Howard made a gesture, signaling Arthur that they couldn’t leave just like that-it would be too easy on the kidnappers. They needed to show them who was boss! When it came to wreaking havoc, Howard was an expert.
He ran toward a nearby shelf and shoved it with all his might. The shelf toppled over, and the ones next to it followed in a chain reaction, crashing down like a set of dominoes.
*Crash! Crash!*
Arthur immediately understood what Howard meant. He rushed to another shelf and tried to push it over, but couldn’t move it. He called out for Howard’s help.
Howard came to the rescue, and together, they managed to knock over an entire row of shelves. The sound of crashing glass and porcelain echoed throughout the warehouse.
When T-Five and Caitlin arrived at the scene, they were greeted by the deafening noise.
“What’s going on inside, T-Five?” Caitlin asked, her voice filled with suspicion.
“Oh no, oh no…” T-Five’s face turned pale as he recognized the sound of his precious collection of antiques being smashed. He rushed inside and saw that every shelf had collapsed, with antique pottery and priceless artifacts shattered into pieces. His blood pressure spiked.
*What in the world… Who did this?*
T-Five was almost ready to spit blood in frustration. His beloved treasures were in ruins.
When Caitlin stepped inside and saw the destruction, she immediately demanded, “T-Five, where are my two children? Where are they? Don’t try to deceive me!”
At that moment, the two kids came running out from a side corner.
“Mommy…”
Arthur ran towards her, with Howard following closely behind.
“Arthur, Howard!” Caitlin spread her arms wide to embrace them, pulling them into a tight hug. After checking them over to make sure they were unharmed, she let out a relieved sigh.
After the hug, Caitlin crouched down and asked, “Are you both okay? Did anything happen to you? Are you hurt?”
Arthur grinned and cheerfully responded, “Mommy, we’re fine! I knocked out all the bad guys inside and saved Howard! Then Howard came up with the idea to knock over all the shelves! It was so much fun!”
T-Five couldn’t believe his ears. “You two kids did all this? Look at what you’ve done! You’ve destroyed all my stuff!”
Caitlin stood up and smirked. “So, T-Five, just now you were saying that your people and your life are all mine. But now, all of a sudden, you’re worried about your stuff? Who can you blame? You’re the one who kidnapped them in the first place.”
T-Five, caught in his own words, was speechless. “No, no, I’m not upset. I’m just saying, it’s actually a good thing! This warehouse could use a little renovation anyway, haha.”
Caitlin raised an eyebrow and teased, “Do you want me to help you destroy the rest of the shelves?”
T-Five quickly waved his hands. “No, no, no! You must be tired! Please, just take the little troublemakers home. I admit my mistakes today. I apologize. I’ll make amends.”
T-Five dared not challenge Caitlin any further. His life was in her hands now. He had no choice but to beg and flatter her, hoping to stay on her good side.
“Alright, I’ll take them and go,” Caitlin said, grabbing her children’s hands and turning to leave.
“Take care! Don’t forget the antidote!” T-Five called after them, waving his hand. His eyes lingered on the wreckage of his warehouse, and his heart bled at the loss.
If he had known this would happen, even with a hundred lives, he would never have dared to offend Caitlin again. She was a force to be reckoned with-both the adults and the children were impossible to underestimate. This was quickly turning into a path toward financial ruin for him!
Once Caitlin and the children made their way out of the warehouse, Quincy and Faith were already waiting by the car. Upon seeing them, they rushed forward.
“Caitlin!”
“Are you all okay?”
“We’re fine,” Caitlin replied.
“Arthur! Howard! Sorry for scaring you!” Faith apologized, feeling especially guilty. It had been her oversight that allowed the kidnappers to get to the kids.
“It’s okay, Faith. Howard and I weren’t scared at all!” Arthur reassured her, flashing a bright smile. “Don’t be hard on yourself.”
Quincy, always fond of the children, couldn’t help but joke around. He squatted down, imitating a crying child. “Arthur! Howard! *Waaahhhh!* We were so scared! We’re just glad you’re okay! What would your mommy and we have done if something happened to you?”
Arthur shot back immediately, “Stop crying, Quincy! You look so ugly when you do that! We can’t even look at you!”
Although Arthur was usually sweet, he didn’t hold back when teasing others. He could be quite the little devil when he wanted to be.
“*Waaahhhh…* My heart hurts, Arthur! Can’t you say something nice to Uncle? Just a little sympathy?” Quincy exaggerated with a dramatic expression.
“You’re a big man, and you need me, a kid, to comfort you? How pathetic, Uncle!” Arthur gave him a look of disdain, letting out an exaggerated sigh. “Seriously, why are all the men so fragile these days?”
Quincy felt like his heart had been pierced. He wanted to vomit blood.
Faith, who was usually serious and cold, couldn’t help but laugh at the banter. She gave Quincy a kick.
“Arthur’s right. You’re a grown man! What are you doing needing comfort? Get over yourself!” she teased, then pulled the children closer. “Alright, Arthur, Howard, let’s go home and get you some good food.”
“I want Faith to carry me!” Arthur immediately jumped into her arms, wanting a hug.
“Alright, come here,” Faith agreed with a smile.
Quincy, unable to resist, leaned in. “Faith, can I get a hug too?”
Faith turned and shot him a single word, “Go away!”
The group burst into laughter. Quincy, despite his usually serious demeanor, was only ever playful in front of Faith. In public, he was all business.
After returning to DanCa Estate, Caitlin personally cooked a delicious meal for everyone. Afterward, she checked on the kids’ recent progress in school and life, before preparing to head back to the Vanderbilt Family estate.
As they were about to leave, Arthur asked, “Mommy, how’s Bruce doing? Is he still pretending to be a silent baby? Has he suffocated from it yet?”
Caitlin laughed and replied, “No way! Without you around to pester him, he’s actually having a peaceful time.”
“He must have forgotten all about me! *Waaahhhh!*” Arthur pouted dramatically. “Tell him that from now on, I’m only playing with Howard. I’m not playing with him anymore!”
“Alright, we’ll all get together next time,” Caitlin promised.
After saying goodbye to the children, Quincy drove Caitlin to the Vanderbilt estate. Before she got out of the car, he asked, “Mr. Lewis, should I follow you inside?”
“No, you go ahead and focus on your investigation,” Caitlin replied.
“Alright,” Quincy said before driving off.
Caitlin walked into the estate, following the familiar path toward the Vanderbilt family mansion. As the sun set and the sky turned into a beautiful gradient of colors, she checked her phone as she walked through the garden, which was lush with trees and plants.
As she approached a particularly dense part of the garden, something caught her eye-a sudden flash of movement.
Before she could react, a solid mass appeared in front of her, blocking her way. Caitlin almost bumped into it, stepping back in surprise. She looked up to see who it was, and her heart skipped a beat.