Chapter 538
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Zeke turned immediately at the sound of the voice and rushed to the bedside.
Ximena slowly came to, her eyelids fluttering open. As her consciousness returned, she realized she was lying in a hospital room. She was still alive–but the moment she shifted slightly, a sharp pain radiated from her shoulder.
Her blurred vision gradually cleared, and several faces came into view: her assistant, the corporate legal advisor, and…
“Ximena’s awake!”
“Mom! You’re awake!”
When she saw that her son Zeke was there too, she instinctively tried to sit up in shock–but the pain quickly knocked her back down.
“Ah…”
Seeing her try to move, Zeke immediately leaned over to steady her. “Don’t move. You’re injured. Just lie down and rest.”
“Zeke…”
She thought she had heard him call her “Mom.” She couldn’t believe it–had she imagined it?
“I thought… thought I’d never see you again…”
“You will. You’re safe now, Mom.”
Zeke gently held her hand. Feeling his warmth, and hearing him call her “Mom” again, Ximena could no longer hold back her emotions. Her lips trembled as tears streamed down her face.
Her assistant and the lawyer quietly stepped out of the room, giving them space.
“You finally acknowledged me, Zeke… my son!”
Ximena had already made peace with dying full of regrets. And yet, against all odds, not only had she survived–she had reunited
with her son.
She was beyond overjoyed.
“Mom, I’m sorry. I should’ve come to you sooner. I should’ve never waited this long…”
Mother and son both wept openly, overwhelmed with emotion. Ximena had waited so long for this moment.
God had finally shown her mercy–allowing her to reunite with her son in this lifetime.
After reconnecting, the bond between them grew immediately closer. Zeke gently wiped her tears and reassured her, “It’s all behind us now. We’ll have so many more moments together. Everything we missed out on before–we’ll make up for it. I’ll take good care of you from now on.”
Ximena nodded through her tears, a joyful smile forming on her lips.
Zeke then retrieved the envelope containing the will and placed it by her pillow. “Mom, you should take this back. XEG still needs you at the helm. I’ve got other things I need to take care of. I still owe Father justice.”
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“Whether or not you can avenge your father doesn’t matter as much to me anymore. What matters is that you stay safe.”
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To Ximena, her son’s safety meant more than any vengeance. If getting revenge meant risking Zeke’s life, then no amount of justice
was worth it.
“I understand. Let’s talk about it later. Right now, what’s most important is for you to recover.”
Zeke respected her concern, but his mind was already made up. Taking down Zorro was a shared goal between him, Caitlin, and
the others.
After hearing that Ximena had regained consciousness, Caitlin brought her daughter Patricia to visit the hospital.
“Grandma!”
Patricia ran in clutching a bouquet of flowers. When she heard that her grandmother was sick, she insisted on coming along.
“Patricia!”
Ximena’s face lit up at the sound of her granddaughter’s voice. She looked toward the doorway where the little girl ran in, followed by Caitlin.
“Caitlin!”
Zeke rose to greet them both.
“Where does it hurt, Grandma?” Patricia asked sweetly, standing on tiptoe to peek at her in the bed.
“Nowhere hurts anymore. Seeing you has made me feel all better.”
Ximena gently touched Patricia’s hand and then looked up at Caitlin. “You came.”
She looked as though she couldn’t wait to share her joy, eager to tell Caitlin that she and Zeke had finally reconciled.
“Ximena, surviving something like this–there’s always a blessing waiting on the other side.”
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“You may be hurt, but finding your son again makes it all worth it, don’t you think?” Caitlin smiled.
“Absolutely. For Zeke, I’d go through it all again.”
Ximena was in good spirits. Reuniting with her son fulfilled a lifelong wish. Remembering the promise she made, she called Caitlin
over,
“Caitlin, come here for a second.”
Caitlin walked up to the bed as Ximena reached beneath her pillow and pulled out a document envelope.
“This is a gift for you.”
“A gift for me?”
“Yes. Open it and take a look.”
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Curious, Caitlin took the envelope, pulled out the contents, and her expression shifted to surprise.
“These are… the deed and transfer papers for the Thompson Residence?”
“That’s right. I’ve already signed them. This is the gift I promised you. Actually, it’s not really a gift–it’s more like returning it to its rightful owner.”
It hit Caitlin then–Ximena had once said that if she ever reunited with her son, she’d give Caitlin a gift to show her gratitude. But never had Caitlin imagined the gift would be her grandfather’s former estate.
“Ximena, this is far too generous. You could’ve just sold it to me at a discount.”
She was truly touched that Ximena would be willing to give her an entire estate.
“No, Caitlin. Please accept it. A house means nothing compared to my son. This is my heartfelt thanks. Don’t turn it down.”
Zeke added, “Caitlin, take it. And don’t worry–my mom’s not going to be living there anymore. She’ll be staying with me from now
on.”
Caitlin could no longer refuse. Deeply moved, she nodded. “Alright, then. I’ll accept this gift. Thank you, Ximena. Truly.”
Once Ximena fell asleep, Caitlin took Patricia home. Zeke walked them to the door.
“Zeke…”
Caitlin glanced at him, tempted to bring up the situation with Alicia in S Nation–but stopped herself.
This wasn’t the right time. He had just reunited with his mother, and she didn’t want to spoil the fragile joy of their reunion. Best to wait until there was news from the river search.
“What is it, Caitlin? Is there something you wanted to say?”
“It’s nothing. I was just going to ask about the hostages.”
Caitlin smoothly changed the subject.
Zeke replied, “Don’t worry. Pierrick’s been dealt with. The hostages are safe. I’ll arrange for their transport soon.”
“Good. Keep me updated. For now, just stay with Ximena.”
Caitlin and Patricia returned to The Vanderbilt Family, and though Zeke wanted to stay quietly by his mother’s side, peace was short–lived.
The warrant Zorro had issued for Zeke’s arrest had been circulated through Shadow Moon Pavilion’s internal channels and had reached their operatives in the US.
A loyal aide rushed to inform Zeke immediately.
After making sure the hospital was secure, Zeke left for the private estate to handle the matter himself.
As his vehicle pulled into the estate, Zeke stepped out of the car–only to find himself instantly surrounded by several deputy commanders, all of them pointing their weapons directly at him.
Zeke narrowed his eyes and said coldly, “What do you think you’re doing?”
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