Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 847: Tina's Absurd Father Tina's back stiffened slightly. Her delicate face darkened to the point of resembling charcoal-it couldn't possibly get any darker. Jared's mouth twitched.

Since when had General Praevion becthis ridiculous? Ruud shot him a glare. "Watch your mouth, boy! I'm your fiancée's father. Careful, or I'll stop her from marrying you!" Jared raised an eyebrow. "And you think your opinion carries much weight with my wife-to-be?" Ruud: "..." lan, however, didn't seem to notice the subtle shift in Tina and Jared's expressions. His attention was drawn to a voice outside, loud and almost frantic, growing closer by the second. When lan finally saw who it was, he blinked in surprise. "Ruud? What's he doing here?" Though the Brookes family and the Pace family were acquainted, their interactions were minimal. Ian himself had shared only the briefest exchanges with Leo, Ruud's father. As for Leo's sons, lan's family hardly ever crossed paths with them- except for Boris, and even that relationship had been marked by mutual disdain.

And Ruud? The ever-busy General Praevion, who spent most of his ton the battlefield for Sinoria, was someone the Brookes family respected but rarely encountered.

So why was he suddenly rushing to the Brookes estate now? As lan stood there puzzling over it, Ruud strode up to him, clasped his hands together, and said, with utmost seriousness: "Dad! I'm sorry I'm late! I've let the family down, but I'll make it up to you in the future!" lan: "???" Behind him, Brandon, Jack, and Isaac-who had just arrived-stood frozen in place.

"Wait, what?" Jack muttered, utterly baffled.

Had they somehow wandered into the middle of sbizarre fever dream? Ruud was calling lan Dad? Was he sleepwalking? That couldn't be allowed! If Sinoria's General Praevion started acting out of sorts like this, it could lead to a national crisis! lan was the first to break the silence. He cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Uh... Ruud, have you forgotten to take your meds today? Or..." He paused, fumbling over his words. "I mean, did you... hit your head or something? Why are you callingDad all of a sudden?" lan scratched his head, exasperated. "Look, as much as I'd love to have a son like you, I'm not about to steal someone else's kid! Especially not the son of my daughter's mentor!" Ruud, however, remained completely serious. "Dad, a son-in-law is as good as a son! If you want, I can even change my last name! From now on, callRuud Brookes!" lan: "???" His sons: "???" Tina's face remained expressionless.

Jared rubbed his temples in frustration.

The tension in the room was almost unbearable.

After what felt like an eternity, lan finally regained scomposure. "This... this is a big deal! Are you sure about this?" Ruud nodded earnestly. "I'm sure-" "Great!" lan interrupted, his eyes lighting up. "Let's head to the notary office right now and make it official!" Why would he hesitate? Gaining a son like General Praevion was a once-in-a-lifetopportunity. He wasn't about to let that slip through his fingers! Tina shot him a look of utter disbelief.

Ruud beamed. "No need for all that paperwork, Dad. After all my contributions to the government, a simple phone call is all it'll take to change my name." lan's grin widened. "Perfect! Now that you've acknowledgedas your father, tellwhat's on your mind." "Alright." Ruud's tone grew serious. "There's something I've been meaning to say. I owe Tracey-no, Natalie-a wedding. I've owed her for over twenty years. She's still unconscious, and technically, we shouldn't hold a wedding while she's in a coma. But I can't wait any longer. I need to give her the title she deserves, and I need to give my daughter the recognition she's been denied. I've wronged them for too long. So, I wanted to discuss this with you first-I've set the wedding date for ten days from now." lan blinked, struggling to process everything.

Ruud continued, unfazed. "Originally, I planned to hold it tomorrow, but a fortune-teller said the next ten days aren't auspicious for weddings. Only the tenth day from now is suitable. Rest assured, I'll spare no expense. The dowry will include a billion dollars, ten properties, ten luxury cars, ten parcels of land on the outskirts of the city, a hundred sets of jewelry, and a hundred sets of clothes. Oh, and I'll move in with you and change my last nto Brookes. "As for a bride price, there's no need. I'll handle everything she needs." Jared: "..." What the-?! General Praevion was offering that much? Jared felt a sudden sense of crisis. There was no way he could let himself be outdone. He needed to double his efforts to earn more money. His bride price had to be at least twice as generous as Ruud's.

But the reality of his current financial situation was grim. While his business empire brought in a lot of revenue, most of it went to supporting the government's military efforts. He barely had any disposable incleft. Far away, Hayden and Nathan-busy dealing with matters involving the Langdon family-suddenly felt a chill run down their spines, as though trouble was brewing.

Meanwhile, lan's mind was spinning like a broken top.

Jack, Brandon, and Isaac were equally stunned, their faces blank with shock.

Tina, on the other hand, remained as impassive as ever.

And back at the Pace family estate, Leo had locked himself in the bathroom, crying his heart out.

Ruud, noticing the lack of response from the Brookes family, turned to Tina. "Daughter, I'm sorry! I ctoo late. I've let you and your mother gyour suffer. Please forgive me. I promise •E: that as long as I'm here, no one will ever hurt you again!" Tina's expression grew colder as she took a step back. Her voice was calm but distant. "Mr. Pace, please don't go around claiming relations. You and I have nothing to do with each other."

Ruud's face fell. "How could you say that? You're my daughter! I even did a paternity test est at youx lab to confirm it. I know you're angry. You can hit me, yell at me-I don't care. Just... givea chance to make things right." Tina's voice was icy. "So what if the test says we're related? My father died long ago. You're nothing more than a stranger who happens to share my blood." Ruud: "???" I... share your blood? Wasn't that backward? But he didn't press the issue. "That's fine! If you wantto die once to make up for it, I can do that. You're Spectre-you can bringback to life anyway." Tina: "..." How could anyone be this shameless? She frowned. "I've already told you-I don't know you. Leave. Don't hover in front of me."

Ruud was about to respond when lan suddenly snapped back to life. He roared, "Wait just a dam second! Did you just admit to being the scumbag who abandoned my daughter and her mother for over twenty years, leaving them to fend for themselves?" lan rubbed his ears in disbelief. "I didn't hear that wrong, did I? Say that again!"