Chapter 85

85
SU May
85
After Xavi helped Sebastian get dressed, he wheeled him out, and Caitlin and her son Bruce were ready to head to the main house for dinner . Upon arriving at the dining room, Caitlin and her son entered first, only to find Grace, Megan, Xylia, and Yasmin already there.
Yasmin was in the middle of gossiping with Grace, exaggerating how Caitlin had bullied her and the others.
When Caitlin walked in, Yasmin immediately said, “Grace, you have to stand up for me!”
Grace nodded and, once Caitlin had walked in, asked, “Caitlin, tell me, did you cause trouble for Yasmin and her sister–in–law at Queen11 today? How could you do something like that?”
With Beatrice not at home, Grace was now acting as the head of the house, glaring at Caitlin and questioning her.
Caitlin retorted coldly, “What’s it to you?”
Grace raised her voice, “Since you’ve married into the Vanderbilt family, you should follow the family rules! You’ve been getting too close to other men, using your position to bully people. That’s where you went wrong!”
Caitlin sneered and said, “What I do is none of your business ! ”
Grace’s face darkened as she continued, “Since Beatrice isn’t here, I am the head of this family. I’m only intervening because of what you did. You owe Yasmin and Mrs. Jones an apology, or I won’t go easy on you!”
Caitlin’s eyes flashed with contempt, and she responded firmly, “I won’t apologize, not to Yasmin or Madison. You don’t even know what’s going on , and you’re jumping to conclusions. I suggest you stay out of this.”
Grace was furious, her face red with anger. “You! Caitlin, who gave you the courage to talk to me like this?! ”
Just then, a cold voice interrupted from the door, “I gave her the courage. What’s the matter?”
Both Yasmin and Grace turned to see Sebastian rolling in with Xavi.
“Sebastian, you’re just in time! Don’t spoil this woman! She’s out of control!” Grace immediately began to complain.
Sebastian’s expression was dark, and he asked coldly, “What exactly, has Caitlin done that’s so ‘out of control‘? You say she’s been flirting with other men. Where’s your proof?”
Yasmin quickly chimed in, “Sebastian, didn’t I show Xavi those pictures before?”
She continued, “Those photos are the evidence. There’s the young man, and my brother. Also, Benjamin from the NO.8 club, Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Gray from Queen11–they all have that kind of relationship with her. You’ve been cheated on, and you didn’t even know!”
Megan added, “She’s completely ruining the Vanderbilt family’s reputation!”
Xylia also jumped in, “She deserves to be taught a lesson!”
Sebastian remained silent for a moment, his expression cold. Just as Grace was about to escalate things, she barked, “Since Caitlin’s behavior goes against the Vanderbilt family’s principles, she should be punished according to family rules! Bring the punishment!”
Sebastian’s voice cut through the tension like ice/“Stop right there! I’d like to see who dares to bring the punishment!”
None of the servants in the room dared to move.
Grace, attempting to sound authoritative, said, “Sebastian, you can’t even see and you can barely move. You’ve been fooled, and it’s been quite a disaster for you. I’m trying to help you clear up this mess and preserve the Vanderbilt family’s reputation!”
Sebastian shot her a piercing look and snapped, “Shut up! Who are you to bring family punishment? You don’t have the right ! ”
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He turned to face her, voice firm. “Caitlin is my wife. Everything she does is none of your concern. If you think you can meddle , don’t blame me for bene rude ! ”
He pushed himself out of the room in his wheelchair and looked back at Caitlin, “Let’s go. I’m done here.”
Caitlin reached for her son, but just as she was about to leave, Bruce broke free from her grip and ran toward the dining table. He yanked the Lablecloth pulling it off the table and causing all the dishes to crash to the ground.
“ Boom!” The sound of shattering plates was deafening.
Everyone in the room jumped in shock, especially Grace and the others.
“Howard, you little troublemaker!” Grace shouted, but Bruce simply glared at her before darting off, a mischievous smile on his face.
“Sebastian, look at what your son did!” Grace tried to get Sebastian to step in, but he ignored her, already heading for the door.
Caitlin grabbed Bruce and followed after him. The women in the dining room looked at the mess in front of them, frustrated and helpless.
Grace thought she could take charge since Beatrice wasn’t around, but it seemed that was just a pipe dream.
Back at the Vanderbilt estate, Caitlin decided to cook dinner herself. She preferred the peace and quiet of doing things on her own without having to deal with anyone’s opinions.
It didn’t take long for Caitlin to prepare dinner, and she called Sebastian and Bruce to join her. Sebastian still wore a dark expression , clearly in a bad
mood .
As she helped him eat, Caitlin couldn’t help but tease, “What’s with this sudden change in attitude? Are you trying to be nice to me because you’ve fallen for me?”
She had noticed how much Sebastian’s behavior had changed. He’d been sending her gifts and even defending her today. She wondered what had prompted this shift.
Sebastian was caught off guard by her words and coughed, trying to deflect, “Don’t get ahead of yourself. It’s just because of the agreement.”
He didn’t want to admit it, but the faint flush on his face was hard to miss. He still didn’t know that Bruce had bought all the gifts for Caitlin. If he found out, he might have a stroke.
Caitlin glanced at him knowingly. “Alright, but you’ll be free soon enough.”
Sebastian’s heart skipped a beat at her words. She had said it so casually, but for some reason, he didn’t feel as relieved as he should have.
If she was really Camellia, he wasn’t about to let her go that easily.
After dinner, Sebastian heard Caitlin’s footsteps as she prepared to leave. “Caitlin , where are you going?”
“I’m going for a run. You keep an eye on Bruce,” Caitlin replied, already in her workout clothes.
“Wait…” Sebastian wanted to say more, but she was already out the door.
The cool evening breeze brushed across her skin as Caitlin jogged along the well–maintained path of the Vanderbilt garden. It wasn’t long found herself near the isolated, old building at the far end of the estate.
she
The lights in the building were on, and Caitlin decided to pass by, but just as she was about to turn back, a sudden, sharp scream rang out from inside .
“Aah… Someone help!
The sound was faint, barely audible unless you were close by.
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Caitlin froze. The scream drew her in, and she couldn’t help but stop in her tracks.