After the people passed by, Caitlin straightened up and took her son’s hand, walking out of The Vanderbilt Family gates.
Quincy drove up to pick them up. Caitlin and her son got in the car, and as they drove a bit, Caitlin noticed two bodyguards by the roadside, dragging a woman with a scarred face.
“Stop the car!” Caitlin ordered.
Quincy pulled over and asked, “What’s wrong, Mr. Lewis?”
“Go save that woman!” Caitlin guessed that the “ugly woman” Raymond had mentioned earlier was likely this woman. She might know something important.
Quincy approached and quickly knocked out the two bodyguards, rescuing the woman and placing her in the front passenger seat.
“Don’t be afraid. We’re here to help you,” Caitlin reassured her from the backseat.
The woman looked at Caitlin timidly and whispered, “Thank you for saving me!”
Caitlin observed the woman. She appeared older, wearing what looked like pajamas. Her hair was messy, partially covering her face. One side of her cheek had a large scar, which looked frightening at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, Caitlin could tell the woman wasn’t unattractive; the scar was the only thing marring her appearance.
“What were you doing at The Vanderbilt Family? Why did those people try to chase you away?” Caitlin inquired.
“I… I was trying to find a job…” The woman’s eyes shifted, and Caitlin sensed she wasn’t being entirely truthful. There was likely some reason she was hiding the truth or didn’t want to reveal her real purpose.
Caitlin didn’t press the issue. Instead, she continued, “If you’re looking for work, I can help you. I’m actually looking for a nanny at home. Would you be willing to take the job?”
Caitlin had to put the woman at ease and earn her trust to get the information she needed later.
“Thank you, kind lady.”
So, Caitlin brought the woman back to DanCa Estate.
After they arrived, Caitlin and her son got out of the car. Quincy helped the woman out. The moment the woman saw Caitlin’s son, her eyes widened in shock.
This child is…
At that moment, Arthur ran out from the house, “Mommy~”
The little boy happily ran to meet her, and Caitlin bent down to scoop him up, ruffling his hair.
The woman stared at the two children, both looking exactly alike. Her shock was evident, and she couldn’t seem to find words to describe her astonishment.
The group entered the house, and when the woman noticed another child who looked identical to the others sitting on the couch, she felt as though her world had spun into a surreal reality.
“Are these three… triplets?” the woman couldn’t help asking.
“No, they’re not triplets, but they are all brothers,” Caitlin explained and then turned to Faith, “Faith, take her upstairs to shower and change into some new clothes before bringing her back down.”
Faith led the woman upstairs, and as she left, the woman kept glancing back at them with a complicated expression.
Half an hour later, Faith brought the woman back downstairs. The woman now looked much cleaner and more refreshed, with her hair neatly tied back. Although the scar on her face was more noticeable, it wasn’t as intimidating as before.
Caitlin studied the woman and, when she noticed a beauty mark between her eyebrows, her heart skipped a beat.
That beauty mark… where have I seen it before?
A few days ago, Caitlin had seen a young photo of Sebastian’s mother, Eliza, at Silverstone Clearwater Residences. In that photo, Eliza had a beauty mark right between her eyebrows. Could it be that the woman in front of her is…
With this thought in mind, Caitlin didn’t directly ask but instead inquired, “I still don’t know what to call you?”
“I’m old, just call me Eli.”
Eli?
Eliza’s name also had a character similar to “snow” in it, was that just a coincidence?
“Okay, Eli. You can stay with us for now and help take care of the children. What skills do you have?” Caitlin asked.
“I can do anything,” Eli replied, her eyes softening as she gazed at the three children. “Are all three of these your children?”
“Yes, they are.”
“Is their father… Sebastian Vanderbilt, the young master of The Vanderbilt Family?”
“How do you know that?” Caitlin was surprised.
“Oh, I… I just thought they looked very much like him. I used to work at The Vanderbilt Family, so I remember what Sebastian looked like. These three children look exactly like him.”
When Eli said this, her eyes reddened, and it was clear she was trying hard to control her emotions.
“Well, thank you for your help! My children can be quite mischievous!”
After Caitlin spoke, she turned to the children, “Howard, Arthur, Bruce, you need to show respect to Eli, okay?”
Howard nodded, and the other two boys answered in unison, “Got it, Mommy!”
“Eli, how about you try making lunch for us? If you need help, you can ask Faith.”
“Okay, I’ll get started.”
Faith led Eli to the kitchen, where she started working. With Faith’s assistance, Eli learned how to use some of the kitchen appliances and understood where the ingredients were kept.
Caitlin called Faith over and quietly asked, “What do you think of Eli?”
Faith had a mixed expression. “Caitlin, if you’re looking for a nanny, there are plenty of professionals out there. Why choose her? She seems like she doesn’t know anything. She didn’t even understand basic appliances. I don’t think her cooking is very good either.”
Faith was starting to suspect that the woman Caitlin had picked up might be a patient who had escaped from a mental hospital.
“We’ll observe her for now,” Caitlin replied, needing to figure out more about Eli’s background.
Eli finished preparing lunch and came to invite them to eat.
As they sat down to the simple homemade dishes, Caitlin praised, “Eli, this looks really good!”
“You flatter me, it’s been a long time since I cooked. My skills might not be as good as they once were,” Eli humbly responded.
Caitlin noticed the key detail in her words-“It’s been a long time since I cooked”-but if she was looking for work, why would she claim that? It didn’t make sense.
After tasting the food, Caitlin couldn’t help but give Eli a thumbs up. “Eli, even though you said you haven’t cooked in a while, your cooking is really good! The taste is great! Faith, Quincy, kids, you should all try it!”
Everyone tasted the food, and they all had to admit it was quite good.
Eli was relieved to see that they liked her food.
During the meal, Quincy and Faith asked Caitlin about her trip to Silverstone. She talked about encountering a typhoon and visiting Clearwater Residences. As she spoke, she kept an eye on Eli’s reaction.
Eli listened intently when Caitlin mentioned Silverstone. When Caitlin talked about Sebastian’s eye injury, Eli’s face showed concern and anxiety, her expression growing complicated.
Caitlin called her over, “Eli, why don’t you join us for the meal?”
“No, no need, you all eat, I’ll just go check on the kitchen,” Eli excused herself and left.
A moment later, Caitlin quietly went to the kitchen and saw Eli with her back to the door, seemingly wiping away tears.
Caitlin took a deep breath and walked over, gently knocking on the door.
“Eli, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
Eli was startled, quickly wiping her face and turning to explain, “No… no… it’s just that something got in my eye… a chili pepper…”
Caitlin was almost certain now. She took a deep breath and said, “Eli, come upstairs with me. I need to ask you something.”