Claim Me Captain! I'm Addicted to You!-Chapter 426: Run Away (5)

Vicky’s POV

After Ollie’s mom’s birthday celebration, we all walked her back to her room. I gave her a soft hug, whispered my goodbye, and slipped out before Ollie could follow, partly because I wanted him to have that moment with her... partly because my own chest was too full to handle one more tender scene without bursting.

I ended up on the terrace, leaning against the railings while watching the staff clean the backyard. The fairy lights were still glowing, the flowers still perfumed the air, and yet everything felt quieter... softer... as if the night itself understood that something important had just shifted between all of us.

"Thanks for coming..." Lilian’s voice came from behind me.

I snorted. "Have you forgotten? I was kidnapped."

She laughed, shaking her head. "True. A very dramatic arrival."

We stood side by side for a moment, watching people fold tables, collect balloons, and sweep confetti. Then she said, "This facility belongs to Dr. Miller, but Ollie bought the whole twenty acres around it. He emptied his savings to turn this place into something better, with Dr. Miller’s help, a place where patients can heal properly. They’re planning to build a hospice too, and a home for the aged... if we can convince the owner of the lot next door to sell."

I turned to her, stunned. I knew Ollie carried a lot on his shoulders, but not this much.

"Ollie worked so hard for us," she continued softly. "For Mom. For our grandmother back home. For me and Erin, too... even if he never admits that last part." She exhaled, smiling with the kind of pride that was almost maternal. "I’m glad he’s finally brave enough to chase the things that make him happy. And in your case..." She nudged me lightly. "The woman who makes him happy."

My throat tightened. "Lilian..."

"Thank you, Vicky," she said, her smile turning warm and steady, the kind that roots itself in your heart. "For accepting our brother. For accepting our perfectly imperfect family. You being here... it doesn’t only mean a lot to Ollie. It means everything to me, and to Erin, too."

Her words wrapped around me like a hug I didn’t realize I needed. And for the first time since all of this began—I felt it clearly:

I wasn’t just stepping into Ollie’s world.

I was becoming part of it. Part of them. Part of something messy, flawed, healing, but so unbelievably full of love.

And somehow... it felt like exactly where I was meant to be.

Lilian continued softly, "Erin and I are helping Ollie raise the funds for the new building. If Dr. Miller can expand, she can take in more patients... and finally renovate this old house. Once everything’s ready, we’re planning to admit our grandmother here. It’s getting dangerous for her to stay at home."

I listened quietly as she sighed, rubbing her arms as if trying to warm herself from a worry she’d carried for too long.

"She keeps sneaking out whenever my aunt gets busy with the chores," Lilian said. "And my uncle’s rarely home. Every time our grandma slips out, we panic, thinking she might wander into the street or fall somewhere." She chuckled softly, though her voice wavered. "Once she’s admitted here, my aunt will be able to work again. She used to work for Dr. Miller, and she misses it so much. She always says staying home all day is making her age faster."

Something warm unfolded in my chest: admiration, sympathy, and a quiet understanding of just how much love this family poured into everything they did.

"Are you accepting donations then?" I asked carefully.

Lilian blinked. "Huh?" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

"My company is planning to create a separate foundation from the Knight Foundation. Something smaller. More personal. Something I can build with my own hands. Honestly, my company is like on autopilot now. My team just doesn’t need me that much anymore, and I am getting bored." A smile tugged at my lips as I met her stunned gaze. "Would you like to be our very first beneficiary?"

For a second, she froze. Then—

"Oh my God, are you serious? Vicky!" Lilian launched herself at me, arms tight around my shoulders as she squealed into my ear. We were still laughing and hugging when a familiar throat-clearing cut through our giggles.

"Did I miss something?" Oliver asked, eyebrows raised as he walked onto the terrace.

Lilian practically bounced as she explained everything. A tiny knot of worry tightened inside me. What if he refused out of pride? What if he didn’t want me involved this deeply?

But Oliver’s reaction erased that fear in an instant.

He lit up, like someone had switched on a light inside his chest.

He accepted with the same enthusiasm as Lilian, then spent the next few minutes telling me about his and Dr. Miller’s long-term vision for the place—how they wanted to create a healing community, not just a facility. The more he spoke, the more it felt like puzzle pieces quietly clicking into their rightful place.

Soon, Erin joined us, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Everything’s settled. Dr. Miller can’t walk us out—new patient came in with a worried family." She sighed. "So... shall we head home?"

I nodded and reached into my purse for the car key—but before I could even wrap my fingers around it, Lilian snatched it from my hand with a triumphant grin.

"I’ll drive," she announced. "You’ve been behind the wheel all day. You must be exhausted. Come on!"

I blinked, caught between laughing and protesting. But ultimately, I followed them, my heart full, my steps light.

"You didn’t bring a car?" I asked as we stepped into the parking lot, noticing Erin falling in line with us, ready to join us.

Lilian shook her head. "Nope. Our ancestral home is just a few blocks from here. That’s why we can visit Mom so often, even on our day off."

Erin added, "Lilian and I rent a one-bedroom apartment right at the edge of the city. It keeps us close to work and home. The three of us take turns visiting this place so our aunt can have her own days off." She shrugged with a soft smile. "It’s our little rotation system."

My heart warmed at that—at how tightly knit they were, at how ready they were to lift each other’s burdens without hesitation. No wonder Oliver grew up so grounded, so quietly gentle beneath all that grumpiness.

"Let’s go then!" I said, unable to hide the thrill bubbling up in my voice as we climbed into the car. "I can’t wait to see where little Oliver spent his childhood."

Lilian laughed, Erin snorted, and even Oliver, already buckled in beside me, shot me a warning glare that only made my smile grow wider.

His world was finally unfolding in front of me, piece by precious piece...

And God, I couldn’t wait to see it all.