<b>Chapter </b><b>589 </b>
“Don’t apologize,” Zeke said gently. “You being alive… that’s all that matters.”
Caitlin let out a soft sigh. “When did you realize I wasn’t dead?”
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Sebastian answered, “The police ran forensics and found no trace of you in the exploded vehicle. That’s when we started thinking maybe you’d been moved. But after that… there was a false rm.”
“What kind of false rm?” Caitlin asked, frowning.
Sebastian hesitated, but Zeke picked up the story with a wry smile.
“Let me tell it. It’s kind of ridiculous now, but it wasn’t at the time. We were searching every inch of New York for you when Felix got a report that a woman’s body had been found near a reservoir. He
called us in to check.
“When Sebastian heard the news, he copsed. No exaggeration. He was sure it was you.
“We rushed to the scene, and what we found was… horrific. It was only the lower half of a woman’s body, shed to pieces. Brutal. We were both shaken to the core.
“Thankfully, the coroner confirmed it wasn’t you.”
Zeke stopped there. Silence settled over the room. Sebastian held Caitlin’s hand tightly, eyes quietly
fixed on her.
Retelling it now made it sound like some harrowing adventure–but the truth was, every second had been torture. No one who hadn’t lived it could ever understand.
And none of them ever wanted to live through it again.
After a moment, Zeke broke the silence with a curious question.
“By the way, why did that guy Sheldon thank you? Something about saving his wife and kid?”
“Oh… that.”
Caitlin shared how<i>, </i>during a moment when she tried to escape, she stumbled into Sheldon’s wife who was inbor, struggling through a life–threatening childbirth, Caitlin had helped deliver the baby and saved both mother and child.
When she finished, Zeke let out a long exhale.
“Damn. That’s insane. If you hadn’t helped… that probably would’ve been two lives lost.”
16:03 Wed, 3 Sept @J
Sebastian nodded in understanding.
“No wonder Sheldon kept trying to mediate. He must’ve been repaying that debt.”
“Exactly. Thanks to him, I was able to avoid disaster more than once.‘
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Now that everything was out in the open, and both sides of the story had been shared, Zeke stood up.
“You two go get some real sleep. When we reach port, I’lle wake <i>you</i>.”
“Alright.”
Sebastian took Caitlin by the hand and led her out of the dining hall.
They both desperately needed rest. Sebastian hadn’t slept properly in days, and Caitlin had been
living in constant fear and exhaustion.
Back in their cabin, Sebastian wrapped his arms around her. Caitlin rested her head on his shoulder and finally, peacefully, closed her eyes.
They slept deeply, undisturbed, until the warship arrived safely back at base.
When they stepped out again, they looked well–rested, their energy restored. After returning the warship, they boarded a helicopter for the final leg home.
During the flight, Caitlin couldn’t hide her excitement. She couldn’t wait to see her family, her friends,
her children.
She missed them so much.
News that Caitlin had been found was already sent ahead to the temporarymand center in New
York. Zeke had ordered all search teams to stand down.
After more than three hours of flight time and a short refueling stop, the helicopter finally touched
down on the Vanderbilt family helipad in New York.
Vincent, Molly, Hazel, Quincy, Faith, and the four children were already waiting.
All of them stared into the sky.
“There! That’s the helicopter!” Arthur shouted, pointing at the white dot on the horizon.
“They’re here! Daddy and Mommy areing home!” Patricia cheered, bouncing with joy. “Mommy’s back! I missed Mommy so much!”
16:03 Wed, 3 Sept
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The adults hadn’t told the kids what really happened. They just said Caitlin and Sebastian had gone on a trip for an event.
But except for little Patricia, the three boys already knew something was wrong. They knew their mom had been taken, that their dad and Uncle Preston were out searching for her.
They’d been worried sick.
If they had been older, they’d have gone searching themselves.
But they also knew they had to stay put–they couldn’t let the grownups worry about them too.
Every day, they waited for their parents toe home. And now… finally, that wait was over.
The helicopter’s rotors chopped louder and louder as it came in tond.
“Everyone step back!” Quincy and Faith each held two of the kids by the hand, leading them away from thending zone.
The chopper touched down smoothly. The spinning des began to slow. The door opened.
And there they were–Sebastian and Caitlin.
“Daddy! Mommy!”
The kids shouted in unison.
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Hearing her children call out to her, Caitlin felt a tight knot in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes.
She fought them back, trying not <i>to </i>let the kids see her break down.
Zeke jumped out first. Then Sebastian stepped down and turned to help Caitlin out, carrying her in
his arms.
“Caitlin!”
Molly was the first to rush over and throw her arms around her.
Always the cheerful one, Mollypletely lost it and broke down crying.
“You’re finally back! We were all so scared…”
Caitlin couldn’t hold back anymore. Her tears streamed down.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for making you worry…”
16:03 Wed, 3 Sept
“No, don’t apologize. You’re home now, that’s all that matters.”
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Molly pulled back, taking in Caitlin’s thinner face. She could see the suffering etched into her features.
Vincent stepped forward, giving Caitlin a firm hug.
“Wee home.”
Then came the children, running straight into her arms.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
“Patricia… Bruce, Howard… Arthur…”
Caitlin opened her arms wide, catching all of them. Tears of joy spilled down her cheeks. She’d nearly lost the chance to ever see them again.
“Mommy, we missed you so much!”
“I missed you too, my loves…”
Patricia nestled into her mother’s arms, reaching up to wipe away her tears.
“Don’t cry, Mommy. You got skinnier!”
The boys all reached up to help wipe her tears too. Caitlin cried and smiled, overwhelmed with love
and relief.
“Let’s go home, Mommy!”
The children tugged at her hands. Caitlin stood up, smiling through her tears.
“Yes. Let’s go home.”
After Caitlin was safely back, Zeke received a call from his mother–something had happened at home, and he had to leave immediately.
Sebastian and Caitlin returned to the house.
And as soon as James heard his sister was back, he came running in from outside.
“Caitlin!”