Chapter 575
Half an hour earlier, Caitlin had gotten into the luxury car, which soon pulled away and began moving swiftly through the city.
She glanced at the driver through the center rearview mirror. Vaughn’s face was expressionless.
Noticing Sebastian wasn’t in the car, Caitlin raised an eyebrow. “Where’s Mr. Vanderbilt?”
“In the car behind us,” the driver replied in a low voice.
Caitlin turned to check, but saw no vehicle following them. She figured it might be a surprise Sebastian had arranged, maybe sending Vaughn ahead to drive her to the beach house.
The car was filled with the scent of flowers. On the passenger seat and the one next to her were large bouquets of roses.
Definitely Sebastian’s doing. Another surprise.
She picked up the bouquet next to her and spotted a red heart–shaped card tucked among the flowers. The printed words read:
**I love you.**
A soft smile spread across Caitlin’s lips. She lifted the roses to her nose and inhaled their scent.
“These roses smell so unique… What kind are they?”
The driver didn’t respond.
As she tried to recall the smell, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. Her vision blurred.
She shook her head, sensing something was off.
Looking once more at the driver, her heart skipped a beat. He looked different–colder, more detached than usual. Too cold.
And they weren’t taking the route to the beach house.
Something wasn’t right.
She fought to keep her expression neutral and discreetly pulled out her phone to cáll Sebastian. But as soon as she picked it up, it slipped from her weakening hand and fell to the floor,
Her limbs were going numb. Her strength was fading.
It had to be the scent in the car… or maybe the roses?
“You’re not Vaughn…”
She slumped back in her seat, staring hard at the man behind the wheel.
The fake Vaughn glanced at her through the mirror, his eyes icy. He didn’t respond confirming her suspicion.
Terror surged through her. Who was he? Why was he impersonating Vaughn and driving Sebastian’s car?
Where was Sebastian? What about the real Vaughn?
15:19 Tue, 2 Sept W
Uncertainty gnawed at her from the inside.
“Who are you… Where are you taking me…” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“You’ll know soon enough.”
His voice was deeper than Vaughn’s, and by now, Caitlin knew she had fallen into a trap.
The man pulled over, picked up her phone from the floor, and powered it off.
Caitlin tried to snatch it back, but her body wouldn’t cooperate. She could only watch as he restarted the car and continued
driving.
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Back at the theater.
Felix had just called in with intel, and Sebastian, Zeke, and the others were speeding down the route the Rolls–Royce had taken, hot on the trail.
City traffic control and police had joined the search, and with Felix’s help, they pinpointed the car’s last known direction.
The final camera caught the Rolls–Royce veering onto a dirt road near the hills. The headlights lit up the rough path, and deep tire
tracks could be seen.
Following the trail, they reached a wide slope. At the bottom lay a deep ravine. The tire marks led straight to the cliff’s edge.
Sebastian slammed the door and jumped out, sprinting toward the edge. Zeke and the others followed close behind. One of the men handed out searchlights.
Beams of light swept the ravine–and there it was.
The Rolls–Royce lay at the bottom, completely wrecked. It was crushed, mangled, its wheels facing the sky, still spinning slowly.
“No… No!”
Sebastian let out a gut–wrenching roar, a stabbing pain seizing his chest.
James shouted from the edge, his voice echoing through the ravine. “Caitlin!“.
“Caitlin!”
Zeke’s heart ached too, unable to believe what he was seeing.
This had been a setup from the beginning.
Zinnia’s eyes streamed with tears. She blamed herself–if only she’d stayed closer to Caitlin.
“I’m going down there. I have to find her! Get me a rope!”
Sebastian’s eyes were red, his mind barely functioning. He ordered his men to find climbing gear.
Zeke held him back. “You can’t! It’s too dangerous! The car might explode!”
in
15:19 Tue, 2 Sept W
“But Caitlin’s in there! I have to get her out!”
He shoved Zeke aside, frantically searching for rope.
Felix and his team arrived just in time, catching the sight of the wrecked car and Sebastian’s desperation.
“Mr. Vanderbilt! If you go down there recklessly, you could die! What if she’s not even in the car?” Felix shouted.
“How do we know unless we check? What if she is?!”
No one dared take the gamble.
Sebastian’s heart was being ripped apart. He didn’t care about risk–only about saving his wife.
“I’ll go!” Zeke grabbed the rope. “You have kids and a family. I don’t. Let me do it.”
“No! You have your mother! I’ll go!”
They argued, voices escalating.
James pushed in and grabbed the rope. “Let me go! She’s my sister–my responsibility!”
They were all ready to risk their lives to save her.
But then, a deafening explosion erupted from the ravine.
The destroyed Rolls–Royce exploded, sending a shockwave that shook the ground. It echoed like thunder through the valley.
A plume of fire and smoke shot into the sky, lighting up the night and the surrounding forest.
Birds scattered into the air in terror.
Everyone stared, horrified.
The flames devoured everything.
“Caitlin…”
Sebastian fell to his knees, his entire body trembling, letting out an anguished scream that pierced the night.
“Caitliiiiin!”
James dropped beside him, yelling her name in despair.
Zinnia sobbed uncontrollably, hands over her mouth.
Zeke’s eyes filled with tears, his voice caught in his throat as he silently screamed her name.
Only Felix remained composed enough to act. He had already called for backup from police and emergency services.
They arrived soon after, springing into action with practiced urgency.
Sebastian, James, and the others stood by, trembling with fear and hope, waiting for a sign.
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15:20 Tue, 2 Sept W
The answer would come soon.