Chapter 563
Zorro’s men rushed to catch him as he collapsed and spat blood, calling urgently for the doctor.
After an examination, the doctor confirmed that Zorro’s sudden bleeding was caused by a surge of rage affecting his heart. He needed to rest.
But the moment Zorro regained consciousness, his first question was whether the assassins had been dispatched.
His men informed him that the order had been delivered–killers from the Shadow Moon Pavilion
were already on the move.
The vehicle slowly pulled into the Thompson Residence.
After parking, Caitlin stepped out of the car with Zeke. Standing inside the estate grounds, she looked around, taking in the familiar sights.
The Thompson Residence had been well preserved; the main building still stood tall and majestic. The garden bloomed with vibrant irises, lush and thriving. Besides irises, there were many unfamiliar flowers scattered throughout–some in full bloom, painting the garden with brilliant colors.
The scenery triggered a flood of childhood memories for Caitlin.
This had once been her paradise. Before she turned five, she and her brother used to play here— chasing butterflies, kicking balls.
She could almost hear the cheerful voices of her grandparents, sitting at the stone table in the garden, chatting happily. Those joyful memories played vividly in her mind.
But then, like a film cutting to a darker reel, she saw blood. The day the Jonathan family was wiped out. Her grandparents and many others, lying in pools of crimson.
Brutal. Devastating.
“You used to live here as a kid?” Zeke’s voice pulled her out of her reverie.
She blinked away the sting in her eyes and forced a smile. “Of course. This place was my heaven.”
She pointed at some of the well–maintained garden features. “See over there? Those bushes shaped like animals–my grandpa trimmed them. My brother and I used to play hide and seek right in front of them. And that sandbox over there, we used to build castles in it… Those playground structures are new, though.”
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She continued to walk with him through the garden, talking about childhood like she was leafing through an old photo album.
But when Zeke glanced over, he saw tears streaking down her cheeks despite her smile.
He could guess that being back in this place–so full of joy and trauma–was emotionally overwhelming for her. Especially after what had happened here.
‘I’m sorry…”
He handed her a handkerchief. Caitlin took it with a soft “thank you” and wiped her face.
‘Let’s go inside.”
Yeah.”
They headed toward the main building, and a middle–aged woman stepped out to greet them. Caitlin recognized her–it was Imani, the housekeeper.
Zeke, Caitlin, you’re here.”
Ximena had already informed Imani, who had stayed behind just to receive them.
Hi, Imani.”
After exchanging greetings, they stepped into the villa.
nside, the decor had changed significantly. Though the structure remained the same, most of the urniture and details had been redone, clearly to suit a female taste.
These renovations had all been arranged after Ximena and her daughter moved in.
‘It’s changed a lot… everything’s different,” Caitlin said softly.
There wasn’t much choice,” Zeke said, trying to comfort her. “Once my mother moved in, of course the house needed to be redone.”
I understand.”
After looking around the living room, Caitlin headed toward the staircase. While the decor was new, some old details remained. The staircase still bore carvings from long ago–scratched symbols she remembered making as a child, though their meanings had long faded,
As they toured the second floor, someone arrived downstairs.
Zora rolled a suitcase through the front door of the villa. Seeing no sign of her mother or Imani, she dragged her luggage upstairs alone.
At that moment, Zeke was on the balcony taking a call, and Caitlin had entered what used to be her
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mother’s room. She paused at the threshold.
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Now the room bore all the signs of belonging to Zora. There were personal photos on the shelves
and walls.
As she turned to leave, her bag accidentally bumped a figurine off the table. It rolled under the bed.
She bent down to retrieve it and found a fabric doll tucked beneath the frame. Curious, she pulled it out. When she saw the name stitched onto it, her face changed.
“Caitlin?! What are you doing?!”
A harsh voice snapped from behind. Caitlin turned to see Zora standing at the doorway, seething.
“You’ve got some nerve!” Zora stormed in. “You broke into the Thompson Residence and snuck into my room! What, were you trying to steal something?!”
“I was just looking around,” Caitlin answered calmly.
‘Looking around? What a joke! I’m calling the police–breaking and entering, attempted theft!”
Zora pulled out her phone, acting as if she’d just caught a major criminal.
“Go ahead and call,” Caitlin said, unbothered. “But before you do, maybe you’d like to explain this first?”
She held up the doll she’d found under the bed.
Zora’s face went pale. She lunged forward, trying to grab it. “Give that back!”
Caitlin stepped away and hid the doll behind her. “How low can you get? Resorting to this kind of pathetic black magic?”
“I don’t care! Give it back to me!” Zora shouted, not expecting Caitlin to dig through her room while she’d been away in the mountains.
She’d planned to hide that thing later. But now Caitlin had found it,
“I’m not giving it to you.”
“Fine! Don’t give it back–I’ll really call the police then!”
Zora dialed the emergency number furiously, but just before the call connected, someone snatched her phone from behind.
She turned around. “Zeke?!”
“What are you calling the police for?” Zeke asked, frowning.
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Zora was livid. “She broke into my room! She was digging through my things! This is theft! She should be arrested!”
“Theft? What did she steal?”
“She took something from me! Who knows what else she’s taken? My design sketches–my room’s a mess. She probably photographed everything!”
Zora darted around the room, scanning for anything out of place.
“I didn’t steal anything,” Caitlin said. “I just found a doll under her bed. And to my surprise, it had my name on it.”
She showed the doll again.
Zeke took it from her hand and examined it–instantly overcome with anger.
“You made a voodoo doll of Caitlin?!”
He stared in disbelief at the ragged doll bearing Caitlin’s name, pierced with dozens of pins and smeared with a red substance resembling dried blood.
Zora had gone full witchcraft. Medieval levels of spite.
*Speak! What the hell is this about? Why would you do something like this?!”
Zeke’s voice thundered through the room.