remained silent. Ever since Tina had declared herself a genius in front of Dorothy Russell, he'd stopped being surprised by anything that came out of her mouth.

Spectre? Sure. It was the truth, after all. No point arguing with facts.

Pippa, on the other hand, seemed taken aback by such candidness. Her lifeless eyes froze again, and it took her a while to recover. Whether she believed Tina or not wasn't clear. "I know why you're here. You want me to testify for Mr. Dyers?" Before Tina could nod, Pippa continued, "I can help you. But I want you to promise me one thing."

Tina leaned forward slightly. "What is it?"

Pippa's dull eyes swept over Nathan, then Jared, and finally Tina.

Turning her back to them, she looked out the window at the sparrows hopping on the sill. "I want you to take me somewhere my mother can never find me. I want to cut ties with her completely. I never want to see her again." Following her gaze, Tina looked out the window.

The tiny sparrows hopped around playfully, their movements endearing.

Beyond them, the blue sky stretched endlessly, flocks of birds soaring across it.

The sparrows lingered for a moment longer before flitting away into the vast expanse.

As Pippa watched these ordinary sights, her eyes held a hint of envy, even longing.

Tina's dark irises flickered as she glanced at Jared.

His expression mirrored her own understanding.

She blinked, then turned back to Pippa. Sitting beside her, Tina asked gently, "You want to escape her. Has your family treated you poorly?"

It was the only logical explanation Tina could think of for why a girl in her early twenties would want so desperately to sever ties with her family.

Pippa nodded silently, offering no further explanation.

"I can take you away once this is over," Tina promised. "But you'll have to tell me why. Otherwise, I can't trust you."

A glimmer of light finally returned to Pippa's hollow eyes.

She shifted her position and faced Tina directly. "I'll tell you. As long as you can take me away, I'll tell you everything."

"Go ahead."

Jared glanced at his phone, confirming that Mrs. Ogden and her people showed no signs of coming to the hospital. He pulled up a chair and sat beside Tina, prepared to listen.