They were lilies of the valley, her favorite.

"Welcome, boss. We're honored by your visit to Silverhaven."

Caitlin blinked, then looked up into a pair of familiar, handsome eyes. There he was, dressed in a sharp suit, holding the flowers, looking like a dashing CEO straight out of a romance drama. Heads turned as he stood there, an undeniable magnetic presence.

"Gordon!"

She dropped her suitcase, threw her arms around his neck, and jumped into his

arms.

Gordon caught her easily. "Catie," he murmured, "are you surprised?"

"Very surprised," she said, planting a light, quick kiss on his lips. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a mission in the area."

"That explains it." Caitlin grinned, inhaling the familiar, comforting scent of him. Her mood, already good, soared. "You can put me down now."

"I can carry you," he insisted, holding her with one arm and grabbing her suitcase with the other.

Caitlin laughed. "There are so many people around. We'll be a bad influence on the children."

Gordon chuckled and gently set her down. Caitlin, out of habit, perched on top of her suitcase, and Gordon pushed her along like a child on a toy car. He had driven himself, and half an hour later, they pulled up to Willow Manor.

"This is me," Caitlin said, unbuckling her seatbelt. "You can head back now." Gordon unbuckled his own belt. "I haven't seen Mr. Kensington in a while. I'll come in with you. I used to drop you off all the time before we were dating. We can just say we ran into each other at the airport."

"Alright, then," Caitlin agreed.

Gordon got out of the car. In addition to the gifts from Keira, he had brought several of his own for Fortune. He had been planning this since the night before. If he couldn't win over his future father-in-law just yet, he could at least get his future grand-father-in-law on his side. It was always good to have allies.

They carried the gifts to the front door. It was closed, but the facial recognition system let Caitlin in.

"Grandpa! I'm home!"

At the sound of her voice, Fortune hurried out of the house, a wide smile on his face. "Catie! Why did you bring so many things?"

"These are from my grandma," Caitlin explained.

Then, Fortune's gaze fell on Gordon. "Vest?" He had a good impression of the young man, always finding him polite and respectful.

"Hello, Mr. Kensington," Gordon said with a courteous nod, placing the gifts on the living room floor.

"I ran into Gordon at the airport, so he gave me a ride," Caitlin explained.

"That was very kind of you, Vest! And you brought so many gifts!" Fortune beamed. "I just finished making some homemade noodles. You haven't had lunch yet, have you? Please, stay and eat with us."

Caitlin looked at Gordon. "You're in luck. My grandpa's noodles are the best in the world."

With his girlfriend's permission, Gordon felt comfortable accepting the invitation. "Then I'd be delighted to impose, Mr. Kensington."

"Nonsense, you're practically family," Fortune said with a wave of his hand. "Catie, you keep Vest company for a bit while I get the noodles ready. And pour him some tea."

"Okay, Grandpa."

Valerium.

Celia had been so busy lately that she had completely missed the news about the Smith incident. By the time she finally had a moment to breathe, Caitlin had already developed the Jade Glow Balm.

"Miss Palmer! Miss Palmer! It's terrible!" A servant rushed towards Celia as she stepped out of her study.

"What is it?"

"It's... it's the master! The master is not well!"

met

The current head of the Palmer family was Celia's third brother, Brock Lane. Due to the terrifying curse that plagued their family, no son of the Palmers had ever lived past the age of twenty-eight Brock was twenty-seven. His health had been declining rapidly, and in recent weeks, he had gotten worse with each passing day. This was why Celia had been so busy; she had been desperately searching for the mysterious Dr. Oracle, but to no avail.

"What happened to Brock?" Celia demanded.

"He collapsed!"

Celia broke into a run, racing

Kon

towards Brock's chambers. The Palmer family castle was enormous, and it took her several minutes. reach his bedroom. Inside, Mrs. Palmer was weeping by the bed while a group of doctors stood by, shaking their heads in defeat. It was baffling. All of Brock's medical tests came back normal, yet his body was wasting away as if possessed by some malevolent spirit.

"Mother, how is he?"

Mrs. Palmer looked up, her face streaked with tears. "They... they say he only has three months left." She had already lost two sons She Couldnt bear to lose another. She threw her arms around her daughter. "Celia, you still haven't found Dr. Oracle?"

Celia shook her head.

"Oh, God!" Mrs. Palmer cried in despair. "Am I just supposed to watch him die?"

Celia's heart ached, but then, an idea sparked in her mind. "Mother, I need to go to Eldermere."

"To Eldermere?"

"Yes," Celia said, her voice firm. "To ask Freya for help. Her medical skills are extraordinary. She might be able to save Brock."