2: Who Is She? The One You Can't Afford to Offend

Five years later.

A black Bentley stopped in front of the CL Group building. The car door opened, and a tall woman stepped out.

Caitlin, dressed in black Givenchy, exuded both righteousness and an edge of darkness, her face hidden behind oversized sunglasses that concealed her cold and aloof features.

In the past five years, the confusion and pain had faded, replaced by calm and composure.

It had been five years, and she was finally back!

Following her out of the car were her two sons. Both boys were exceptionally handsome. Bruce, with a cold expression and dressed in a sharp British-style suit, and Arthur, sunny and always smiling, wearing a colorful hoodie.

Caitlin walked into the building, and the two little boys quickly caught up.

“Mommy, Mommy, wait for us!”

Everyone they passed couldn’t help but turn their heads. “That woman is so cool! And look at those two incredibly handsome boys!”

“Are they the new child models hired by CLHC?”

To outsiders, they looked like a supermodel mom with her adorable kids.

Taking the elevator straight to the top floor, Caitlin arrived at the CEO's office, where Executive CEO Yosef Carter had been waiting. When he saw them come in, he greeted them with a smile. “Boss, finally, you’re back!”

“Thank you for holding things down, Yosef!”

Caitlin greeted him and sat down at the desk, immediately starting to handle business.

No one knew that she was the real boss behind CLHC Venture Group; Yosef Carter was just one of her subordinates managing things on her behalf.

“Yosef! Arthur missed you so much!” Arthur, always sweet-talking, ran happily to Yosef.

“Ah, Arthur, it’s been three months since I last saw you. I’ve missed you too!”

Yosef picked Arthur up and twirled him around, then looked over at the stoic Bruce, calling out, “Bruce, come here. Let Uncle give you a hug!”

“Childish,” Bruce crossed his arms, clearly uninterested in any hugs.

“What? Did I just get dissed?” Yosef chuckled, bemused. The two boys were identical, yet their personalities were worlds apart.

Yosef arranged for someone to take the boys to play while he updated Caitlin on the situation in New York.

“Thompson Global Ventures has already been swallowed up by The Lewis Family. Your father Jonathan is the chairman, and Scott Gilbert is the executive CEO. TGV’s shares are scattered among several shareholders.”

“Keep a close eye on them. Buy in as soon as any shares are sold.”

Back then, due to her misjudgment of people, her grandfather’s Thompson Global Ventures had been taken over. Now, she had returned to reclaim control of TGV!

“Has Dominic's ashes been properly buried?”

“Dominic was given a proper burial. He’s now laid to rest in the New York cemetery.”

Caitlin nodded, then asked, “And what about The Lewis Family lately?”

“Recently, Jasmine was selected by The Vanderbilt Family to marry Sebastian, fulfilling a recommendation from Beatrice Vanderbilt based on a suggestion by Menisachi, North America’s most legendary and wealthy astrologer. Apparently, it's happening today.”

Caitlin acknowledged this, then asked, “What did you find out?”

“I was about to tell you. You asked me to investigate your eldest son’s whereabouts. I’ve found him!”

“Tell me now!”

Caitlin was eager to know where the child she had given birth to all those years ago was.

“It’s all here!”

Yosef handed her a folder.

After reading the contents, Caitlin was deeply moved. She closed the file and stood up immediately. “Prepare the car! I’m going to The Lewis Family!”

Caitlin wasn’t just going to settle old scores; she was going to find her eldest son.

Back then, she had been pregnant with that man’s child and gave birth to four in total. The youngest daughter died shortly after birth.

She had fulfilled her promise by giving the eldest son to the man, taking the other two boys with her.

Now, five years had passed. What had become of her eldest son?

She missed him terribly, thought of him every day for five years, and her heart ached for five long years.

*

The Lewis Family estate stood tall and grand.

Due to the takeover of Thompson Global Ventures, her father Jonathan had risen to the top of New York’s four emerging families, becoming a true business tycoon.

Wealth changed everything. Even the estate had been completely renovated, looking more imposing than ever.

When Caitlin walked through the gates, she was stopped by two security guards. “Who are you?”

“Someone you can’t afford to offend!”

Dressed in all black, Caitlin radiated an intimidating aura.

The guards, hearing her bold words, found it amusing. “This is The Lewis Family estate. Unauthorized people are not allowed! Get lost, get lost…”

Before they could finish, a loud “snap” was heard, followed by one of the guards screaming, “Ahhh… my hand, my hand… it’s broken…”

The guard was kneeling on the ground in pain, while the other guard stood frozen, still laughing seconds ago, completely unaware of how fast she had moved.

Her strike had been as swift as lightning, leaving no time for defense!

“Want to try breaking something too?” Caitlin raised her head, her cold gaze piercing into the other guard, who was so frightened by the murderous intent in her eyes that he began to stammer, “S-someone… help… ah…”

With another swift crack, the guard’s leg was broken, and he fell to the ground, crying in agony.

Caitlin looked down at the two men with disdain and coldly ordered, “If you don’t want to die, keep quiet!”

The two guards, writhing in pain, dared not utter another word. The woman before them was terrifying!

Caitlin strode through The Lewis Family garden, making her way to the main hall.

Inside, she heard a woman’s sobbing voice. “Mom, I really don’t want to marry Sebastian. I don’t want to marry him! Sebastian is practically dead. I’d rather die than marry a living corpse!”

Caitlin recognized the voice as Jasmine’s. She had now become the Lewis family’s eldest daughter, renamed Jasmine Lewis.

The Sebastian Jasmine referred to was none other than Sebastian Vanderbilt, the renowned CEO of Vanderbilt Enterprises Group.

Since taking over the family business, the company had diversified under his leadership, expanding into finance, real estate, and chain hotels, making it the largest conglomerate in the country.

Unfortunately, such a business genius had been in a car accident a month ago, leaving him paralyzed and bedridden, his days supposedly numbered.

To find someone suitable for him, The Vanderbilt Family had gone through every unmarried woman in the city, selecting Jasmine based on her astrological chart.

“Ugh, I don’t want you to marry him either. We sent in Caitlin’s astrological chart, but who would have thought they’d choose you! Now The Vanderbilt Family is coming to pick you up, and there’s nothing I can do. We can’t offend The Vanderbilt Family!” Megan sighed regretfully.

Jasmine turned to Jonathan for help. “Dad, please think of something! I don’t want to marry him! I really don’t! Why does it have to be me? I love Scott! I want to be with Scott! Can’t we send someone else in my place?”

“Who else can we send? The Vanderbilt Family will be here any minute!”

“Dad, Mom… I really don’t want to marry him…”

As Jasmine wailed in despair, a clear female voice cut through the air.

“If she won’t marry, I will!”

Everyone in the room turned their heads toward the voice, only to see a slender figure standing at The Lewis Family door.

As the figure walked closer, they saw a woman with a stunningly beautiful face, cold and aloof, exuding an icy aura.

“Who… who are you?” Jonathan asked, surprised, scrutinizing the woman before him. She seemed familiar, but he couldn’t place her.

“Mr. Lewis, how quickly you forget. It’s been five years, and you don’t even recognize your own daughter?”

Caitlin walked in, her black high heels clicking on the floor, each step like a hammer striking their hearts.

“You… you can’t be…” Jonathan slowly stood up, staring at her in disbelief. Her appearance had changed too much, but the voice remained the same.

It was her! His eldest daughter, Caitlin!

But hadn’t she burned to death years ago?

Megan recognized the voice too, her face filled with terror. “Jonathan, could it really be Caitlin?”

“Caitlin?” Jasmine echoed, shocked.

Caitlin had burned to ashes. How could she suddenly reappear?