Chapter 99
The next morning. Caitlin had originally planned to take Bruce to hang out with Arthur and Howard while Sebastian went to visit his aunt. But before the could leave, Sebastian called her.
“Caitlin, you should coife with me.”
“Don’t you have Xavi and the others?” Caitlin responded.
“Xavi has to take the day off. He has something to handle at home. Please, come with me,” Sebastian insisted.
“Wasn’t Xavi an orphan? Where does he have a home?” Caitlin pointed out, her memory sharp as always, looking for a flaw in their explanation
“Uh…” Xavi was caught off guard. He couldn’t remember when they’d discussed his past. He felt embarrassed and stammered, “it’s it’s trim i grave up in an orphanage, and that’s where I consider home.“)
“Yeah, Mr. Vanderbilt is right,” Xavi quickly agreed, trying to salvage the situation.
“And Tyler, White Dragon, what about them?” Caitlin asked.
“They are who they are, and you are you. But will you come with me or not?” Sebastian was losing patience.
Seeing through Sebastian’s intentions–that he just wanted to get Xavi out of the way for the DNA test–Caitlin sighed.
“Alright, let’s go,” she said, not pushing the matter further. She then wheeled Sebastian out of the house, and they left with Bruce.
After they left, Xavi got into another car and headed straight to the best forensic testing agency in the city. He paid triple the usual fee and requested the
results within three days.
A few cars stopped in front of a quiet villa. Caitlin, Sebastian, and Bruce got out, with Tyler and the other bodyguards stationed outside. Sebastian was not in a wheelchair this time. Caitlin helped him up the stairs, and they knocked on the door. A housekeeper opened it.
“Mr. Vanderbilt!” The housekeeper bowed. She was the one Sebastian had arranged to take care of Octavia.
“Has Octavia gotten up yet?” Sebastian asked.
“Yes, she’s up and had breakfast,” the housekeeper replied.
Sebastian nodded, and they entered the house. Octavia had been imprisoned for so long that her body was very weak. She couldn’t walk like a normal person, so after breakfast, she had to rest in bed.
Caitlin went in first to check on her while Sebastian waited outside.
Hearing someone enter, Octavia turned her face, and when she saw who it was, she slowly sat up. “You’re here!”
“How are you feeling?” Caitlin asked with concern.
Octavia’s eyes welled up as she grasped Caitlin’s hand. “I… I’m much better… Thank you… Thank you for saving me…”
“It wasn’t me who saved you. It was your nephew , ” Caitlin said.
“My nephew? You mean Sebastian…” Octavia looked at her in disbelief.
Caitlin nodded. “He’s here too. Do you want to see him?”
“Yes! I want to see Sebastian! Bring him in!” Octavia cried out, clinging to the faint hope that the truth would come out.
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Caitlin helped Sebastian into the room and helped him sit by the bed. “You two can talk. I’ll step outside.”
“No need to leave. You stay,” Sebastian said. Since Caitlin was the one who had first discovered Octavia, she should stay to hear what was said.
Octavia looked at the tall and handsome man before her, struggling to recognize him “Is it really you, Sebastian? You’ve grown up… You’re an adult
now…”
It was hard to believe, for when she was locked away, he had only been eight years old.
“Yes, Octavia, it’s me. I’ve grown up…” Sebastian stretched out his hand, but after searching for a while, he couldn’t find hers.
Octavia, noticing his distress, asked, “What’s wrong? Sebastian, your eyes…”
“Mr. Vanderbilt had an accident a while back, and the blood clots are pressing on his nerves, causing blindness,” Caitlin explained.
“Blind? You can’t see anything now? Sebastian…” Octavia broke down, her heart shattering as she saw her nephew in such a state.
Tears poured down her face, thinking about her sister’s tragic fate, and now her nephew was suffering as well. She could hardly bear it.
Sebastian, despite his ironclad personality, was deeply moved. His eyes reddened, and he couldn’t help but hold back tears.
“Don’t cry, Aunt. I’ll be fine. I’ll get better. Please stop crying!” He finally held her hand, but it felt nothing like the soft, youthful hands he remembered from his childhood. It was thin and frail, a stark reminder of the years of hardship she had endured.
“Aunt, you’ve suffered so much all these years…”
Octavia wept uncontrollably. The years of humiliation and suffering had been unbearable, and now all she had were endless tears.
“Aunt, all these years, I thought you were living abroad. I received postcards from you every year. I thought you were living a good life, but I never knew you had been right here in the Vanderbilt family all along. What happened?”
Sebastian felt an immense sense of guilt. He wished he could have figured it out sooner. He needed answers.
“They… They locked me away…” Octavia sobbed.
“Who? Was it Marcus? Why would he do that?”
“It’s because of… your father…” Octavia’s voice cracked.
“My father? Why?” Sebastian’s face darkened with anger.
Octavia continued, her voice trembling with grief. “After my sister’s accident, I went through her things and found something. It was a recorder.”
“A recorder?” Sebastian asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
“Yes, I played it, and it was a recording of a fight between my sister and him…” Octavia paused, struggling to continue.
“Why did they fight? Does it have something to do with my mom’s disappearance?” Sebastian pressed.
“I believe it does. My sister knew he had another woman. She wanted a divorce and threatened to expose his lies to the public. But your father said if she dared to speak out, he’d kill her.”
Octavia’s voice broke as she said the last part, unable to hold back her tears.
Sebastian’s expression was filled with sorrow and fury. How could his father have done such a thing? Why?
After a moment of silence, Octavia continued, “I believe my sister didn’t just disappear. I think he killed her. She had one las
t–something that
could destroy him—and that secret is what cost her life. When I confronted him, he locked me away, and faked my immigration abroad. Sebastian, all these years, I never left New York. I was always here, in the Vanderbilt family…”
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The most dangerous place was the safest place , and that’s why they kept her hidden here.
Sebastian let out a long sigh . He didn’t know how to comfort her, but the burning questions in his mind only intensified.
“ Wait, Aunt. You and my mom… What is the secret you both knew?”
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