Chapter 606
“What spy? Bring them in!” Zorro barked.
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Moments later, his men dragged in a bound figure, head covered with a black sack, wrists and ankles tied. tight.
“Count, this is the spy. She was sneaking near the Graystone borders, trying to cross into our land.”
The sack was pulled off, revealing a young woman in shambles, hair matted and messy enough to hide her features.
“Ask her who she is.”
One of the guards ripped the tape from her mouth.
Finally able to speak, Zora lifted her chin. She looked at the stern man seated high above–the same face she’d seen in photos and news reports. She had found him at last.
“Answer! Who are you? Why were you lurking near the borders of Graystone?” the guard snapped.
“I… I am the Count’s daughter! He is my father!” Zora blurted out.
The guards scoffed. “Our lord? Yours? Absurd! You filthy liar!” One of them raised a hand to strike her.
“Stop!” Zorro commanded. His eyes narrowed, fixed on the bedraggled girl. “What did you just say? Say it again.”
Tears welled in Zora’s eyes. Her voice trembled. “Father… my name is Zora. My mother is Ximena. I am your daughter. I came all this way just to find you.”
The name struck him like thunder. “You’re… Zora?”
He had known of her, but never seen her face. To see her now, looking like a beggar, shook him deeply.
“I really am Zora. I struggled to escape the US and reach S Country. But when I arrived, I was robbed of everything my luggage, my money. I had no choice but to walk until I reached Graystone. And then your guards caught me, thought I was a spy…”
Her voice cracked with sobs.
Zorro’s expression flickered. He had lost his son Samir and it had gutted him. To suddenly have his daughter appear, flesh and blood, was like a spark reigniting his cold heart.
“If you truly are my daughter, we’ll prove it. I’ll order a DNA test. If you lie, I’ll kill you myself. If you speak the truth, I’ll claim you as mine.”
With his words, Zora’s heart steadied. She had no doubt the test would prove her claim.
“Take her down, clean her up, and treat her well.”
“Yes, Count.”
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Servants bathed her, gave her fresh clothes. When she reappeared, her features clear under the grime, the resemblance spoke for itself.
Zorro studied her closely, already convinced in his gut, though the test would still be carried out.
The following evening, the results came in.
“Zora, it’s true. You are my daughter.”
“Father!” She threw herself into his
arms, crying hard. “I finally found you. I finally have a father.”
“Yes. From today, you are Zorro’s daughter, my heir. Everything in this castle is yours to inherit.”
Zora’s lips curled into a triumphant smile. She had found the ultimate backer. From now on, no one would dare make her bow.
“Father, back in the US I was bullied, cast out. You must help me get revenge!”
“Who?” His voice dropped to a dark growl
“Caitlin. Zeke. Sebastian…. all of them!” Her eyes burned with venom as she spat their names.
Zorro’s face clouded. He stroked her back slowly, his voice low and cold. “Don’t worry. Your father will never forgive them. I already have a plan–one so perfect it will ensnare them all. Just wait.”
Zora’s tears gave way to a smile. Soon, she would see Caitlin crushed beneath her heel.
Back in New York, the holiday ended, and everyone drifted back to their own paths.
The upper
half of the corpse found near Cloudtop Resort was confirmed to match the lower half from before. Felix and his team dove back into forensic work, while Caitlin and Sebastian took the children home.
Tyler returned from Country A, though results from his task would take more time. In the meantime, Caitlin planned to fly to Departure City in V Country to handle matters at Fragrance & Dye Studio. Sebastian would fly out to Obsidian Order territory to oversee the Vanderbilt family’s purge of the Nortons.
Their reunion had barely lasted a few days, and already they had to part again. Sebastian was reluctant, but at least the Black Wolf Fortress threat had been neutralized, and safety was no longer such a constant concern. James, Zinnia, and Xavi would accompany Caitlin, while Tyler, Vaughn, and King stayed at Sebastian’s side.
The couple separated at the airport the next morning.
Caitlin also brought Jillian along to Departure City,
When their plane landed, Hayden himself came to pick them up. Seeing Jillian step out alongside Caitlin, he blinked in surprise. “Caitlin, Jillian too? What’s going on?”
Caitlin smiled knowingly. “I’m showing her the ropes. I may have her join Fragrance & Dye Studio as a designer. I’ll leave her in your care.”
Her words carried a quiet message: Honestly, this is as much as I can do for you. The rest depends on you, Hayden.*
“That’s great. Really great. Come on, let’s get in the car?
He drove them to a stylish villa under his name, where they would be staying.
Caitlin couldn’t use the Yancey family’s ancestral home anymore–it had been fully renovated into the Silverstone Perfume and Dye Museum. Today was its official opening, and the inauguration ceremony was about to begin.
It was a special day. The once–grand Yuncey mansion had been transformed into a cultural landmark under Yosef’s supervision.
Government officials from Departure City were in attendance, alongside journalists and media outlets. Crowds of locals gathered at the square, eager to see the spectacle.
Even Billy had put on his best clothes, standing anxiously at the museum doors. He craned his neck, peering at the crowd. “When will Caitlin get here?”
“Any y minute now,” Yosef reassured him.
As if on cue, a commotion stirred in the square. A luxury car rolled to a stop at the edge of the plaza, and from it stepped a stunning figure.