Chapter 709

“You already have two bargaining chips in your hands! You’re the only one who knows where my mother is, that should be enough! Why are you making things hard for my brother? You know he was kidnapped when he was five. It’s been twenty years since then. I finally reunited with him. All I want is for him to live a few peaceful days. Why do you have to go after him?”
Caitlin’s heart twisted with anger and desperation. Her usually calm eyes shimmered with tears.
Cecilia hadn’t done it to oppose Caitlin. She just needed James as a piece in her plan. Now that she had successfully found both parts of the codex, she believed the map would soon appear. Which meant she no longer needed to use James as leverage.
“My offer still stands. Take me to the ancient kingdom, and I’ll heal your brother first.”
Cecilia looked at Caitlin, her gaze softening as she studied the young woman’s face–so much like her mother’s. It made her heart ache.
If only she really were her mother. If that were true, how happy would they all be, reunited at last?
Caitlin finally nodded. “Alright, I’ll do it. I’ve already found the map. I can take you to the ancient kingdom. But you have to save my brother first!”
Hearing that she’d found the map, Cecilia’s eyes lit up, excitement flickering in them. “Deal.”
Caitlin added, “You’re doing all this to find the Shard of Life, aren’t you? If that thing really exists, once you find it, you’ll tell me where my mother is. Can you promise me that?”
“I can. Caitlin, once I find the Shard of Life, I’ll tell you everything. There are things only I know.”
“What things?”
“I told you, when the time comes, you’ll know.”
Neither of them spoke again. Caitlin’s mind kept spinning. Could Cecilia really be the one behind everything? The mastermind who had been controlling it all?
Maybe the Yuncey family, the Jonathan family, even Zorro–all of them were just pawns in her grand plan.
God.
Just thinking about it sent chills down her spine. What kind of person could spend decades weaving such a massive web, all for one hidden purpose?
Would Cecilia only reveal the truth once she truly found Atlantis?
But what if Cecilia wasn’t the real mastermind either?
What then?
16:42 Mon, Oct 20
Chapter 709
55 vouchers
Both women sat in silence for a long while before Caitlin finally stood up. “Can you save my brother now?”
“You can all go back for now. Come again tomorrow morning. I’ll make sure he’s healed.”
Cecilia’s identity was already exposed, and her goal was clear. Their deal had been struck. She had no reason to run or play tricks.
“Fine. We’ll come back tomorrow morning. But if you try anything, don’t blame me for what happens next.”
Caitlin left DanCa Estate with Sebastian and the others.
That night, after they returned, Caitlin and Sebastian talked for hours–about everything that had happened, the tangled web of events and people involved.
It all fit together now, like an enormous spiderweb–no one in it was innocent or irrelevant.
“Cecilia’s been hiding for so many years, mastering medical arts, and still she’s after the Shard of Life. What’s driving her?”
“Only she knows.”
“But I can’t stop wondering–who’s the person hiding behind her?”
“Don’t overthink it. Once we get the Shard of Life, we’ll know everything.”
“ Yeah.”
Caitlin couldn’t guess any further. There was only one path left, and only by walking it to the end could she uncover the truth.
The next morning, Caitlin hurried through breakfast and rushed back to DanCa Estate to check on James.
In the manor’s living room, she ran into Quincy. “How is he? Has my brother woken up?”
“Harrison’s still unconscious, but Cecilia’s with him now. She told me to wait outside.”
“Come on, let’s go.”
With Quincy leading the way, Caitlin went upstairs and pushed open the door. Inside, she saw Cecilia in the middle of treating James.
Caitlin moved closer to the bed and watched in silence.
Cecilia knew they had arrived but didn’t turn around. She continued her work calmly.
A strange, almost intoxicating fragrance filled the room–it was the scent of Scentbane.
James was bare–chested, several acupuncture points along his body pierced with needles. Over each point sat
a transparent cup heated by flame, drawing out dark clots of poisoned blood.
His fingertips had been pricked as well, allowing more tainted blood to drip into a basin below.
16:42 Mon, Oct 20
Chapter 709
46 (56)
E 55 vouchers
It was clear from Cecilia’s methods that she wasn’t holding back. Her techniques were far more extreme than anything Aurelius or Alicia had ever used.
Perhaps Scentbane’s toxicity was too strong, forcing her to rely on such brutal methods.
When the time came, Cecilia removed the cups one by one, wiped away the poisoned blood, and applied a thick layer of special detoxifying ointment.
When she was done, she packed away her tools, buttoned James’s shirt, and pulled the blanket over him.
“So that’s it? My brother’s going to be fine now?” Caitlin asked.
“He’s fine. He’ll wake up soon.”
Cecilia gathered her instruments and left the room.
Caitlin sat beside the bed, gently taking her brother’s hand. She cleaned the small wounds and carefully bandaged them.
Looking at his face, she noticed that his complexion had improved–the gray pallor was gone, his lips returning to their normal color.
“Harrison, can you hear me? It’s your sister. Wake up, please.”
Her voice trembled as she called to him again and again.
At that moment, Sebastian, Zeke, Alicia, and old Master Aurelius arrived at DanCa Estate. Aurelius had insisted on coming the moment he heard that Quarta had been found.
They entered the living room, and Sebastian gestured for them to sit.
Aurelius asked, “Where’s Quarta? Where did you find her?”
“Don’t worry, you’ll see her soon,” Sebastian replied.
A few minutes later, Cecilia descended the stairs. Sebastian spotted her immediately. “There she is.”
Everyone turned to look.
Alicia froze, shock written across her face. “Wait, isn’t that your mother? How could she be Quarta?”
Aurelius’s eyes widened. “What… what’s going on?”
Zeke turned to Sebastian. “You’re saying Caitlin’s mother is actually Quarta? Aurelius’s first disciple?”
Sebastian didn’t answer. Cecilia reached the bottom of the stairs. Seeing them all gathered there, she knew it was time to face them as herself.
“Master, it’s been a long time.”
She no longer bothered imitating Kelly’s voice. She spoke in her real one.
16:42 Mon, Oct 20
Chapter 709
:
A The source of thɪs content is.net
56
55 vouchers
Aurelius stood abruptly, disbelief clouding his face. “You… you’re Quarta? How… how is that possible?”
“I’ll explain,” Sebastian said, stepping forward. “Yes, she’s Quarta. Her real name is Cecilia. She’s not Caitlin’s mother. She had plastic surgery to look like her. Her plan was to use James, poisoned by Scentbane, to control Caitlin and make her help find the Shard of Life mentioned in the codex.”
“What…” Aurelius breathed, stunned.
Alicia frowned, staring coldly at the woman who had impersonated Kelly–the real Quarta.
Zeke tensed, watching Cecilia closely. The woman who had deceived them all was dangerous, and he stayed alert, ready for anything.
“I never imagined this,” Aurelius murmured, looking at his former disciple with a mix of sorrow and disappointment. “For the Shard of Life, you went this far?”
“I’m sorry, Master,” Cecilia said quietly. “That’s all I can say.”
Aurelius sighed deeply. “You don’t owe me an apology. You owe it to Caitlin and her brother. You pretended to be their mother, gave them false hope, and poisoned her brother with your own creation, Scentbane. Was that really worth it?”
Cecilia stayed silent. Her eyes dimmed. She had her own reasons–reasons she could never bring herself to explain.
AD