Lost and Found: Return of My Mysterious Fiancee by KIKI

Chapter 896: The Swanson Family's Hidden Thoughts Kaleigh Swanson's face froze, her expression darkening. Her nails dug into her palms as she hissed, "The one who humiliatedis Tina from the Pace family! And the one who disgraced River Swanson-was her too?" "It was mostly her mother, Alina, but Tina played a part," the man replied, his eyes cold and his tone sharp. "River Swanson, that useless fool, thought Alina had no background. Turns out, she's Alina from the Brookes family. Instead of gaining the upper hand, River brought disgrace to the Swanson family." Kaleigh scoffed, her voice dripping with mockery. "She thinks a little favor from the old man will let her do as she pleases? What a joke. Even Poppy Swanson hasn't escaped punishment, hasn't she?" She smirked maliciously.

The man raised an indifferent eyebrow. "You get the idea. She's in the first room of the last castle. Go freshen up your makeup before you go in. Don't let her outshine you." Kaleigh instinctively touched her face, her confidence faltering. "I understand." At the mention of the last castle, a flicker of fear passed through her eyes. It seemed River Swanson's mistake had truly enraged their father this time.

After carefully reapplying her makeup to ensure no trace of her earlier distress showed, Kaleigh finally felt ready. She approached the last castle, its walls unnaturally pristine, surrounded by pure white roses. But Kaleigh knew the beauty was a facade, a deceitful mask hiding the sinister truth.

She walked cautiously, stopping at the first room on the left. The white door looked as immaculate as the walls. She hesitated before knocking lightly. There was no reply.

Leaning closer, she called softly, "River? River, I heard you're in there. Can you answer me?" A faint, trembling voice cfrom within. "I'm here. Is that you, Kaleigh?" River Swanson's voice was shaky, punctuated by muffled sobs.

Kaleigh frowned but maintained a sweet, gentle tone. "River, did Father say when he'll let you out?" Pressing her ear to the door, she could barely make out River's faint reply. "He said... after tonight, I'll be released." Kaleigh was surprised. She had expected their father's punishment to be severe but hadn't anticipated it would be this harsh, even for someone as favored as River.

She leaned closer, her voice soft. "Can you open the door? I want to see you." After a long pause, the door creaked open.

Kaleigh stepped inside cautiously, her gaze sweeping the room. The air was heavy and damp, the walls cracked and cobwebbed. The floor reeked of mildew, and the bed-if it could even be called that-was little more than a pile of tattered rags. Disgust churned in her stomach. No matter how angry their father was, how could he treat his own granddaughter this cruelly? Then, something caught her eye. Her face went pale, her body trembling as she turned to River in horror.

River Swanson sat in the corner, tears streaming down her gaunt face. Her once meticulously groomed hair was matted and tangled, her lips pale and trembling. "Don't be scared," she rasped. "Feed this to it, and it'll fall asleep." Kaleigh recoiled, her hands shaking. "River, I... I can't. I'm scared!" Not far from them, a massive guard dog stirred, its powerful limbs flexing as it rose. The enormous creature was terrifying, its glowing eyes fixed on Kaleigh. It panted heavily, its tongue lolling from its gaping maw.

The dog, chained but still able to roam most of the room, barked excitedly at the sight of a stranger. Only the small corner where River slept was beyond its reach.

Kaleigh froze, her legs trembling. She thought about leaving and trying again tomorrow-River would be free by then anyway.

But River's voice, hoarse and desperate, pleaded, "Please, just throw it into its mouth. It'll stop barking. Otherwise, I'll hear it all night, and I'm too scared!" Kaleigh rolled her eyes internally. Scared? As if she wasn't terrified herself.

Clutching the pill tightly, she hesitated. River, sensing her reluctance, added pitifully, "You have to throw it straight into its mouth. This dog is too sharp-it won't eat anything that falls to the ground. If they hadn't sentextra doses, I'd have run out by now." Suppressing her rising panic, Kaleigh backed toward the door and picked up a small stone. She hurled it near the dog, which lunged toward her with a ferocious growl.

As the dog barked furiously, its mouth wide open, Kaleigh seized her chance and tossed the pill into its throat. Summoning every ounce of her courage, she quickly retreated to the doorway, her face pale, signaling to River with her eyes that it was done.

River, her ankles chafed red from her chains, shuffled forward slightly. "It's okay now. The pill dissolves instantly in its mouth. Even if it tries, it can't spit it out." The dog's barking subsided as it stumbled back, its movements sluggish before collapsing into a deep slumber.

Kaleigh let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and approached River cautiously. She Nath glanded at her bedraggled cousin and said softly, "You've suffered so much." River, sitting on the decrepit bed, looked pitiful and defeated-a far cry from her once glamorous self. This punishment had truly broken her.

"Why did you cto see me?" River asked, her fear retreating as a faint glimmer of hope flickered in her eyes.

Kaleigh pouted, wrapping her arms around River's. She swayed playfully. "Of course, I was worried about you! I N. couldn't find you anywhere at home, so I asked our brother. That's when I found out what happened." River pressed her bloodless lips together in a strained smile. "I made a mistake and embarrassed the Swanson family. That's why Father was so angry." Pretending to look heartbroken, Kaleigh gazed at River, though inside she sneered. What a cunning fox-still playing the obedient daughter even after such harsh punishment.

Her voice softened. "River, this isn't entirely your fault. Honestly, I saw the video too." River's expression darkened instantly, her gaze turning icy.

Kaleigh's eyes glimmered with false sincerity. "River, we're family. Of course, I'm on your side, But think you underestimated them. If only you'd done your homework on Alina and Tina beforehand. You've waited so long for Ruud, and he still turned his back on you." She sighed tically. "It's all because of Alina and Tina. If not for them, I'd already be celebrating your wedding."