Chapter 608
“For now, there’s still no trace of Forrest,” Caitlin replied with a small smile. “But we’ve finally found a lead on
my mother.”
“Really? Where is she?” Billy asked, his voice full of concern,
“We tracked her to Country A. I’ve already sent people there. If nothing goes wrong, when we return home, we should be able to follow this lead and finally find her.”
“Good, good, good! The sooner you find her, the sooner your family can be whole again.” Billy’s expression softened with hope.
The evening ended on a warm note. After dinner, Caitlin and the others left Billy’s home and returned to their villa.
Before bed, Caitlin tried to call Sebastian. He didn’t answer. She sent a message, but there was still no reply long after. Her chest tightened with unease. What was happening in the far northern seas?
Far north, across the vast, icy waters.
With the help of the Obsidian Order, the surviving members of Black Wolf Fortress who had been hidden on Crescent Island were finally relocated back.
They had returned to the north, but their fortress itself remained under the control of the Notans family.
Looking at his homeland from afar yet unable to set foot inside, Raze felt as if his flesh were being carved away.
Still, he had one thing to be thankful for. If Sebastian and the Obsidian Order hadn’t taken in their abandoned families, the Notans clan would have surely butchered them.
Now, thanks to that intervention, the men of Black Wolf Fortress were reunited with their loved ones.
Raze, with Sheldon at his side, met Sebastian again.
This time, Raze’s tone was different, less savage, more measured. “Mr. Vanderbilt, whatever else, I owe you thanks.”
“No need. What matters now is deciding how to deal with the Notans family.”
The two leaders sat across from each other on Obsidian Order ground, laying out their plan.
Sebastian’s strategy mirrored the earlier raid on Black Wolf Fortress–swift infiltration and overwhelming assault. But this time, with Black Wolf Fortress and the Obsidian Order united, the odds were far better.
“What do you think, Mr. Raze?” Sebastian asked.
Raze didn’t hesitate. “I have no objections. We’ll do it your way. From now until this battle ends, every man of Black Wolf Fortress will follow your command.”
“Good. Then let’s begin.”
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Orders rippled through both camps. That night, under cover of darkness, the joint forces prepared for a silent
strike.
Midnight cloaked the fortress in stillness.
Ships glided across the frigid waters, avoiding searchlights. Teams of trained men scaled the cliffs with hooks and ropes, slipping into the fortress while guards dozed.
A flash of steel.
One guard slumped forward, his throat marked by a cut so fine it barely bled before his life ended.
The gates cleared, the attackers poured inside.
The Notans family scrambled to resist, chaos erupting.
Then came the clash–gunfire, blades, explosions, screams–shattering the night. Fire lit the dark fortress. flames reflected on the ice–cold sea. The north burned.
By dawn, most of the Notans fighters were dead. A few scattered, fleeing like beaten dogs.
The rising sun spilled crimson over the horizon.
On the prow of his ship, Raze raised the Black Wolf Fortress banner high, his voice breaking with emotion.
“Leader, we’re home!” his men roared.
“Home!” Raze bellowed back, and the cheer spread like wildfire.
At last, his fortress was his again.
“Mr. Vanderbilt,” Raze said solemnly, “thank you for Obsidian Order’s aid. I’ll remember this debt. When Black Wolf Fortress is rebuilt, I’ll invite you to drink with me.”
Sebastian’s expression didn’t change. “I’ve kept my word. I expect you to keep yours–never cross
“I swear it.”
Raze had never bowed his head to anyone. But to Sebastian, he did so willingly.
The two parted. Sebastian’s fleet turned back, bound for Caitlin.
Departure City.
me
The next day, Caitlin arrived with Hayden and
Jillian at Fragrance & Dye Studio, where Julie and her daughter greeted them.
“Caitlin, we meet again!” Julie’s smile was bright. Caitlin noticed how different she seemed now–healthier, sharper, almost reborn.
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“Let me introduce someone. This is Jillian, our new lead designer. The two of you will be working closely together.”
“Hello, Jillian.”
“Hello, Julie.” Jillian replied warmly, shaking her hand.
Inside, the studio’s restoration was nearly complete, Soon, they would begin producing cloth using traditional dyeing methods, from fabric–making to finished garments.
“I want Fragrance & Dye Studio to have an online presence internationally,” Caitlin explained. “We’ll need influencers. My plan is to build Julie into a meaningful content creator.”
“That’s a good idea,” Jillian said.
“But better than one influencer is two,” Caitlin continued with a smile. “If you join her–one focusing on embroidery, one on design–you’ll be a pair of sisters online. I think it will have real impact.”
“Me? An influencer too?” Jillian blinked in surprise.
“Anyone can, if they’re willing. With a professional team behind you, your skills and looks make you perfect.”
“Then I’m in. I can hardly wait.”
Jillian’s eyes shone with excitement.
After touring the completed studio, Caitlin was satisfied. Then they visited a lotus pond outside the city, acres of green leaves and fragrant blossoms swaying in the wind.
Jillian had never seen such a place before. She bent down, laughing like a child as she plucked a lotus bloom. Behind her, Hayden watched quietly, lips curving into an unguarded smile.
But Jillian was too focused on the flower to notice her footing. Her shoe slipped, her balance gave way.
With a startled cry, she toppled headfirst into the lotus pond.