No matter what Caitlin said, Howard refused to come out, leaving her with no choice but to pretend to leave. 

“Howard, I know you hate me and can’t accept me. If you don’t want to see me, then Mommy will leave now. I’m going, okay?” 

Hearing the sound of her footsteps fading, Howard panicked. He quickly scrambled out of the little cave, running out to the path as he anxiously looked around, helplessly searching. 

His tiny body trembled as he cried in frustration. 

He thought Mommy was really gone. 

But he didn’t want her to go! 

He wanted her to come back! 

Tears streamed down his little face uncontrollably as he wiped them with his sleeves, but the more he wiped, the more tears fell 

“Mommy… I want Mommy…” 

“Howard!” 

Suddenly, Caitlin’s voice called from behind him. Hearing her, Howard whipped around, his tearful eyes wide as he saw she hadn’t left. 

In that moment, he couldn’t describe what he felt. All his pent–up frustration and sadness poured out. 

His nose was still bleeding, the blood dripping non–stop, staining his face, chin, and clothes. 

He felt utterly terrible. What if Mommy saw how messy he was? Would she think he was disgusting and leave him again? 

He desperately tried to clean himself up, but the more he wiped, the worse it got. 

Caitlin’s heart shattered. Without thinking twice, she ran to him and pulled him into her arms. 

“Howard… my baby…” 

.She didn’t care how dirty he was. 

She held him tightly, as though he was the most precious treasure in the world that she’d finally found. 

Howard didn’t push her away, but he didn’t react much either. He simply stood there, letting her hug him. 

“Does it hurt?” 

Caitlin loosened her embrace and looked at his messy, bloodstained little face. She carefully wiped away his tears and blood with a handkerchief. 

Howard shook his head. What was a little pain? 

He was a man, and men didn’t fear pain! 

To stop his bleeding, Caitlin found some soft grass leaves in the garden, rolled them, and gently placed them in his nostrils. 

Howard stared at her with his big, round eyes, watching this woman–this stranger who said she was his mommy. She felt so 

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warm, so kind, just like the mommy he had always imagined: gentle and beautiful. 

Her hands brushed across his face, soft and comforting. Being hugged by her felt so wonderful. 

Was his mommy really back? 

“All done, sweetheart. Let’s go home and get you cleaned up, okay?” 

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Howard didn’t glare at her anymore, a sign that he might have started to accept her. Caitlin picked him up and carried him back to the Vanderbilt estate. 

When Caitlin arrived at the estate with Howard in her arms, the servants at the door were stunned. 

Everyone knew Howard was a little terror. He never let anyone get near him, much less hold him. 

How on earth had this newcomer Caitlin managed to carry him after being here for less than an hour? 

Lucy, one of the maids, rushed forward. “Miss Lewis, what happened to Howard? Why is he bleeding so much? 

“He had a nosebleed. Get me some clean clothes. I’m going to give him a bath,” Caitlin replied calmly. 

“Oh, right away!” Lucy led them upstairs. 

As they reached the second floor, a loud crash came from the master bedroom. A maid ran out, clutching her head and screaming in terror. 

Seeing Caitlin, she grabbed her arm and pleaded, “Miss Lewis, you need to check on Mr. Vanderbilt! He’s throwing another 

fit!” 

Carrying Howard, Caitlin walked into the master bedroom. The moment she stepped inside, a lamp flew toward them. Caitlin quickly turned to shield Howard, letting the lamp hit her back instead. 

“Ugh…” Caitlin groaned in pain. 

Howard furrowed his small brows tightly, sensing his mommy had been hurt. 

Caitlin handed Howard to Lucy outside the room and returned to face Sebastian. Her voice was cold as she asked, “Have you 

• had enough?” 

Sebastian was in the midst of another episode, thrashing on the bed and shaking things wildly as if he wanted to tear the world apart. He ignored all attempts to reason with him. 

Caitlin stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face. 

*SMACK!* 

The sound echoed through the room as Sebastian’s head snapped to the side, a clear red mark appearing on his cheek. 

The slap shocked him out of his frenzy. 

Rage flared in his eyes. “You crazy woman! Did you just slap me?” 

“Yes, I slapped you! Do you even know what you’re doing? Do you even know if your son is out there being bullied? All you do is throw tantrums and make everyone else miserable!” 

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Caitlin’s voice shook with anger as she thought about Howard’s suffering. 

“It’s none of your business! Get out!” Sebastian shouted. 

“All you ever do is yell for me to get out! Is that all you’re good for? You’re not even as capable as a child. Do you even deserve to call yourself a man? If you keep this up, then just rot away in your misery!” 

Caitlin snapped, slamming the door behind her with a deafening “BANG“. 

Sebastian sat in stunned silence, his entire body radiating displeasure. 

He felt humiliated. 

Wasn’t this woman supposed to take care of him? Why was her temper worse than his? 

She’d dared to hit him not once, but twice! 

Unbelievable. 

Fine, let her have her moment. When he recovered, he’d make sure she paid for this insolence. 

Outside the master bedroom, the servants exchanged nervous glances. They had all seen Caitlin slap Mr. Vanderbilt. 

Wow. 

No one had ever dared to lay a hand on him before. 

Who was this fierce woman? 

Caitlin ignored them. She returned to Howard, picked him up, and followed Lucy to the children’s wing.

In Howard’s bathroom, Lucy prepared the bathwater while Caitlin knelt to brush the dirt from his hair. “Look at you–so dirty! Let’s get you cleaned up, sweetheart.” 

Howard’s big, dark eyes stared at her, wondering why this mommy was so gentle with him yet so harsh with his daddy. 

Caitlin helped him out of his filthy clothes. Howard remained unusually calm. 

Lucy was stunned. Normally, Howard refused to let anyone touch him. 

After undressing him, Howard shyly covered himself, his little face full of pride and defiance. 

“Alright, I won’t look. I’ll just help from the side while you bathe,” Caitlin said with a smile. 

The little boy climbed into the tub, his dirty body quickly turning the water murky. Caitlin’s heart ached as she saw his frail frame. 

Howard had been the firstborn of the quadruplets, yet he was so thin that his ribs were clearly visible. 

Caitlin asked softly, “Lucy, why is Howard so skinny?” 

As Howard turned his back to her, Caitlin noticed scars on his back and legs. Her heart broke, tears streaming down her face. 

“And these scars… Where did they come from?” 

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