<b>Chapter </b><b>479 </b>
The intimate moment was instantly ruined.
window.
92.1
G.stinctively pushed Sebastian away, her cheeks tinged pink as she turned her head to look out the
Sebastian, face darkening, turned toward the intruder. His eyes—sharp as knivesnded on Xavi<b>, </b>who visibly flinched under the weight of his <b>re</b>.
Seriously?
Did he really have to barge in at that exact moment?
“What is it?”
Sebastian’s voice dropped a few degrees in temperature. Among all his subordinates, if there were an award for being the most clueless at critical
moments, Xavi would win hands down.
“Uh… it’s kinda hard to say.” Xavi stole a nce at Caitlin, clearly hesitant.
“What can’t you say?” Sebastian’s brows furrowed, tightening with impatience.
Xavi scratched his head, still silent.
Caitlin quickly picked up on the awkwardness and guessed it might be something inconvenient to say in front of her. She turned and said calmly,
“I’ll go check on the kids. You two talk.”
Once Caitlin left, Sebastian gave Xavi a look that could kill. His face clearly said, Do you realize how shady you just made me look?
As if Caitlin might think he had something to hide.
Sebastian dropped onto the couch with a cold snort.
“Spit it out already.”
Xavi stiffened and stepped forward.
“Mr. Vanderbilt, something’se up… It’s about the young madam. A scandalous post was almost released–but we intercepted it just in time.”
“What scandal?”
“You should see it for yourself.”
Xavi handed over his phone. He hadn’t wanted to bring this up in front of Caitlin because the content was… borderline indecent, and he didn’t want to upset their rtionship.
Sebastian took the phone and stared at the screen. His face darkened immediately.
The headline used Caitlin of having an affair with another man, apanied by several photos.
The first showed her in a seemingly intimate embrace with a man. The others were dimly lit, grainy bed photos.
“What the hell this?!”
Sebastian’s fury exploded. He nearly smashed the phone in rage.
<b>Xavi </b><b>quickly </b>caught it.
“Whoa whoa! Mr. Vanderbilt, calm down! Luckily, we intercepted the post before <b>it </b>went public. <b>No </b><b>one </b>outside <b>knows</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
92%
<b>09:21 </b><b>Mon</b><b>, </b><b>18 </b><b>Aug </b>ef
O
Thank God Sebastian had previously installed a media firewall–anything rted to Caitlin required internal review before public release<b>. </b><b>Thanks </b><b>to </b><b>that</b><b>, </b>this scandal hadn’t made it to the headlines.
Otherwise, the inte would already be tearing her apart.
“Find out which outlet pushed this story. Ban them. Permanently.”
Sebastian’s voice was ice.
He didn’t care whether the story was real or fake–the fact that someone tried to smear Caitlin publicly was enough to set him off. No one made his wife
look bad. No one.
“We’ve already taken control on that front,” Xavi reported.
Sebastian scowled.
“Where the hell did these photose from?”
He zoomed in on the man in the first photo.
“Do you recognize this guy?”
Xavi stepped forward.
“Yes, that one’s from thend auction. The man is Abel. Caitlin was just chatting with him when someone identally bumped into her, and Abel caught her. Someone snapped a photo at just the right moment.”
He paused.
“But we were all there. We can vouch–Caitlin never did anything inappropriate.”
“Abel?” Sebastian repeated coldly.
“Yeah, him.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed further.
“And the rest of these bedroom photos?”
“Most likely fake. Photoshopped,” Xavi guessed.
Sebastian didn’t rely on guesses. He went to his study, downloaded the images, and ran them through forensic software.
As expected, thest few images were artificially edited. Only the first one–the photo with Abel–was genuine.
“Someone’s deliberately trying to smear Caitlin.”
This wasn’t a coincidence. This was nned.
Sebastian traced the digital footprint of the leak.
“It’s from an overseas IP address<b>.</b><b>” </b>
Xavi’s face fell.
“<b>If </b>it’sing from international servers<b>, </b>we might not be able to control the spread…”
<b>Just </b>then<b>, </b>Bruce appeared <b>at </b>the door.
D
<b>“</b>Daddy.”
The little guy had already heard about the scandal online. He’de looking for Sebastian to help fix it—but now he realized they were already <b>on </b><b>it</b>.
“Bruce? What are you doing here?” Sebastian asked.
Bruce walked in, his little face serious.
“I saw it. Someone is trying to smear Mommy online. The
best
solution? Do weirs
site.”
“Oh? And you know how to do that?”
Bruce lifted his chin, full of five–year–old confidence.
“Let me try.”
Sebastian pulled him into hisp and watched as his son’s small fingers flew across the keyboard.
Xavi stood frozen in awe.
This little guy was actually hacking–like, real hacking. Not only did Bruce track down the IP source and identify the original site, but he also broke in and deployed a chain virus.
No matter how many times they tried to fix or re–upload the content, the virus would destroy it all.
“Holy crap… Bruce, you’re incredible!”
Xavi was utterly blown away. The Vanderbilt kids really were on another level–each one a genius in their own way.
“All done, Daddy.”
Bruce turned back with a grin.
“You’re amazing.” Sebastian kissed his cheek and gave him a proud thumbs–up.
Bruce hopped down and skipped away, satisfied with his mission aplished.
“Don’t let Mommy find out,<i>” </i>Sebastian warned gently.
“I won’t, Daddy!” Bruce called back before dashing out the door, happy just to earn his father’s praise.
Though the problem was handled, Sebastian wasn’t ready to let it go.
“Xavi, start digging into Abel.”
“Abel? Isn’t he a friend of Yates? Why look into him?”
Xavi blinked, confused as always.
“Think<b>,</b>” Sebastian said slowly, as if talking to a particrly dense student.
“Why would a scandal like this suddenly surface? Caitlin’s not a celebrity. Who benefits from defaming her?”
Xavi opened his mouth… then closed it.
“And why Abel? Of all people<b>? </b>If I’m not mistaken, Abel recently returned <b>from </b>overseas.”
<b>Xavi’s </b>eyes lit up.
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<b>09:21 </b><b>Mon</b>, <b>18 </b><b>Aug </b>
<b>“</b>Ohhh–I get <b>it </b>now! You think someone orchestrated this behind the scenes?”
Sebastian patted his shoulder.
“Congrattions, Xavi. You finally used your brain.”
Was that apliment or a dig? Xavi wasn’t sure–but he’d take it either way.
He turned to leave, only to be stopped again.
“Wait. There’s one more thing I need you to do.”
“What is it, Mr. Vanderbilt?”
AD
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