Chapter 223

Katrina's greed was evident in every line of her face.

She urged Caiden on relentlessly, her face contorting into something unsettling, her desperation tearing away any trace of composure or dignity.

Caiden stared blankly at the woman before him,lost in deep thought.

The lawyer remained by the side, showing no urgency to push them along.

Caiden lingered in hesitation, his mind clouded with doubt. After a prolonged pause, he spoke to Katrina."Maybe we should..."

"What?" Katrina barked, her eyes flashing with venom as she glared at him. "What do you mean,maybe? Why the hesitation now? What's there to think about? Don't tell me you still have feelings for Brylee! Remember, Caiden-Joyce and I are all you have now!"

Her words lashed at him like a whip, leaving Caiden to press his lips together tightly in silence.

Before he could even react, Katrina grabbed his hand and signed the contract herself.

Caiden gazed at the document, his signature glaring back at him. After a long pause, he exhaled a heavy sigh.

Daniela headed straight for her bed, totally exhausted.

Cedric was troubled. He stood vigilantly outside her door, watching over her. It wasn't long before Ryan and Lillian joined him, both clearly agitated.

Lillian seethed with fury. "Caiden's a bastard! He knows exactly how to exploit Daniela's weaknesses,and he does it every time. He's despicable!"

Ryan's eyes were icy, his face dark and filled with barely contained anger. Cedric, overwhelmed by his frustration, reached into Ryan's pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He didn't bother lighting it; instead, he just held it between his fingers, his mind racing with thoughts he couldn't seem to quiet.

He was completely fed up with the people who kept draining Daniela.

He knew that if she didn't have someone solidly backing her, these leeches would just keep coming back, trying to take everything they could from her.

Lillian sighed. "This is Daniela's family issue, and it's not our place to interfere. But if it were Alexander, I'd have smashed his head by now! Honestly, if Daniela had a real family to rely on, none of this would even be happening."

She said it casually, without thinking much of it.

But then Cedric suddenly turned to face her.

"What?" Lillian blinked, momentarily confused. Then it dawned on her. Ryan straightened, finally understanding the direction this conversation was taking.

Lillian's face brightened. "That's it! Cedric, you should marry Daniela! I know it might sound a bit bold, but your family's not complicated-it's just you and your grandmother, right? No messy relatives or hidden agendas. And if you marry Daniela, you'd have the right to handle all of Caiden's issues. As her husband, everything would be above board!"

The word "husband" rang in Cedric's mind, and his expression softened.①

Husband...

Daniela's husband?

Ryan and Lillian both watched him expectantly,waiting for his answer. After a pause, Cedric spoke seriously. "I'll do my best. I'll work hard to marry her as soon as I can."

Yet, as the words left his lips, he knew this wasn't something he could rush. He didn't want to handle something so crucial with haste or carelessness.

To Cedric, every moment of their relationship mattered. The small, quiet moments where trust grew, the gradual deepening of their feelings, the meeting of families, and eventually, marriage.

It was a journey he was determined to take with care and purpose.

Daniela deserved far more than a rushed decision made out of convenience or external pressure.

She was exceptional. She deserved nothing but the best, and Cedric was committed to making sure she got exactly that.

"5% of the robotics company's shares?" Joyce's face lit up in excitement as she looked at the contract. Unable to hold back, she wrapped her arms around Caiden, kissed his cheek, and laughed. "I can't believe Daniela was so generous this time. Dad,what did you do to change her mind?"

Caiden remained silent. He couldn't bring himself to admit what had truly happened.

The deal was sealed, and Katrina couldn't hide her joy. She patted Joyce's hand, saying, "Sweetheart,your father put in so much effort. He begged Daniela for ages. They've had a complete fallout over this.From now on, your father has no one but you."

Her words held a subtle double meaning, directed at both Caiden and Joyce.

But Joyce missed the implication. She simply nodded, flashing a bright, carefree smile. Gripping the share contract tightly, she skipped off to find Alexander.

Alexander's eyes widened in disbelief when he saw the contract. For a moment, he even questioned if it was real. "Daniela gave you 5% of the shares? Just like that?"

While 5% might not sound like a lot, given the market value of the robotics company, it was worth well over a hundred million dollars. And Daniela had just given it to Joyce?

"What's so odd about it?" Joyce responded, her tone casual but with a touch of arrogance. "No matter what problems Daniela has with the Harper family,she's still Dad's daughter. I'm getting married; is it really so wrong for her to give me a little something?"

Alexander frowned. This wasn't just a little gift. Deep down, he couldn't believe Daniela would part with something so valuable without a deeper reason.

If Daniela still had any vulnerability regarding the Harper family, there was only one possibility-Brylee.

The very thought unsettled him. The idea that they might be exploiting a deceased woman's memory,squeezing out the last of her legacy's worth, was revolting.

Richard, however, was unfazed. "Didn't Joyce say it herself? They're family. Stop overthinking this."

As the wedding day arrived, Alexander's doubts lingered in his mind. The five percent shares filled Joyce with a newfound sense of assurance. At the wedding, she radiated pride. Her smile was wide and beaming as she referred to Daniela as her "sister" whenever she could, her voice soft and warm, as though their bond had always been flawless.

But as the ceremony unfolded, Daniela's absence became more and more noticeable.

Joyce's enthusiasm slowly faded into worry. She pulled Caiden aside, her voice laced with concern."Dad, did you invite Daniela to my wedding?"

Caiden couldn't bring himself to confess that he had knelt and begged Daniela for the shares or that Lillian had discarded the wedding invitation.

Instead, he mustered a faint smile and answered,"She's probably tied up with something.Maybe she'll show up later."

Despite everything, Caiden held on to a sliver of hope. He told himself Daniela couldn't possibly be that harsh-she wouldn't sever their bond entirely. But as the ceremony drew to a close, Daniela's absence remained constant.