In the ICU corridor, Caitlin was finishing a phone call. As she turned around, she saw two men standing behind her.
Yates greeted her with a grin, “Hey, sis.”
“Hello,” Caitlin nodded, then glanced at Sebastian. He explained, “Yates says he has something to talk to you about.”
Yates, suddenly looking a little shy but gathering his courage, asked, “I have a question. Are you the one behind PE?”
Caitlin didn’t answer directly, which seemed to confirm it.
Thinking back, it was somewhat frustrating that she had secretly taken over the rookie idol group!
“Right? I already have solid proof that you’re the one behind PE. Am I wrong?” Yates asked, confirming again.
“Why are you asking?” Caitlin replied, raising an eyebrow.
Yates smiled and rubbed his hands together. “I want to join PE. Take me in!”
Sebastian, realizing Yates’ intentions, shot him a cold glance. It turned out he just wanted to cling to Caitlin for support!
Yates ignored Sebastian’s warning look and continued, “Come on, Caitlin, take me in! I’m just a poor little artist, my contract’s almost up, and I haven’t found the right place yet. Please take me in, okay?”
With his dual award-winning actor status, Yates was highly sought after by many entertainment companies, and even his old company, SE, offered him a high salary to stay. But he was determined to join Caitlin’s entertainment company.
To get on Caitlin’s good side, Yates shamelessly began acting cute, flashing his seductive eyes, and turning on the charm.
Sebastian almost rolled his eyes at the scene. Yates’ flirtation was so disgusting it gave him goosebumps!
Caitlin, too, was almost poisoned by Yates’ antics. “Fine, fine, I’ll take you in, but hear me out. If your conduct is bad, if you keep getting caught up in scandals, I won’t hesitate to drop you.”
“Understood, Caitlin! Then I’ll report to PE tomorrow?” Yates grinned, clearly pleased.
“Yeah, that works.”
“Great! I’m going back to prepare. Don’t be too upset while I’m gone!”
In a good mood, Yates left. Sebastian grabbed Caitlin’s hand and asked, “I’ve been meaning to ask, why did you sign VX? Was acquiring PE all about them?”
Caitlin looked into Sebastian’s eyes and told him truthfully, “I decided to sign them initially just because they’re full of youthful energy. They remind me of Harrison.”
This explanation immediately cooled his jealousy!
After Caitlin finished speaking, she turned to look at the people in the ICU. Over the years, because of her brother, she had helped many young people who were facing difficulties.
Her only intention had always been that if Harrison faced trouble outside, she wanted someone to lend him a hand.
Sebastian stayed by Caitlin’s side. Not long after, Tyler returned with a report. “Mr. Vanderbilt, we’ve handled the bodies from Cherry Blossom Ridge, but we found two more bodies.”
“What?” Sebastian took the photos Tyler handed him, and Caitlin looked over as well. She recognized them immediately. “These two are my subordinates… they’ve been killed!”
Caught up in handling the hospital matters, Caitlin hadn’t remembered the two subordinates she had stationed at Cherry Blossom Ridge.
Now she knew they were already dead.
“They have the same injuries. Both were attacked from behind and had their arteries slashed. The method was brutal!” Tyler analyzed.
“The person who killed them must be the body we found at Cherry Blossom Ridge. After killing your subordinates, he went on to fight Harrison, only to be killed by him.”
Caitlin froze suddenly, her mind racing. “I know who that body is now.”
“Who?”
“The man who tried to kill me when he infiltrated the mansion that night!”
After Caitlin pointed it out, Sebastian also recalled the details. “If it was the same man from that night, Harrison must have known he meant to harm you, so he used the gunshots in the night to warn you.”
“Then, that man went to Cherry Blossom Ridge to attack you, but Harrison stopped him, and they fought. The man was strong, but Harrison barely survived.”
Caitlin nodded, piecing it all together. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, realizing that Harrison had risked his life to protect her, not caring for his own safety.
“For now, the information won’t leak out, but I worry that Harrison’s organization will eventually find out. We don’t know what dangers may arise next.”
Sebastian and the others didn’t yet know what organization Harrison had joined after being adopted, so they were still at a disadvantage.
Even though the assassin had been killed, the enemy hadn’t obtained the codex yet, and they likely wouldn’t let it go so easily!
“Regardless, we have to protect Harrison. If they find out he’s still alive, they’ll do anything to silence him.”
This was Caitlin’s greatest concern-being in the open while the enemy remained hidden. It was possible that the enemy had been watching her every move.
“I know, don’t worry. I’ll make sure Harrison is protected,” Sebastian assured, already notifying people from The Obsidian Order to guard him.
Hours later, Vaughn and King arrived in New York from V Country. After meeting with Sebastian, they were assigned tasks and set up the necessary precautions. Afterward, Caitlin and Sebastian headed to the Jadu Auction House for an auction event.
Meanwhile, the four subordinates from The Silent Order had been lurking for a while, preparing for their next move. They planned to split into teams: Kairos and Ryuji were tasked with heading to the hospital to eliminate James, while Sable and Xian would monitor and follow Caitlin. Once the codex appeared, they would act.
Taking down James wouldn’t be easy. They noticed there were guards outside the ICU, so they needed to find a way to divert them in order for their plan to succeed.
Outside the ICU, Bai Yu and several bodyguards stood guard. No one could enter without proper verification of their identity. When it was time for the shift change, there was a disturbance not far from the ICU, drawing the guards’ attention, but none of them left their posts.
Then a man dressed as a doctor appeared, and Bai Yu stopped him, saying, “Please show your ID!”
Kairos, pretending to take out his ID, suddenly sprayed something in the air.
“Whoosh…”
A spray of gas filled the air. Bai Yu quickly recognized it was toxic and shouted for everyone to cover their mouths and noses.
“Catch him!”
Seeing the man running, Bai Yu and his team quickly gave chase.
As the guards were distracted, another man, disguised as a doctor, slipped into the ICU.
Ryuji arrived at the bed, glanced at the severely wounded man, and checked the name on the chart. He confirmed it was James.
“James, don’t blame me for being heartless. Blame yourself for betraying the master. Now, I’ll send you on your way.”
Ryuji aimed his silenced pistol at James’ forehead.