Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee

As soon as she stepped into the frame, the jury had yet to react, but the internet was already in an uproar. "Wait, isn't that my teacher? What's he doing there?!"

"That's my friend! Oh my God, he's the youngest deputy chief physician in the city-why is he here?!"

"I've seen him before! I even went to him for a consultation once!"

"Hold on, everyone. Don't you think that masked woman looks kind of familiar?"

"Her eyes-why do they remind me of my goddess?"

Tina's gaze swept across the room, pausing on a few expected witnesses. However, her attention was soon drawn to a woman standing in the corner, frowning as she scanned the space.

A loose strand of pale pink hair fell over the woman's face. Her eyes, brimming with arrogance and defiance, locked briefly with Tina's, carrying a flash of provocation and smugness.

Tina raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile curling at the corner of her lips.

Jared immediately noticed something was off. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, "What's wrong?"

Time had passed, and he had long forgotten what Kylie Lambert looked like. His gaze swept the room, scanning the unfamiliar faces. Yet Tina's expression made it clear-there was someone here they both knew. Tina shifted slightly closer to him, their shoulders touching. "Kylie Lambert is here," she said softly.

"Kylie Lambert? Who's that?" Jared frowned, searching his memory but failing to place the name.

Tina's lips twitched as she pinched his cheek lightly. "She's the woman who got into that shouting match with Juliet last time."

Before Jared could respond, Kylie Lambert-who had been keeping a close eye on them-grew impatient and pulled down her mask.

Her fame ensured that within seconds, the livestream audience erupted. Even some of the younger judges in the courtroom widened their eyes in shock, clearly not expecting a celebrity like Kylie Lambert to appear at court, let alone as a witness.

Only Phil Walker and Mrs. Ogden frowned in displeasure. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Kylie Lambert was supposed to be their trump card, only to be revealed at the very end. Why was she stepping forward now? The two exchanged a glance, their expressions equally grim.

Unaware of their thoughts, Kylie Lambert raised her hand and took a step forward. Her crisp, melodious voice echoed through the courtroom.

"Your Honor, I can testify. I was a student at that school back then, and Joseph Dyers did sexually harass my friend. At the time, I was just a student. I didn't dare intervene, afraid the teachers would retaliate against me. I never expected my silence to cause Pippa Ogden to end up like this. I can no longer cover for Mr. Dyers. Those who make mistakes should face the consequences of their actions."

Though the sequence of events was a bit out of order, the situation had already reached this point.

The remaining witnesses could only continue as planned. After Kylie Lambert's statement, another person stepped forward. "I can confirm what Kylie Lambert said is true. Although we weren't in the same class as Pippa Ogden, Mr. Dyers taught our class as well. I interacted with him quite a bit and never expected him to be such a scumbag."

The rest of Joseph Dyers' former colleagues chimed in after the doctor's testimony, all echoing the same sentiment: the events of the past were real, and everything was Joseph Dyers' fault.

When they finished speaking, Mrs. Ogden seized the moment to stir up trouble. "Tina, Elsa, the evidence is overwhelming. What else do you have to say?! Claiming we fabricated everything-what, do you think all these people are conspiring with us to make this up?!"

"Order in the court!" The judge's stern voice cut through the uproar. "This is a courtroom, not a marketplace. Mrs. Ogden, if you continue disrupting the proceedings, I will have no choice but to remove you."

The judge's cold, authoritative demeanor silenced Mrs. Ogden immediately. Her defiance crumbled under his gaze, leaving her as quiet as a scolded child. Reluctantly, she closed her mouth.

The courtroom finally fell silent again. The judge turned his attention to Tina and her group. "Plaintiff, do you have anything to add?"

On the surface, the situation appeared dire for Elsa and her side.All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

The judge had overheard Tina and Jared's earlier conversation. Dexter, who stood tall and composed in front of Tina's group, knew exactly what was happening. With Kylie Lambert's involvement, the online chatter had likely exploded. Her fam would inevitably sway public opinion, leading the masses to blindly side with Phil Walker. But that was precisely the outcome they had anticipated.

Dexter's expression remained calm, his sharp eyes unwavering. "I have a question for the opposing side. Mr. Lee, Miss Lambert claimed she didn't intervene back then because she was just a student. But as a teacher and a grade supervisor, if Joseph Dyers truly committed such crimes, why did you cover for him? Why didn't you report his actions until Pippa Ogden told her mother the truth?"

Mr. Lee froze, caught off guard.

After a brief pause, he scrambled to recall the script he had prepared the day before. "Well, at the time, Mr. Dyers was an excellent teacher. I... I thought, given his status as a distinguished educator, that it would be better to downplay the incident. As long as he didn't repeat his mistakes, I was willing to cover for him. But Joseph Dyers was incorrigible. A man like him doesn't deserve to be a teacher!"

His response sounded reasonable on the surface, but it inadvertently revealed his own moral failings.

The livestream chat exploded in outrage.

Standing tall, Dexter's lips curved into a faint smile. "If that's the case, Mr. Lee, surely you have photographic evidence to back up your claims?"

"W-what? How could I possibly have such evidence?!"

Dexter's unexpected question left Mr. Lee flustered.

"I'm a teacher! Why on earth would I record inappropriate videos or take compromising photos of students? What kind of twisted person are you to even suggest that?!" The livestream chat erupted again.

"Is this guy serious? Recording evidence is exactly what a responsible person would do!"

"I don't get it. Schools like theirs don't lack talented teachers. Why would they cover up for a predator instead of stopping him?"

"Also, isn't it suspicious? They have so many witnesses but not a single piece of video or photographic evidence. The plaintiffs, on the other hand, have both eyewitnesses and physical proof. It's hard not to be skeptical." "Come on, stop with the conspiracy theories. Joseph Dyers must have had powerful connections. It's no wonder Mr. Lee was afraid to act."

"And Kylie Lambert testified-there's no way she'd lie about something like this just for attention."

"Wake up, Kylie Lambert's reputation isn't exactly spotless. Who knows what her motivations are?"