Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 851: My Nis Ruud Brookes Jared stared at the phone, his brows furrowed after the call abruptly ended.

What the hell was going on? He shoved the phone back into his pocket, about to stop Tina from drinking more, when a commotion erupted outside the front door. "Our master has given orders-no one from the Pace family, nor any dogs, is allowed inside!" one of the guards at the gate shouted.

A domineering voice echoed in response. "You think your puny frcan stop me?" The guard fell silent.

Stop him? No, they couldn't. But letting him in wasn't allowed either.

Ruud snorted and strode forward. Before he even reached the door, several guards surrounded him, forming a tight circle.

Ruud raised a finger, gesturing toward Gabe and Armel, who stood behind him. The two men exchanged a look and immediately sprang into action. Each grabbed two guards, throwing an arm around their shoulders like they were old friends. "Brothers," Gabe said with a grin, "why don't we chat about life instead? No need to waste your energy on a thankless job." The four guards, all martial arts champions, froze in shock.

What the hell just happened? They were seasoned fighters, yet they couldn't even budge against these two men.

Before they could comprehend their predicament, Gabe and Armel dragged them to the side like they were escorting toddlers.

Helpless, the guards could only watch as Ruud strolled straight into the Brookes family home.

"Hey! You can't go in!" one of the guards shouted weakly, his voice tinged with desperation.

Without breaking stride, Gabe pulled a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and shoved it into the guard's mouth. The guard was too stunned to respond.

Ruud, unbothered by the chaos behind him, walked into the Brookes family's dining room as if he owned the place. The family was still enjoying their meal, the clinking of chopsticks and casual conversation filling the air. Ruud sat down at the table, setting the backpack he carried under his chair.

"Father," he said, addressing lan with a broad smile, "you're eating? Perfect timing. I haven't had dinner yet." lan's face darkened instantly. "What is your face made of?" Ruud reached for a chicken drumstick, took a bite, and replied nonchalantly, "Stone walls." lan was utterly speechless.

Across the table, Brandon slammed his chopsticks onto the table, his face flushing with anger.

"Ruud!" Brandon roared. "Are you blind? Didn't you see the massive banner outside? It says, 'No Pace family or dogs allowed!"" The banner had been Brandon's idea, hung up just before dinner to stop Ruud from barging in. But this man-so shameless-had ignored it entirely? Ruud leaned back in his chair, grabbed an unopened beer in front of Scarlett, and cracked it open with ease. He took a long drink, visibly enjoying himself.

"Ah, refreshing!" he said, placing the bottle down. "Haven't had beer in ages. Tonight, let's drink to our heart's content-as a family!" Brandon, watching Ruud's blatant disregard for the sign and his audacity to act like this was a family reunion, was practically shaking with fury.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Brandon yelled, pointing at him.

Ruud finally looked at him, his expression calm. "Oh, you mean the banner? Yeah, I saw it." "Then why the hell did you cin? Where's your shame?" Ruud shrugged, his answer casual. "Simple. I'm not part of the Pace family anymore, so those words don't apply to me." Brandon's jaw dropped.

"Are you insane?!" Ruud reached into his backpack, pulling out a small red booklet. He tossed it onto the table in front of Brandon.

"From now on, I'm Ruud Brookes," he said matter-of-factly.

Brandon blinked, his fingers fumbling to open the document.

There it was, clear as day: "Ruud Brookes." "You-are you serious?!" Brandon shouted, his disbelief echoing through the room.

It was official. Though Ruud was Leo's son, his personal records had always been separate. Now, his original nwas listed as "formerly known as." Brandon stared at him, dumbfounded.

Who changes their nat his age? Did Ruud even realize how much of a headache this would be? Updating bank accounts, property deeds, military records-especially as General Praevion-would be a bureaucratic nightmare! lan, seated at the head of the table, took the registry from Brandon and examined it carefully.

He couldn't believe it.

Ruud had actually done it.

Did Leo know? Unbothered by the growing tension, Ruud took another bite of chicken, his eyes scanning the room. His gaze finally landed on lan.

Standing up, he bowed deeply.

"Father," Ruud said, his tone sincere, "I always keep my word. As long as Natalie is safe and happy, I'll do whatever it takes-even join the Brookes family as a son-in-law." "Years ago, I hurt both her and our daughter. When she wakes up, if she demands my life to make up for the pain I caused, I'll give it to her without hesitation. But before that, marrying her is non-negotiable." The room fell silent, the weight of Ruud's words settling over them.

Gone was the flippant man they had just seen. He stood tall, exuding the commanding aura of a seasoned general. Yet, here in the Brookes family home, he softened it, his sincerity evident in every word. lan was at a loss.

He didn't want to marry his daughter off to Ruud.

But this man-he was serious.

He'd even changed his name.

What could lan do now? Meanwhile, no one noticed Tina in the corner. She had already downed ten bottles of beer, her cheeks flushed a deep red. She swayed slightly, leaning on the table, her gaze fixed on Ruud with a mischievous glint in her eyes. Her lips curled into a sly smile.

lan, still holding the registry, glanced at Ruud and then at his daughter. He couldn't find the words to speak. Brandon and the others were equally stunned into silence.

The lively, cheerful atmosphere around the dinner table was gone. Suddenly, Tina slammed her hand onto the table with a loud BANG! Everyone froze.

She stood up, her expression sharp, and barked, "Attention!" "...???" When no one moved, she slammed the table again, harder this time.

"I said, ATTENTION!" The family stared at her, utterly bewildered.

Brandon leaned toward Jared, whispering, "What's wrong with Tina? She's acting... off." Jared frowned, trying to make sense of it.

She had been drinking quietly just a moment ago-why the sudden outburst? Then, a memory hit him.

Dexter's earlier phone call.

He had barely said anything after Jared mentioned Tina was drinking before abruptly hanging up.

A sinking feeling crept over Jared.

Before he could piece it together, Tina spun around, grabbed his arm, and yanked.

Crack.

Jared's arm dislocated with a sickening pop before he even had tto react.

"!!!" Everyone stared, stunned.

What the hell just happened? Wasn't Tina head over heels for Jared? Why had she just dislocated his arm?

Before anyone could process what was happening, Tina moved like lightning. In seconds, she had dislocated everyone's arms-except lan's.

When asked why she spared lan, Tina simply said, "He looks like my grandpa so I let him off." The m content is on novelenglish.net! The rest of them? They couldn't lift a finger to stop her.

After all, this was the darling of the Brookes family.

As the group sat in stunned silence, Tina straightened, her voice commanding:

"Everyone, it's tfor a 20-kilometer extrendurance run with weights.

And you she pointed at Ruud-"you're leading!"