Chapter 123

Chapter 123

The cobblestones hissed instantly, spewing thick clouds of acrid white smoke.

A few drops of sulfuric acid splattered onto the hem of Caspian's suit. The expensive fabric immediately burned through, leaving several charred holes.

If that had hit someone's face, the consequences would've been unthinkable.

The woman in black clutched her chest—ribs shattered from the kick—and rolled on the ground, screaming.

The bodyguards finally snapped out of it.

Four or five burly men rushed forward and pinned her down hard, wrenching her arms behind her back.

"Let me go! That bitch Camilla! She bullied Serena! She abandoned her husband and son! She deserves to have her face destroyed! Die!"

Even pressed to the ground, the woman thrashed and cursed wildly.

Camilla was still in Caspian's arms, her heart pounding.

Listening to the curses, she understood immediately.

This was one of Serena's extreme, deranged fans.

Yesterday, Serena had stirred up public opinion online. Though Caspian had suppressed it, lunatics like this had still lost their minds and come to settle the score for her.

Caspian released Camilla and checked her over from head to toe.

Once he'd confirmed she wasn't hurt, he turned around.

He strode toward the struggling woman.

Caspian lifted his custom leather shoe and stepped directly onto her hand.

He ground down hard.

The woman screamed. Her mask slipped halfway off her face.

Caspian removed his foot and pulled a handkerchief from his suit pocket, wiping his fingers methodically.

He glanced at Flynn Cooper, the bodyguard who'd rushed over, his voice heavy enough to sink. "Take her. Dig up everything about her. Every last detail."

Caspian tossed the used handkerchief onto the woman's face. "And whoever put her up to this—send them all in. I want them rotting in prison for the rest of their lives."

Flynn immediately bowed his head. "Yes, Mr. Mitchell."

The bodyguards dragged the still-wailing woman down the mountain.

The scene was cleared quickly.

Caspian strode forward and, ignoring the eyes around them, swept Camilla into his arms.

Camilla gasped, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck. "What are you doing? Put me down! I can walk!"

"Don't move." Caspian held her tightly against him, his grip almost desperate—as if the moment he let go, she'd dissolve like foam.

He carried her steadily down the mountain, his pace swift, his voice low and heartbreaking. "Camilla, you're tired. I'm taking you home."

That night, at the Mitchell Villa—the study.

Not a single lamp was on. The entire room was pitch black.

Caspian sat alone on the wide leather sofa, a half-burned cigarette between his fingers.

The glowing red tip flickered in the darkness.

He didn't smoke. But tonight, he needed the nicotine to suppress the rage threatening to spiral out of control.

A soft knock came at the study door.

Flynn entered with a thick stack of files and flicked on the wall sconce.

"Mr. Mitchell." Flynn glanced at the ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, his heart sinking. He reported quietly, "Ms. Lavien is asleep. Vida made her a calming tea and watched her drink it."

Caspian stubbed out the half-cigarette. "What did the medical team say?"

"I've already contacted the top oncology specialists at the Mayo Clinic and several cutting-edge labs overseas." Flynn opened the file. "They reviewed Ms. Lavien's records. They all said the situation is… very grim. The cancer has spread. Traditional surgery and chemotherapy won't do much."

Caspian's head snapped up, his eyes ice-cold. "I don't want to hear useless phrases like 'won't do much.'"

"Tell them the Mitchell Group will provide unlimited R&D funding. I don't care what targeted drugs or experimental treatments they use—they will keep her alive."

Flynn swallowed and nodded quickly.

"Understood! Also, I found a reclusive doctor in Shadow City—last name Miller. Word is he has an ancestral formula that's worked wonders on terminal cases. But Dr. Miller is eccentric. He stopped seeing patients years ago."

"Prepare generous gifts. I'll go personally tomorrow." Caspian made the decision without hesitation.

As long as there was even a sliver of hope, he'd tear Shadow City apart to save Camilla's life.

Once the medical matters were settled, Caspian leaned back in his chair, his aura plummeting to freezing. "The woman who threw the acid today—did you find out who she is?"

Flynn's expression turned serious. He handed over another file. "Yes. Her name is Lucy Brown. Unemployed. A rabid fan of Serena's. We found tons of chat logs on her phone."

Flynn pointed to several screenshots. "Serena used a burner account to join fan groups and whip them into a frenzy. She hinted that Camilla had pushed her to the brink. She even leaked Ms. Lavien's schedule for the church visit today."

"Lucy's not all there. She was used as a pawn."

Caspian let out a cold laugh, the sound chilling to the bone.

So that's how Serena wanted to play.

Pulling these dirty tricks behind his back again and again—did she really think he was just for show?

"Since she loves playing with public opinion so much, let's give her a taste of her own medicine." Caspian's long fingers tapped the desk as he issued his verdict. "Dig into Serena's past. That whole 'independent woman,' 'genius pianist' persona—find out how it was packaged. Every grade she got at Graymont University, every piece of music she claimed—go through it frame by frame."

"Once you've got hard evidence, buy out every trending topic online. Pin it at the top for three days straight. I want the name Serena to stink."

Flynn's spine went cold. He immediately left to carry out the orders.

Mr. Mitchell had truly lost his temper. Serena was going to be destroyed this time.

Meanwhile, at the Clifford Manor.

The living room was a wreck. Priceless porcelain lay shattered across the floor.

Serena sat disheveled on the sofa, clutching a glass she hadn't thrown yet.

"Useless! All of you are useless!"

She cursed through gritted teeth.

She'd expected to see footage of Camilla's face destroyed by acid trending online today.

Instead?

Lucy had failed—and been dragged straight to the police station by Caspian's bodyguards!

Now the police were combing through Lucy's messages. They could trace it back to her any second.

Serena panicked, frantically deleting her burner account and wiping all the data.

"Ms. Nelson, I'm scared…" Four-year-old Ollie peeked out from the staircase landing, staring at Serena's twisted expression. He burst into tears.

Ms. Nelson used to be so gentle—buying him toys, taking him to the amusement park.

But ever since Mom left, Ms. Nelson had turned terrifying. She was always breaking things and yelling.

"Stop crying! Shut up!" Serena was at her limit. She whirled around and screamed at Ollie.

Ollie flinched and cried even harder.

Just then, the villa's front door was pushed open from outside.