“Before, my sister said Raymond wasn’t the same anymore. She said he was hiding a secret from her. I’m sure it’s something that could pose a serious threat to him…” Octavia explained, her voice trembling.
“…”
Sebastian listened, his mind racing with disbelief. His mother had accused his father of changing, of not being the Raymond he once was. Did she mean his father had become heartless, or was there something more? What secret was she referring to?
He was left with more questions than answers. The only person who truly knew the secret wasn’t his mother, but his father himself!
“What’s he trying to do? Hurt my mother, and now you?” Sebastian asked, anger rising in his chest.
“I don’t know what he wants, but I’m certain he’s hiding something.” Octavia’s voice quivered with emotion. “Whether my sister disappeared or was killed, he knows the truth. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have locked me away.”
Sebastian pressed further, his brow furrowed. “So, was Marcus involved in all of this? Is he the one who’s been taking care of you all these years?”
“All of them are bastards! All of them!” Octavia’s anger flared, recalling Marcus’ mistreatment. She was on the verge of losing control.
“Small aunt… small aunt…” Sebastian called out to her, but she continued mumbling, lost in sorrow.
Caitlin, sensing the situation, gently pulled Sebastian aside. “Don’t ask her too much right now. Let her rest. When she’s in a better mental state, then we can get more answers.”
Sebastian agreed, and Caitlin helped him exit the room. The air around him felt thick with frustration, and his mind buzzed with too many unanswered questions.
Once outside, Caitlin asked, “Do you know why your aunt got so emotional when you mentioned Marcus?”
Sebastian shook his head. “No, why?”
Caitlin explained, “It’s because, for all these years, Marcus, under the guise of taking care of her, made your aunt his target for emotional abuse. She was essentially his slave, and any mention of him triggers her.”
Sebastian clenched his fists, his rage boiling over. “That bastard! I swear, I won’t let him get away with this.”
The more Sebastian learned, the more disgusted he became. Marcus, a long-time trusted member of The Vanderbilt Family, had apparently been hiding his true nature all along. How could he have done something so despicable?
“Have you asked my grandmother if she knows about all this?” Sebastian asked, his jaw clenched.
Caitlin gave him a knowing look. “I’ve already subtly inquired, and no, she doesn’t know anything about your aunt. It’s clear Marcus isn’t as close to your grandmother as we thought. He’s been working for your father all along.”
Sebastian’s expression hardened. He was beginning to piece together the conspiracy surrounding his family. “So, Marcus is on my father’s side? What about Grace and Peter?”
“Think about it. Your father married Grace, and Grace’s ex-lover was Peter. It’s likely they formed a network of interests. Marcus, being the head butler, had access to everything in The Vanderbilt Family. He kept everything hidden to help your father cover up his secrets. Meanwhile, Grace was able to marry into the family without anyone suspecting her.”
Sebastian’s mind reeled as he absorbed the full scale of this betrayal. His entire view of his father’s actions over the years was being turned upside down. If his suspicions were true, the disappearance of his mother wasn’t just an accident; it was part of his father’s larger scheme.
“What if it’s really my father’s doing? If that’s the case, I won’t show him any mercy.”
“I understand how you feel,” Caitlin said, her tone serious. “But we need to be careful. We can’t let anyone know we’re onto them. Your aunt is in no state to testify yet. We need to give her time to heal before we make any moves.”
Sebastian nodded grimly. “You’re right. I’ll make sure she gets the psychological help she needs.”
After visiting Octavia, Sebastian and Caitlin left the villa. Next on his mind was a visit to the hospital to see his grandmother. He had some pressing questions for her, and he needed Caitlin’s support.
A special car drove them to the hospital, and Caitlin helped Sebastian enter. Beatrice had made good progress and was soon to be discharged. She seemed overjoyed to see them and even suspected that they had become close.
“Sebastian, Caitlin, you’re here!” Beatrice greeted them warmly.
“How is Grandma?” Sebastian asked.
“She’s doing well. In a few days, she’ll be able to go home,” Molly replied, smiling.
“I’m feeling better now. I just can’t wait to go home and see my great-grandson,” Beatrice chuckled.
Sebastian, still concerned, asked, “Grandma, can I talk to you for a moment? Is it alright if we step outside, Molly?”
Molly, ever the casual one, shrugged. “What’s there to talk about that I can’t hear?”
Caitlin smoothly intervened, “Come on, Molly. Let’s grab a drink outside.”
“Alright, alright! I’m getting thirsty anyway!” Molly grabbed Caitlin’s arm, and the two left the room.
Once alone with his grandmother, Sebastian wasted no time. “Grandma, can you tell me what you think of my father? How do you think he’s been as a son?”
Beatrice sighed softly. “Your father? Since he took over KM International Group, he’s hardly been around. I don’t get to see him much anymore. When we do meet, it’s mostly about the children.”
Her answer was neutral, and Sebastian pressed further. “But after he married my mother, did you notice any changes in him? Did his personality shift?”
Beatrice hesitated for a moment before answering. “Before your mother disappeared, your father was pretty much the same. It was after she went missing that he became distant and withdrawn. He’s been like that ever since.”
Sebastian nodded grimly. He could feel the difference himself. He had always hated his father, and their relationship had been filled with silence and tension.
“Did his habits change?” Sebastian asked.
Beatrice thought for a moment before replying, “Not much. But he is forgetful. Sometimes, when he talks about his childhood, he doesn’t even remember some things.”
A cold shiver ran down Sebastian’s spine. “He doesn’t remember his own childhood?” He couldn’t shake the unsettling thought that maybe his father had changed for more than just a few reasons.
“Why are you asking all this now?” Beatrice asked, looking concerned.
Sebastian gave her a small smile. “Just curious. You know, just wondering.”
But what Beatrice had said struck him deeply. His father had forgotten parts of his past. Could it be that his father wasn’t the same person anymore? Could the man his mother had accused of being different truly have lost himself somehow?
The more Sebastian thought about it, the more the pieces of his family’s tragic puzzle seemed to fit together. If his suspicions were true, his father had become someone else, someone entirely unrecognizable. And that thought terrified him. What had really happened to his mother? Had she been a victim of his father’s dark secrets?
“If everything I’m thinking is true, then The Vanderbilt Family hides a history darker than I could have imagined.”