<b>Chapter </b><b>577 </b>
Everything was pitch ck.
Caitlin’s head throbbed as she slowly regained consciousness, only to realize she was confined in a tight, enclosed space.
Her instincts kicked in instantly.
She tried to move, but found her hands and feet were tightly bound, and her mouth had been sealed with tape.
Fragments of memory came flooding back–she had exited the back of the theater and gotten into a Rolls–Royce. But the driver hadn’t been Vaughn.
There had been a strange floral scent in the car, something that had made her limbs weak. Just before she passed out, she’d seen the imposter driving her out toward the suburbs.
After that, everything went ck–until now.
Shey in a space that swayed slightly, and there was a rhythmic sound, like waves crashing.
A boat.
She was likely trapped inside a cabin of a moving boat.
She had been kidnapped.
Desperate to escape, Caitlin began to m her shoulder against the wooden panel above her, again and again, until someone opened it.
A cold, unfamiliar face appeared above her. He was lean, his eyes sharp and glinting with an icy glimmer.
Phantom had heard the noise ande to check.
“You’re awake?”
His voice was devoid of emotion.
“Mm! Mmm!” Caitlin groaned, trying to speak through the tape.
Phantom ripped it off her mouth.
“Where are you taking me?” she demanded.
“That’s none of your concern.”
He reached to seal her mouth again, but Caitlin blurted out quickly, “Wait! I have to use the bathroom. I can’t hold it!”
Sweat beaded on her forehead, and after a <b>moment’s </b>hesitation, Phantom yanked her out of the hiddenpartment and threw
her onto the floor.
Now able to take in her surroundings, Caitlin confirmed it–she was on a boat. Through the small cabin window, she could see the blue of the sea beyond.
The sunlight filtering in told her it was daytime. That meant she had already been missing for several hours, at the very least.
Tue, Sept
Her heart ached as she thought of Sebastian. Were they frantically looking for her? What about the kids? Were they scared?
She had to stay calm. She had to think.
60%
+20)
Phantom showed no sign of removing her restraints. Caitlin pressed on, “How am I supposed to use the bathroom if I’m still tied
up?”
The man hesitated.
That’s when Caitlin noticed the discarded prop on the floor–a hyper–realistic mask. The one he’d used to impersonate Vaughn.
Everything made sense.
The nning. The precision. The impersonation.
A chill ran down her spine.
“I know who you are,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re the one who kidnapped Patricia.”
She remembered the masked man who had escaped from the woods. The one James had chased. The one <i>who </i>used a grappling hook to vanish without a trace.
This had to be the same man. The way he manipted people and situations. The calcted disguises. The borate setup.
Phantom didn’t deny it. He merely sneered and remained silent.
He pulled out a pair of handcuffs, shackled her wrists, then cut the ropes binding her ankles and torso.
“You have two minutes,” he said coldly, motioning to a tiny restroom before walking out of the cabin.
Caitlin hadn’t really needed to go. It was just an excuse.
Now alone, she scrambled to her feet, only to stumble and fall again.
Whatever she’d inhaled earlier had left lingering effects. Her body hadn’t fully recovered, and she was still too weak to stand properly.
She’d have to wait–regain her strength–then figure out a way to escape.
Two days had passed with still no sign of Caitlin.
Sebastian had mobilized every resource at his disposal. Zeke, the police, and all of their allies had joined the search. A citywide sweep was underway, yet they had nothing.
Each hour that passed ate away at Sebastian’s sanity. He hadn’t slept, hadn’t rested. He led every search personally, refusing to let even a second go to waste,
Zeke had called in his Lightwing team as well, but even they came up empty.
They’d scoured every exit point in and out of New York–airports, harbors, train stations–but found nothing. All signs pointed to
one conclusion;
214
15:20 Tue, 2 Sept
Caitlin was still somewhere inside the country.
At the Vanderbilt estate, no one had peace of mind.
Beatrice had fallen ill from the stress and had been hospitalized. Eliza stayed at her side, and Molly visited often to check on her.
When Eliza asked if there was any news about Caitlin, Molly could only shake her head.
Eliza broke down, wiping away tears, and reminded Molly to return to the mansion <i>to </i>take care of the children.
Though the adults tried to shield the kids, the older ones–like Bruce–had already picked up on the truth from the inte. With their mother gone for days, they were terrified.
When they saw Molly, they asked, “Did you find our mommy yet?”
There was no hiding it anymore.
Molly knelt down and hugged them tightly. “Everyone is looking for her. We’ll find her. I promise.”
“I want my mommy…” Patricia sobbed, tears streaking down her little cheeks.
Molly hugged her close, trying not to cry herself.
<b>20 </b>
Elsewhere, Wendy had also learned the truth. Her brother confirmed the rumors, and she was beside herself with worry. She didn’t know what else to do–until she thought of Benjamin.
She called him immediately. “Benjamin! Did you hear what happened to Caitlin? Can you help-”
“I know,” he cut her off. “We’re all already searching. Just wait for news.”
He hung up without another word.
“”
It was clear: every second mattered, and everyone was doing everything they could.
Back from Country A, Federico and Ashfall arrived safely in the U.S., apanied by Tyler and King.
They had already heard about Caitlin’s disappearance before boarding the flight. Once theynded in New York, Tyler and King got Federico and Ashfall settled before heading straight to Sebastian.
When they found him, they were stunned.
Their usuallyposed Mr. Vanderbilt looked exhausted, haunted. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was hunched over a map with Zeke, analyzing every lead, every possibility.
“Mr.Vanderbilt, we’re back,” Tyler said.
“Still no news?” King asked.
Sebastian shook his head. “You’re just in time. I need you to check this route–now.”
“Yes, sir.”
15:20 Tue, 2 Sept
The two immediately set off.
60%
Sebastian stared at the massive map, red X’s marking all the dead ends. He turned to Zeke. “Is it possible Caitlin’s already out of the country?”
“But we’ve checked every exit point. There’s nothing,” Zeke said, his voice raspy from exhaustion.
Before they could say more, Sebastian’s phone rang.
It was Felix.
“Felix? Did you find something?” he asked urgently.
“Mr. Vanderbilt…” Felix’s tone was grim. “We just got a call. Someone reported seeing a woman’s body near the reservoir. We’re heading there now… You might want toe.”
Sebastian’s phone slipped from his hand.
He copsed onto the ground.
Zeke rushed to him. “What is it? What happened?”
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