Chapter 408
Enemy 408
408
But with Sebastian around, there was no chance anyone could lay a hand on Caitlin.
The second Greta swung the thermos to scald Caitlin, Sebastian reacted with lightning speed, kicking it away mid–air.
The boiling water went flying–right into Millie’s face.
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“Ahhh!” Millie shrieked, stumbling backward as the scalding water splashed across her cheek. “It burns! It burns! My face! It hurts so bad!”
She clawed at her own face in a panic, but the searing pain only intensified as the skin blistered beneath her fingertips.
“Millie! Oh my God–Millie!” Greta panicked, rushing to her daughter–in–law. But the pain only grew worse.
“My face… my face… what do I do?”
Greta’s heart burned with guilt and fury. She knew Millie had already been talking about divorcing her son, and in that moment of desperation, something cruel took over.
She reached into a nearby flowerpot, grabbed a handful of clay pellets used for planting, and began rubbing them into Millie’s already-
burned face.
“Just scrub it! It’ll be fine if you scrub it!”
Caitlin stood back and watched in silence, disgust curling in her chest. Was Greta serious? Rubbing ceramic shards on scalded skin? If that
wasn’t deliberate, Caitlin didn’t know what was.
Looks like Millie’s dream of remarrying was officially ruined.
After Greta’s “treatment,” she turned on Caitlin and Sebastian with wild eyes, jabbing her finger at them. “You two! Look at what you’ve
done!”
Sebastian scoffed, voice cold and full of menace. “If you hadn’t tried to hurt Caitlin, I wouldn’t have had to kick the thermos. What happened
was your own fault.
“Let me make this perfectly clear: as long as I’m around, no one lays a finger on my woman without paying for it.”
He wrapped his arm protectively around Caitlin and walked out of the east wing, not sparing them another glance.
But just as they stepped through the Yuncey Family’s main gate, a rifle muzzle emerged from the shadowy bamboo grove outside.
Thud!”
A muffled shot rang out, silenced but unmistakable.
James, ever vigilant, heard it the moment it fired. His instincts kicked in–he leapt, slamming into Sebastian, knocking him out of the line of
fire.
Sebastian and Caitlin both heard it too. Chaos erupted instantly.
“Get down!” Tyler and Xavi yelled, their team surrounding Caitlin and Sebastian in a tight shield.
James sprinted toward the grove. The shooter realized he’d missed and bolted. Whoever it was had been waiting for the perfect shot.
“Back inside! Now!” Caitlin barked.
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They were clearly being targeted–and not just her. The assassin had aimed at Sebastian.
James and the others failed to catch the sniper. The attacker had planned his escape well.
Back inside, Caitlin’s expression was grim.
“That shot wasn’t meant for me–it was for Sebastian. If they failed today, they’ll try again. Stay alert, all of you.”
“We’ll protect Mr. Vanderbilt with our lives!” Tyler and Xavi promised.
Caitlin blamed herself. “I never should’ve let you appear in public. This was a misstep.”
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Sebastian pulled her into his arms, brushing her hair gently. “Hey. I’m fine. Don’t blame yourself. Your husband’s got thick skin–takes more than a bullet to scare me.”
“But they’ve shown their hand. They won’t try again so soon.”
For safety, Caitlin arranged for Sebastian to stay at the Yuncey estate.
The next day, Rachel and Taylor were cremated.
Caitlin attended the burial, watching as both urns were placed in the earth. One in the east, one in the west.
But she wasn’t finished. Not yet.
There was one last move to make.
**The final blow.**
The Yuncey Family had been plunged into darkness by the endless storm of scandal.
Their reputation was in tatters. Stocks had plummeted. Market value was in freefall.
Amid the chaos, Caitlin made her move–through the Nedyah Group, she began buying up shares.
She quickly acquired all the shares held by the second and third branches of the family, bringing her total stake above 51%.
She now held controlling interest.
Caitlin ordered Yosef to launch a formal hostile takeover of the Yuncey Family Group under the name of CLHC Investments.
When the news reached Quill, he rushed to the corporate headquarters and called an emergency board meeting.
Caught completely off guard, the Yuncey Family board scrambled for a countermeasure.
But after hours of discussion, no solution emerged.
After the meeting, Quill’s assistant came in. “Boss, the CLHC acquisition team will be arriving in Departure City tomorrow to finalize the
terms.”
“Their arrogance is unbelievable!” Qujil snapped. “Do they really think they can take down a giant like the Yuncey Family Group? We’re still a titan–even if we’re weakened, we’re not going down to some third–rate investment firm!”
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He paused, pacing furiously.
“Fine. Send out a notice in the group’s name. We’re calling a full shareholders‘ meeting tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir!”
Quill believed that as long as he could rally the shareholders–especially the ones aligned with the Nedyah Group–he could keep control.
But what he didn’t know… was that Caitlin had been waiting for this moment all along.
The next morning, the Yuncey Family shareholders‘ meeting was held at the city’s largest conference center.
Quill scanned the room. Odd.
None of the key family shareholders were there.
“What the hell is going on? Where are they?” he barked at his assistant.
“…I don’t know, sir. They all confirmed attendance.”
Then, a familiar voice echoed through the hall.
“Sorry I’m late. Thought I’d drop by to see the fun.”
Cynthia walked in, smirking.
Quill frowned. “Took you long enough. Go on, get in there.”
Cynthia didn’t bother to tell him she’d already signed her shares over to Caitlin.
She wasn’t here to vote. She was here to watch Quill crash and burn.
Soon after, more relatives arrived–Quill’s brothers and cousins, all technically shareholders.
But what he didn’t know was that their shares were no longer theirs.
“Still no word from the others? What about the Nedyah Group?” Quill demanded.
“They’re on the way,” his assistant replied.
Moments later, a crowd of executives from Nedyah and other shareholder entities entered the room.
“Ah, there you are!” Quill greeted them. “Thought you weren’t coming!”
“Sorry–ran into a delay,” said Kelvin, CEO of Nedyah Group.
“No problem. Let’s get started!”
Once everyone was seated, Quill addressed the room.
“As you all know, recent events have been challenging, but I believe with your continued support, we can weather the storm.”
Then Kelvin raised his hand. “Let’s not waste time. We’ve heard CLHC is pursuing a takeover. How do you plan to respond?”
Quill nodded. “Exactly what this meeting is for. I don’t support the takeover, and I ask for your backing, I’ll increase my stake if needed–we won’t let outsiders gut our legacy.”
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Kelvin raised a brow. “And how much does the Yuncey Family currently control?”
“Fifty–one percent. I personally hold twenty.”
“ Then I’m afraid it’s already over. Our majority shareholder now holds 51% outright.”
Quill’s eyes narrowed. “That’s impossible. You only own 20%-you’re the boss, aren’t you?”
Kelvin smiled. “Actually… I’m not. Our real boss prefers to remain behind the scenes.”
Quill’s confusion deepened.
“Then who is it?”
As he spoke, the double doors to the conference room slowly creaked open.
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