Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

For a moment, the courtroom was filled with murmurs.

Tina stood calmly in court, listening to Mr. Lee stammer through his explanation. Both Dexter and the opposing lawyer appeared visibly frustrated-none more so than the opposing lawyer, who had lost count of how many times he regretted taking this case.

He couldn't shake the feeling that everyone involved seemed... not very clever.

With an exasperated sigh, the lawyer turned his gaze to Dr. David Goffin, who was on the witness stand. Sensing the unfavorable shift in the courtroom's atmosphere, Dr. Goffin jumped in, "Mr. Lee is a rigid and upright man. The allegations that Pippa Ogden was assaulted-such rumors would tarnish reputations. As a principled teacher, there's no way he would take photographs like that."

Kylie Lambert nodded in agreement, her tone accusatory as she directed her words at Tina. "What kind of lawyer did you even hire? Someone as unreasonable as you?! You keep demanding evidence-aren't our testimonies enough? We have multiple witnesses here! What more evidence do you need? Do you honestly think we'd lie about this? That would be perjury, and we'd go to jail for it!"

Tina toyed with a strand of her hair, her gaze nonchalant, almost indifferent. "Oh? Is that so?"

She clapped her hands lightly. Dexter reached into his pocket and retrieved a USB drive, handing it to the judge.

The files were opened and displayed, one by one, featuring familiar yet unsettling faces-at least for Milos Raonic.

Each word, each phrase in the videos painted Joseph Dyers as a man of integrity and kindness. The tone and language used were far more deliberate and heartfelt than anything Kylie Lambert or Dr. Goffin had offered. It was clear just how much Joseph Dyers mattered to these individuals.

As the videos played, Phil Walker's expression darkened. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tina didn't give him the opportunity.

"These are students from Mr. Dyers' class-three hundred in total. Each one of them described Mr. Dyers as a diligent, patient, and kind teacher. Yet, in your version of events, he's a monster? How peculiar."

She continued, her tone calm but sharp. "Back then, none of the class representatives or the students who approached Mr. Dyers for help ever witnessed anything inappropriate between him and Pippa Ogden. Even Pippa Ogden's closest friends never saw her avoiding him. And you, Dr. Goffin-someone who was only taught by Mr. Dyers for one term-just happened to 'catch' something?"

Tina paused, taking a sip of water before turning her attention to Kylie Lambert. "And you, Miss Lambert... According to your records, you are three or four years older than Milos Raonic and the others, correct?"

Tina's lips curled into a mocking smile, her gaze cold. "With such an age gap, you'd be at least two grades above them unless you repeated a few years. Or are you implying, Miss Lambert, that your academic performance was so poor you had to repeat several grades?"

Kylie Lambert was speechless.

Her manicured nails dug into her palms, the rhinestones pressing painfully into her skin. Yet no matter how she racked her brain, she couldn't come up with a rebuttal. How could she possibly respond?

If she admitted her real age, it would be clear she had lied earlier. But confessing to having repeated grades-especially in front of Jared-was something she could never bring herself to do. The courtroom fell silent.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Tina glanced at her watch. Her dark eyes reflected an unfathomable depth. Nearly two hours had passed since the trial began.

She still hadn't gotten what she wanted.

It seemed this opponent was more formidable than she had anticipated.

Raising her eyes, Tina's gaze landed on Kylie Lambert. A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at her lips. No matter. Mice could never escape the cat.

Jared, who had been quietly scrolling through his phone, suddenly looked up. His dark, ink-black eyes met Tina's. "That's enough."

The person monitoring the data had already pushed the live broadcast to its peak viewership. The incident had escalated so much that higher authorities were preparing to suppress it from trending. This was proof enough-someone important had taken notice.

Tina nodded and stopped engaging with Kylie Lambert and the others. She sent a quick message to Hayden before addressing the judge.

"We have one more witness to call."

"Bring the witness forward," the judge said.

As soon as the judge's words fell, Hayden entered the courtroom with Pippa Ogden.

Adriana Smith remained in the car, surrounded by Nathan and a team of bodyguards. Hayden had asked for directions to the courtroom where the Dyers case was being held and was escorted upstairs. The scarlet doors of the courtroom stood tall and imposing.

Hayden and Pippa Ogden paused before them. The golden handles, adorned with simple yet elegant patterns, reflected the light.

Neither of them had the luxury to admire the craftsmanship.

"Are you nervous?" Hayden asked softly, his voice low as they prepared to enter.

For a long time, Pippa Ogden had been a hollow shell, an empty vessel. But now, as if her soul had finally returned, she clasped her hands tightly, her breaths quick and shallow.

When Hayden didn't get a response, he turned to look at her.

He was startled to find her staring back at him with an almost manic excitement in her eyes.

"Nervous? How could I be nervous? I've waited far too long for this day!" Pippa's voice trembled with barely contained emotion. "Once today is over, I'll finally be free! I'm not scared. Even if Miss Reed wanted to back down, I'd make sure her plans are completely ruined!"

The scarlet doors creaked open.

Under the curious and astonished gazes of the courtroom, a pair of unnaturally pale legs stepped inside.

Following the hem of a white dress, all eyes traveled upward to a face so gaunt and bloodless that it seemed almost translucent under the harsh courtroom lights.

Mrs. Ogden and Phil Walker's pupils contracted sharply.

Mrs. Ogden, in particular, whipped her head around the moment she heard that voice. Her neck twisted so quickly it seemed almost painful, but she didn't care. "What are you doing here?!" "Who is that?"

"You don't know? That's Mrs. Ogden's daughter, Pippa Ogden!"Content © copyrighted by NôvelDrama.Org.

"Isn't she the girl who was allegedly assaulted by Joseph Dyers? What's she doing here? Doesn't she feel ashamed?"

"She's already been through something so horrible. Why isn't she staying home instead of parading herself around like this?"

The murmurs of the jury and the online viewers filtered into Pippa Ogden's ears, but she paid them no mind. Her once-empty gaze swept over Mrs. Ogden, curling into a faint, unpleasant smile.

With Hayden by her side, she strode toward the witness stand, ignoring the whispers and stares.

"Pippa! Pippa Ogden! I'm talking to you! Can't you hear your mother? You're still recovering-what are you doing out of the hospital?"

Mrs. Ogden hadn't seen Pippa in a long time. She had only brought her daughter back from Ensford at Phil Walker's insistence, purely for the sake of this case. Unless it was for a video shoot, she avoided Pippa entirely. How had she ended up here?!

Though her expression briefly flickered with disgust, Mrs. Ogden quickly masked it with feigned concern. Her voice softened, dripping with false sincerity.

"Pippa, your health is still fragile. You should go back to the hospital. Don't worry-I'll make sure justice is served. This is an adult matter; you don't need to involve yourself."

She moved to approach, but Hayden blocked her path.

"Excuse me, ma'am," Hayden said, his tone mocking. "Why don't you open your eyes and take a good look? Your daughter is standing where she needs to be. Justice? Ha! Today, only she can seek justice for herself."