Under the Pavilion.
Felix shared with Caitlin the findings from their earlier investigation. The coroner had already performed an autopsy, and they discovered something in the victim’s throat.
“This is what was found in Una’s mouth. Take a look at the image,” Felix said as he handed Caitlin a photo.
Under the pavilion’s dim light, Caitlin could clearly see that the photo depicted a uniquely designed cufflink.
“A cufflink?” Caitlin asked.
“Yes! Our preliminary suspicion is that this cufflink most likely belonged to the killer. Una must have swallowed it before she died, leaving behind this clue,” Felix explained.
“If it’s a cufflink, does that mean the killer might be a man?” Caitlin pondered.
“That’s a possibility!” Felix replied.
Caitlin, who had never seen this style of cufflink before, examined it closely. “The design is unusual, very likely a custom piece. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”
As a fashion designer and the founder of the luxury haute couture brand Vera, Caitlin was familiar with most fabrics and accessories, including cufflinks. But this particular one was strange-it wasn’t a simple round or square shape. It was a six-pointed star made of blackened gold.
Such a peculiar design… Who would wear cufflinks like this?
Perhaps if they could trace where the cufflink was made, they might find more clues.
As Caitlin and Felix continued to analyze the case, a massive black figure appeared in the distance.
It was a purebred black hunting dog raised by the Xenos family. Known for its fierceness and aggressiveness, the dog was usually kept in a cage.
With sharp ears, Caitlin heard something behind her and instinctively turned around.
When she saw the ferocious black dog, resembling a lion, charging toward her, mouth wide open, ready to attack, she swiftly swept her leg out, aiming a powerful kick directly at its head.
The dog stumbled but quickly regained its footing and charged again.
Caitlin jumped onto the edge of the pavilion to avoid the dog’s attack.
From the shadows, Yasmin and Madison watched the scene, their eyes filled with silent frustration.
“Come on, Duka! Bite that woman!”
Felix recognized the dog as one of their own and immediately shouted, “Duka!”
The dog was about to attack Caitlin again, but Felix punched it on the head. “Duka! What are you doing? Stop it!”
After being struck by its owner, Duka reluctantly stopped its pursuit, no longer chasing Caitlin.
Felix grabbed the collar around Duka’s neck and apologized. “Sorry, Miss Caitlin. This dog must have gotten loose somehow. I’m sure it scared you.”
“It’s fine,” Caitlin replied. She was shaken, realizing that if she hadn’t been quick on her feet, the dog might have attacked her from behind, and she could have been seriously injured, or worse.
She felt a chill run down her spine just thinking about it.
“You should go back to the villa. I’ll take this one back,” Felix said as he led Duka away.
Caitlin tucked the photo evidence into her bag and walked out of the pavilion toward the main villa.
At that moment, Yasmin and Madison emerged from the shadows, blocking her path.
“Madison, did you see that? This woman was flirting with my brother just now!” Yasmin said, her voice laced with venom.
“I saw it!” Madison’s eyes were filled with fury. She gritted her teeth and lunged at Caitlin. “You bitch!”
However, Caitlin quickly seized Madison’s wrist and retorted, “Who are you calling a bitch?”
“You, you bitch!” Madison screamed, but as soon as she shouted, she realized she’d been outmaneuvered, her anger only growing.
“Mrs. Xenos sure has a unique way of welcoming guests. No need to be so modest,” Caitlin said, shaking off Madison’s grip and speaking with icy composure.
“If I’m not mistaken, you were the one who let that dog out to attack me, weren’t you?”
“That’s right. I really wish that dog could kill you! You’ve been flirting with men everywhere, but it’s too much! You even came to my house and tried to seduce my husband!” Madison spat angrily.
“I was only discussing a case with Felix, and there was nothing else. But Mrs. Xenos, being from such a prestigious family, why are you acting like a shrew? You’ve been married to Felix for years-do you not trust your own husband at all?” Caitlin’s words were firm, leaving Madison speechless. She could only glare at Caitlin in fury.
Laughter echoed from the villa, and Caitlin said, “I’m sure Lord Xenos’ birthday party has already started. You wouldn’t want to miss the fun! And as a woman, don’t get so upset-anger only gives you wrinkles!”
After delivering her words, Caitlin gracefully turned and walked away, leaving Madison seething with rage, almost to the point of vomiting blood.
Yasmin, who was still fueling the fire, whispered, “Madison, looks like you’ve met your match this time! Caitlin is no easy opponent!”
“I know!” Madison snapped, her temper still boiling.
It was her son’s birthday party, and with so many guests around, she didn’t want to cause a scene. So, she reluctantly followed Yasmin back to the villa.
As Caitlin entered the villa, she heard the loud crash of glass shattering in the banquet hall.
Looking toward the noise, she saw that Bruce had tripped and accidentally knocked into the champagne tower. Guests screamed in alarm, and Caitlin immediately rushed over to pull her son aside to protect him from the broken glass.
“Who’s kid is this?” someone called out.
“Everything’s broken! This is ridiculous!” another voice added.
Many guests were complaining, and Leah rolled her eyes, muttering, “I knew that Vanderbilt kid was always causing trouble. But I didn’t expect him to act out in our house-what’s he trying to do, make a scene?”
Grace, who disliked Howard, along with her sister Leah, was equally irritated. Megan and Xylia exchanged a glance, silently pleased that Howard had made a mess at the Xenos’ house. They felt that it was about time he learned a lesson.
Beatrice, realizing that Howard was the culprit, hurried to apologize. “I’m so sorry, it was my grandson Howard who accidentally knocked over the champagne tower. I really apologize for the inconvenience.”
Paul Xenos quickly instructed the staff to clean up the mess.
Yasmin and Madison entered the room, taking in the strong scent of champagne and assessing the situation. Both turned their attention to Caitlin and the child she was protecting.
Madison, who had seen the news, knew that Caitlin, despite being a stepmother, had acted as if she were the child’s real mother, even going so far as to hit Audrey. While Audrey deserved it for her rude remarks, today was her son’s birthday party, and she wouldn’t allow that troublemaker to cause any more problems.
Madison wasn’t about to let it go. She turned to Caitlin and said, “Miss Caitlin, although young Master Howard was careless, don’t you think as his stepmother, you should make him apologize publicly?”
Caitlin understood Madison’s motives immediately. After their earlier confrontation, Madison was clearly looking for a way to take revenge. She was deliberately bringing up her stepmother status to humiliate her, and she knew that Howard wouldn’t be able to speak. This was just a way for Madison to make Caitlin look bad and expose the child’s inability to speak, hoping to make a fool of them.
At that moment, everyone’s eyes were on Caitlin and her son, waiting for an apology.