Caitlin immediately called the number, but after several rings, no one picked up.After she hung up and waited a moment, another message came through.[Caitlin, I’ve caught a bad cold and my throat hurts. I can’t talk right now—let’s just stick to messaging.]Reading that, Caitlin was nearly certain now—it wasn’t Zeke.He was clearly trying to avoid speaking with her, afraid she'd catch on to the impersonation through his voice.[Got it. Take care of yourself.]She kept her reply brief, hiding her suspicion.Not long after, another message came.[Caitlin, what time and place did you settle on for the exchange?]“He's asking about the exchange location and time,” Caitlin told Sebastian.“Stall him,” Sebastian said. &ld
She kept reading the message over and over, growing more shocked by the second. “This… what…”“What is it, Caitlin?”Sebastian leaned closer, curious about what had startled her.“Look at this message. It was sent a few hours ago.”Caitlin handed him her phone. After skimming the contents, Sebastian’s expression shifted to one of surprise.The message came from an unknown number, claiming to be from Zeke. It said he hadn’t been able to reach her directly, so he had resorted to texting. He warned her not to proceed with the hostage exchange with Pierrick and his team. He promised to join them as soon as possible.Even more shocking was this: the person currently with Pierrick, posing as Zeke, wasn’t the real him. The message urged her to stay alert.“How is that poss
"Mom, they all went over to Sebastian's. Looks like it’s just us today," Eliza explained casually.Beatrice nodded with a knowing smile. "That just proves how good Caitlin's cooking is. I want to try it too.""Next time, Mom. We'll have Caitlin make something just for you. Today there's a crowd over there," Eliza reassured her.Beatrice let out a playful sigh. "So I even have to wait in line to taste Caitlin’s food? Who knows when my turn will come!"Her light-hearted grumble, paired with a mock-pout, made everyone around her chuckle.Just then, the sound of children’s voices echoed from outside."Beatrice! Grandpa, Grandma!""Hmm? Are those my little darlings?"Beatrice’s eyes lit up as the kids came running in.Eliza stepped forward to greet them. "What are you all doing
"Are you worried about me?"Alicia leaned against the car window, tilting her head playfully as she asked."I... I just think it’s too dangerous for you to stay behind. Why don’t you come with me instead?"Zeke wasn't heartless—quite the opposite. He valued loyalty and emotion. Alicia had risked her life to get him out, and it wouldn’t be long before Zorro discovered the deception. When that happened, Alicia would be the first person to suffer the consequences.Why was it so hard to just admit he cared?Alicia wanted nothing more than to crack open his head and see what was going on inside.She smiled sweetly and teased, "What’s this? Are you asking me to run away with you?"Zeke froze, flustered by her directness."If you agree to marry me, I’ll go with you right now. What do you s
"It's you..."Alicia set the tray down and walked over to him, lowering her voice. "Don't say anything. We're getting you out of here.""Getting me out? Weren’t you the one who said you wouldn’t care if I died?"Zeke was stunned. He’d known Alicia for a long time, but after he made it clear that his heart belonged to Caitlin, things between them had gone downhill. They’d fought, stopped speaking for ages. The last time they spoke was when he got shot—she was the one who removed the bullet and cared for him.But before his wounds had healed, he insisted on leaving Shadow Moon Pavilion to go find Caitlin. Alicia had cursed him out, swearing she’d never care what happened to him again."I did say that," Alicia snapped. "But you’re not dead, are you? Must be my rotten luck and a moment of poor judgment. Ugh. Guess I’ve got nothing better to do than save your sorry ass!"Her mouth was
On the way to the registry office, Caitlin glanced at the time on her phone."We could’ve waited a few more days. There’s no need to rush."Zeke was currently en route to the US, and the hostage exchange was about to take place. Caitlin wanted to focus on the bigger picture, but someone clearly had other plans."We already agreed on today. Why change it now?I’ve timed everything perfectly—they won’t arrive that quickly. We’ve got enough time to take care of this.Besides, everything’s already arranged. Just go with it, okay?"Sebastian had been dreaming about this day. No matter what happened—rain, fire, or a tsunami—nothing was stopping him from marrying Caitlin again.When Caitlin didn’t respond right away, Sebastian got nervous."Wait... you're not backing out, are you? You're not having second thoughts, are you?"Caitlin burst into laughter at