Chapter 49
Caitlin changed into some fresh clothes with her son, Brice, and together they left the Vanderbilt mansion.
Once they reached a more secluded area, Bruce spoke up, his voice full of concern. “Dear mom, don’t be upset. Daddy is really bad , but Leke is greats How about letting him be our new stepdad?”
Caitlin quickly shook her head, trying to push aside the idea. “Don’t worry about me, sweetie. I don’t need a man–I have you two, and that’s enough !
For Caitlin, love and relationships were unnecessary. She’d long given up on believing in love, much less on men.
The mother and son made their way to The Vanderbilt Family’s main hall, where they ran into Molly, who had just returned. The trunk of her car was packed with carefully selected gifts.
“Everything’s ready! Let’s get going!” Molly yelled cheerfully.
Grace, accompanied by Beatrice, and Megan with Xylia appeared shortly afterward. It seemed like their wounds had almost healed. They all looked at Caitlin with a mixture of anger and resentment. Their grudge was far from over, but they were biding their time.
Voining Molly. As they traveled, Molly chattered non–stop, making the trip feel less dull.
The group split into several cars, with Caitlin and her son
Soon, they arrived at the Xenos Family mansion, an elegant villa that shimmered with lights. Caitlin followed Beatrice and the others inside , walking through the opulent entrance
Mere Xenos Family patriarch, Xu Qingshan, and his wife, Jiang Liwan, greeted them at the door.
“Thank you for coming, Beatrice,”
Qingshan said warmly. “It’s been a long time since we’ve had the pleasure of your visit!”
Beatrice smiled back. “I came to visit your mother too–it’s been too long!”
The Vanderbilt Family’s arrival caused quite a stir as the crowd turned to look at the group. Beatrice led the way with the three great–grandsons in tow , heading straight to greet Mr. Xu.
However, Yasmin noticed Caitlin trailing behind, and her irritation flared. She walked up to Caitlin, blocking her path. “What are you doing here , Caitlin ? ”
“I’m here for the party,” Caitlin replied, calm but firm.
“Well, the Xenos Family doesn’t welcome you! Please leave!” Yasmin, said coldly, keeping her voice low enough so others wouldn’t overhear.
“I don’t need your welcome. I came with Beatrice,” Caitlin responded, trying to move past her.
But Yasmin grabbed her arm and yanked her outside. “How shameless can you be? People don’t want you here, and yet you’re still hanging around. What are you even doing here?”
“Why should I be ashamed? You’re the one who went behind my back and slandered me,” Caitlin shot back, her voice laced with disdain.
Yasmin’s words from earlier still stung–she’d reported Caitlin to Sebastian. Caitlin wasn’t going to let that slide.
“Don’t change the topic!” Yasmin snapped. “You’re here sneaking around with other men, aren’t you? You’re only with Sebastian for his title. What a disgusting woman!”
Caitlin’s anger flared, and she stepped closer to Yasmin, her eyes cold and piercing. “What I do is none of your business. Who do you think you are to judge me?”
With a slow, deliberate movement, Caitlin cracked her knuckles, her eyes never leaving Yasmin . Yasmin’s face drained of color as she took a few steps
back in fear.
“You must have seen what I did to Audrey, right?” Caitlin continued, her voice dripping with malice. “Do you want to try your luck too ? I’ve got a hand that’s itching for some action.”
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49
Yasmin flinched , her fear now visible as she instinctively stepped backward , but then she quickly saw her brother , Felix, approaching from an
Suddenly , Yasmin had an idea. With quick thinking, she grabbed Caitlin’s hand and slapped her own face hard, leaving a bright red mare Than loud cry, she let go of Caitlin and screamed, “Ah! Why did you hit me?”
Caitlin stared at her in disbelief for a moment, trying to make sense of Yasmin’s behavior. She had never seen someone so eager to provoke fight with
themselves.
The next moment, Yasmin began crying out, running straight toward her brother. “Felix! Felix! Help me! Look at my face–this woman hit me!”
Felix, who was walking toward them, stopped when he saw Yasmin’s tear–streaked face and the red slap mark on her cheek. His expression darkened immediately. “What happened? Who hit you? I’ll make sure you don’t get hurt again!”
“It’s her! It’s that woman!” Yasmin yelled, pointing at Caitlin, her voice filled with rage. “Get her, Felix! Beat her back!”
Felix turned to face Caitlin , his eyes narrowing as he studied her. There was something familiar about her. When she finally turned to face him fully , he froze in recognition.
“Caitlin?” he exclaimed in surprise.
“Felix, hello,” Caitlin greeted him politely.
Yasmin’s face twisted in shock as she looked from Caitlin to her brother. “Don’t tell me you know her?”
“Yes, I know Caitlin. She’s a friend,” Felix said, still looking at Caitlin in surprise. “What happened here? ”
Yasmin was quick to respond. “She hit me! She slapped my face, and now she’s lying about it!”
Caitlin shook her head calmly. “Felix, you don’t have to believe me, but I didn’t hit her. She didn’t want me to come here and tried to make me leave. She slapped herself to accuse me.”
Yasmin, fuming, shouted again, “No! That’s a lie! Look at my face–how could I have done that to myself ? ”
Felix held up his hand to silence them. “Enough! Caitlin is a guest in our house, and you shouldn’t be causing trouble. This is over.”
He turned back to Caitlin. “I was hoping to speak with you in private, if you don’t mind?”
“Sure,” Caitlin agreed without hesitation.
As they walked away from the villa toward the pavilion by the pool, Yasmin stood there, watching in disbelief. She couldn’t believe her brother had sided
with Caitlin.
Furious and determined not to let it go, Yasmin immediately called her sister–in–law, Madison , and vented her frustration.
Madison walked out of the villa, fuming. “Yasmin, what’s going on?”
Yasmin pointed in the direction of Caitlin and Felix, anger flashing in her eyes. “Look at this! That shameless woman is trying to get close to my husband!”
Madison’s eyes widened as she followed Yasmin’s finger and saw the two of them standing together by the pavilion. Fury surged inside her. “She really dares to do this! Yasmin, what should we do?”
Yasmin leaned in close , whispering something into Madison’s ear, her eyes glinting with malicious intent.
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