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    “I can understand Wendy. After what happened, no girl would be in the mood for romance,” Sebastian said.

    “But Simon never left Molly’s side, did he?” Caitlin countered.

    She couldn’t helpparing the two. Simon and Molly’s rtionship had survived the ordeal untouched, yet Wendy and Benjamin seemed to be drifting apart.

    “That’s different,” Sebastian replied. “Molly nearly gave her life to save Simon. If he abandoned her now, he’d be aplete bastard. They’ll never break up. Wendy, though, she’s softer inside. After everything her family went through, she probably can’t face it all. Leaving the country might be the best thing for her–it’ll help her heal.”

    Caitlin sighed. “When I get the chance, I’ll go see her.”

    She turned her gaze to the window, her mind heavy with worries. Not just for her friend, but even more for her brother.

    “By the way,” Sebastian asked gently, “back at the hospital, was there something you couldn’t say in front of everyone?”

    “Yes. About the Shard of Life. There are questions in my mind. When I’ve sorted them out, I’ll tell you.”

    “All right.”

    They left it there, and soon the car pulled into Vanderbilt Manor. They picked up the children and together set out for DanCa Estate.

    The luxury car rolled to a stop at DanCa Estate. As soon as the doors opened, the children tumbled out.

    “Let’s see who finds Grandma first!” Arthur shouted.

    At once the others sprinted after him, theirughter ringing through the bright garden.

    By the time Caitlin and Sebastian reached the vi entrance, they found all four children crouching by the doorway, peeking inside, none daring to enter.

    “Why are you all just standing here?” Caitlin asked.

    Patricia turned her big eyes toward her. “Mommy, is that really our grandma?”

    “Yes, it is. Come on, let’s go in together.”

    She took her daughter’s hand and called the boys to follow. Together they stepped into the living room.

    Kelly, seated with a photo album in herp, set it aside when she heard them. “Caitlin, Sebastian, you’re back.”

    Her gaze shifted to the children. “And these… they’re yours? Quadruplets?”

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    “Yes, Mom.” Caitlin introduced them one by one. “This is Howard, the eldest. Then Bruce, Arthur, and the youngest, Patricia.”

    “Go on, say hello to Grandma.”

    “Grandma!” the children chorused.

    Kelly’s face lit with joy. “Such good children. So beautiful.”

    Patricia wriggled onto the sofa beside her, studying her curiously. To her, having another grandmother felt strange and magical.

    Kelly smiled warmly at the little girl, then turned her eyes to the boys. She adored them immediately–their handsome little faces, each one striking.

    “Adorable. Just adorable.”

    She pinched their cheeks, ruffled their hair, hugged and kissed them, delight spilling out of her.

    Patricia, however, noticed Grandma showering more attention on her brothers. Her little mouth turned down in a pout. This grandma wasn’t as good as her other grandma, she thought.

    “All right, kids,” Sebastian said. “Daddy will take you outside to y so Mommy and Grandma can talk.”

    He ushered them out, leaving Caitlin and Kelly alone in the sitting room.

    Caitlin sat beside her mother. Kelly spoke first. “Harrison’s back now. He’s upstairs. He seems much better already.”

    “Yes. Aurelius purged most of the poison–about eighty percent.”

    Kelly nodded thoughtfully. “I see.”

    Caitlin studied her mother’s face. “Mom, do you remember when we were in A–country? You told me about the codex map pointing to a ce… Antis, wasn’t it?”

    “Yes, Antis.”

    “How did you know that was the ce hidden in the map? Do you actually believe Antis is real?”

    “I heard it from your grandmother,” Kelly answered. “I suppose it must be. Otherwise, why would there be such legends?b” /b

    “If Grandma shared such an important secret with you, then you must also know about the Yuncey family history, don’t you?” Caitlin pressed.

    Kelly sipped her tea, set the cup down, and nodded. “Yes. The Yuncey fortune came from your grandmother’s side. Timothy and his father Miles stole it all. They were frauds who usurped everything.”

    She wasn’t wrong. Those facts were public record, easy to verify.

    b24 /b

    E 55 Vouchers

    Caitlin tried again. “And did Eleanor tell you who her closest friend was in Departure City? Or who helped her escape?”

    Kelly frowned, thought for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I don’t know. She never told me that.”

    Caitlin’s lips pressed together. Inside, doubt churned. How could Eleanor have left out someone so important? Billy had sacrificed so much for her–surely Grandma would have mentioned him. Why im she hadn’t?

    Perhaps sensing Caitlin’s persistence, Kelly tried to steer the conversation away. “The past is gone, child. Let’s not dig it all up again.”

    But Caitlin picked up the album her mother had set aside. “You say not to bring up the past, yet here you are flipping through old photos. Doesn’t this album remind you of anything?”

    Kelly’s smile softened. “Plenty. You and Harrison when you were little.”

    Caitlin pointed to one photo, filled with cherry blossoms. A pic under the trees, her mother sitting with her and Harrison.

    “Do you remember where this was taken?”

    “Cherry Blossom Ridge,” Kelly answered with a smile. “It says right there, the date and the ce.”

    “Yes. And do you remember what we buried beneath the trees that day?”

    Kelly’s smile faltered. Her eyes grew distant. Atst she shook her head. “It was so long ago. I can’t remember.”

    “Then never mind. It’s all in the past anyway.”

    Caitlin forced a smile, took her mother’s hand, and stood. “Come on. Let’s go see Harrison together.”

    “All right.”

    Upstairs, they entered Harrison’s room. Hey quietly on the bed, his face calm, his color mostly restored. But still there was no response.

    Caitlin’s heart sank. She had thought that once she found her mother, their family would finally be whole, that everything would be resolved atst. But now she knew–things were far from over.

    “Mom,” she asked softly, “you lived on Ebonreach Isle for years. Did you never notice anything suspicious? Those portraits you said were poisoned–how did you know? And why was it that you stayed there unharmed, but Harrison went once and was poisoned?”