“Ah, Miss Caitlin, what a coincidence!” Felix, who had planned to contact her later, didn’t expect to run into her so unexpectedly.
“Felix, what a coincidence. Are you here for dinner too?” Caitlin replied, surprised by the encounter.
“Yes, I brought my family here for dinner and to accompany my father to attend an art exhibition,” Felix said.
“Will Elder Xenos also be attending the exhibition?” Caitlin asked.
“Yes, my father heard that Master O’Brien will be at the exhibition today, and he wants to go to meet him,” Felix replied.
Caitlin was intrigued. “Does Elder Xenos want to collect O’Brien’s works?”
“Actually, my father is skilled in realism, but he really appreciates Impressionism, especially O’Brien’s work,” Felix explained.
Caitlin nodded, understanding. She was also curious, though, about the fact that Master O’Brien would be at the exhibition, which seemed a little suspicious to her.
Felix then got to the main topic. “By the way, Miss Caitlin, the case with Gavin still hasn’t caught the killer, but I’ve tracked down Omar’s whereabouts. Here’s the address. I hope this helps.”
“Thank you, Felix. I really appreciate it.” Caitlin took the address and glanced at it, but before she could speak further, a hand suddenly grabbed it from her.
Caitlin looked up, and her eyes met a furious face. It was Madison, looking as if she’d caught them in some illicit affair. “You two have had enough! You’re even talking business during dinner? Is this the place you arranged to meet?”
“Madison, it’s not like that-”
Before Felix could explain, Madison tore the paper into pieces. “You two want to date? Well, I won’t let you!”
After tearing up the address, Madison shouted at Felix, “Go back to the private room now!”
“You misunderstood, Madison. I’m just talking business with Miss Caitlin-”
“I don’t care! Go back now!” Madison pushed him back to the room and then turned to face Caitlin.
“What’s going on? If your husband can’t do it, you have to try to hook someone else’s? Caitlin, don’t you have any shame?”
The conflict between Madison and Caitlin had escalated. Old grievances were stacked upon new ones, and Madison, already furious, was ready to tear her apart if not for the public setting.
“Mrs. Jones, how do you know my husband can’t perform? What’s your basis for saying that? Do you dare say that in front of Mr. Vanderbilt?”
“Hmph! No matter what, you’re just a seductress!”
Madison spat out in disgust.
“I should thank Mrs. Jones for the compliment. Not everyone can be a seductress. I don’t think you could have even entered The Xenos Family if it weren’t for your Jones Family background. You probably wouldn’t even have the chance to play the seductress!” Caitlin casually shot back, but her words stung.
Madison was taken aback. For the first time, she encountered such an audacious woman who didn’t feel ashamed when insulted, but instead seemed proud of the title.
“I don’t care! I won’t let you seduce my husband! If you continue, I’ll expose your affair online!”
Madison threatened, her voice rising.
“Mrs. Jones, you’re being too extreme. If I wanted to be someone’s mistress, even a hundred of you wouldn’t be a match for me. Let me give you some advice, don’t make baseless accusations. If you slander me, I will make your family pay!” Caitlin shot back, her voice cold and filled with fury.
The intensity of Caitlin’s words, her fierce glare, seemed to freeze Madison in place. For a moment, she couldn’t even muster a response. Finally, Caitlin walked away with an air of triumph.
Madison, fuming, couldn’t shake the image of Caitlin’s chilling gaze. Despite her anger, a small part of her felt a tinge of fear. That woman had truly seemed capable of destroying her whole family if pushed too far.
Despite Madison’s attempt to tear up the address, Caitlin had a sharp memory and had committed the location to heart. She immediately called Quincy and instructed him to track down Omar at the address. She also asked about when the collaboration with O’Brien for the gallery event had been finalized, but she was told there had never been any such request made to O’Brien.
“I see. Go find Omar as soon as possible, and get back to me afterward.” Caitlin hung up and returned to the table, where Simon said, “The food’s cold now. Should I order you another serving?”
“No need. I’ve finished eating.” Caitlin replied.
“Well, since you’re done, let’s head over to the exhibition,” Simon suggested.
“Sure!” Molly winked at Caitlin, clearly grateful for her role in setting up the conversation with the man she admired.
Meanwhile, outside, Sebastian was still waiting in the car. Tyler had dropped off Howard at The Vanderbilt Family, where Vaughn and King were watching him. Afterward, he rushed back to find Sebastian.
But Sebastian had yet to explain why he insisted on waiting outside instead of joining them for dinner.
At this moment, Caitlin and the others exited the restaurant and headed toward the art exhibition. Xavi quickly informed Sebastian, “Mr. Vanderbilt, they’ve left! Should we follow them?”
“What’s the point of following them?” Sebastian grumbled, his mood sour. “What’s the point of chasing them around?”
“…”
Xavi was almost at a loss for words. He had just been ordered to follow Caitlin and now Sebastian was questioning him?
“What if she’s not Camellia? Wouldn’t we just be following for no reason?” Sebastian muttered, conflicted.
He didn’t want to follow Caitlin, but the thought of her going to the exhibition with another man unsettled him. His stomach churned in frustration.
“What if she is?” Xavi added, trying to push his boss into action.
Before Sebastian could respond, Tyler, the more action-oriented of the two, had already started the car.
They were going to follow Caitlin, whether Sebastian liked it or not.
The art exhibition was being held at the prestigious Lisson Gallery in New York, known for promoting emerging artists from around the world and using proceeds for charity.
When they arrived, they were greeted by advertisements for O’Brien, the famous Eastern artist, who would be doing a live painting demonstration.
Caitlin frowned slightly. Who had arranged this event, and why hadn’t she been informed?
Simon handed over the invitation and led Caitlin and Molly inside. They met Louis, the gallery owner, who took them on a tour.
“Louis, you can go ahead and get back to work. I’ll show them around,” Simon said.
“Alright, enjoy yourselves,” Louis replied and left them to explore.
They spent some time admiring the artworks, with Simon providing explanations. Molly was clearly in awe, taking it all in with a starstruck expression.
Not long after, Elder Xenos and his family arrived, adding a touch of prestige to the event. When Madison spotted Caitlin, her face flushed with anger. Without saying a word, she instinctively gripped her husband’s arm tighter.
Yasmin, who was also present, noticed Caitlin and gasped, “Why is she here?”
Felix remained silent, but Elder Xenos waved at Caitlin and greeted her with a smile. Caitlin politely nodded in return.
Having heard that Elder Xenos wanted to meet Master O’Brien, Louis personally led him into the inner area of the gallery.
“I’d like to meet Master O’Brien,” Elder Xenos said.
“Of course! Follow me,” Louis replied.
As the Xenos family made their way inside, Caitlin turned to Simon. “Simon, you and Molly stay here and continue enjoying the artwork. I have something I need to handle.”
“Alright,” Simon said, though he was a little concerned. “What’s going on? Do you need help?”
“I’ll be back soon,” Caitlin reassured him, before heading deeper into the gallery. She, too, wanted to meet the mysterious artist, O’Brien, and see what kind of person he really was.