Chapter 32

Katrina radiated excitement, practically glowing. She let go of Caiden's hand and stepped towards Joyce,positioning herself confidently before turning to address Cedric.

"Cedric Phillips, Daniela's close friend, right? I'm Daniela's stepmother. Please, feel free to call me Katrina." She extended her hand towards him,her face adorned with a polished, almost-too-perfect smile.

But Cedric didn't budge. His hands stayed buried in his pockets, his sharp eyes surveying the room with a frigid intensity. He didn't so much as glance at her offered hand.

The atmosphere tensed with Cedric's arrival. His sheer presence was enough to command the room,halting the movers mid-task.

"Starting a move this early in the morning?" Cedric asked, his lips curling into a faint, sardonic smile.

Katrina's hand hung in the air awkwardly for a moment,but her polished demeanor didn't falter. She recovered, letting out a light, breezy laugh and adopting an effortless tone. "No, not moving! Daniela still lives here. It's just that Joyce felt some of the furniture and decorations didn't quite align with Daniela's style. We were discussing some upgrades to better suit her taste. As parents, it's only natural we want her to have the best. She lives alone, after all,and we want her to feel comfortable and well taken care of."

Katrina's ability to twist the narrative to her favor was nearly flawless.

Stating the truth-that they were pillaging the home -would paint her as selfish and cold.

But framing it as an effort to enhance Daniela's living situation made her sound thoughtful,even selfless.

She had mastered this technique over the years,crafting the image of a loving, supportive stepmother everyone admired.

The housekeeper could only stare in stunned silence,knowing the stark contrast between Katrina's words and her actions.

What was she even saying now? Just moments ago,this woman had been barking orders and laying claim to anything she fancied.

The housekeeper's anxiety surged as she glanced at Cedric, silently praying he wouldn't be fooled by Katrina's sudden change in demeanor.

Cedric remained unmoved, his expression cold and unreadable as he pulled a chair ov/er and settled into it with deliberate calm.

His sharp gaze flicked briefly towards the movers handling the fish tank.

"So, the fish tank and the fish that I gifted aren't good enough? Is that it? Are you saying my gift doesn't suit this house?"

His words cut through the room like a blade, the underlying warning impossible to miss.

Caiden sprang to his feet, his face draining of color."No! Of course not! How could we ever think that?Your gift is, naturally, the best of the best!"

He knew all too well that Cedric, despite his youth,was infamous for his ruthless business acumen.

One snap decision from him could dismantle entire empires or obliterate competitors.

He wasn't someone to provoke lightly.

Standing there with an awkward, forced smile,Caiden tried to salvage the situation. But Cedric didn't even glance at him, his attention fixed coolly on his phone.

The atmosphere in the room was suffocating. Caiden and Katrina stood rigid, while the movers exchanged uneasy glances, unsure whether to proceed or abandon the task.

The silence stretched unbearably, thick with tension,until one of the movers hesitantly broke it. "Should we keep moving?"

The question shattered the stillness, but instead of diffusing the tension, it seemed to amplify it.

Caiden's gaze darted nervously towards Cedric,whose finger had paused mid-swipe on his phone screen.That small motion alone made Caiden's throat tighten as he swallowed hard.

"Of course,we'll leave the fish tank exactly where it is,"Katrina chimed in with a saccharine smile, desperate to defuse thesituation. "But perhaps we could take a few of the other items? Just the ones that don't quite fit the decor here?"

Her greed peeked through her polished facade, unable to suppress her true intentions.

Daniela's furniture was a testament to impeccable taste. The sofa, made of solid rosewood and adorned with buttery-soft leather cushions, far surpassed anything Katrina could boast of at home.

It was only natural that she wanted to take the best pieces back with her.

As for the fish tank and Cedric's other gifts? Those could wait. Once Cedric left, she'd return to claim them.

Her plan was already clear in her mind.

"Mr. Phillips, would that be alright?" Caiden's voice was tentative, measured with caution.

Cedric,however, didn't even lift his head. His attention stayed fixed on his phone, his finger scrolling as if oblivious to the tension around him.

He neither agreed nor refused, leaving Caiden in a painfully awkward limbo.

The oppressive silence in the room grew thicker.

Then,the faint creak of a door opening upstairs broke the stillness.

Everyone except Cedric exhaled in relief.

Daniela was finally coming downstairs.

Caiden, shaken from his uneasy trance, felt a cold sweat drench his back.

For the first time, he found himself actually eager to see his biological daughter.

"Daniela," he called out, his voice uncharacteristically soft as he watched her descend the stairs. "You're finally awake!"

His tone, unusually gentle and warm, carried the practiced air of a caring father.

Years ago, Daniela had longed for even a moment like this-for her father to speak to her with such kindness.

But Caiden's tenderness had always been reserved for Joyce.Never her.

That fragile hope had withered and died long ago,buried beneath years of neglect and indifference.

Daniela descended the stairs, her expression composed and unreadable. Her gaze drifted over the scene in the living room, pausing on the movers standing uncertainly amid the disarrayed furniture.

Their uniforms, a deep green, bore the company's slogan in bold letters.

"We bring happiness back home."

The word "home" struck Daniela with a wave of bitter irony.

She hadn't known the meaning of that word in years.

Daniela's eyes roved across the room, finally settling on Cedric, whose calm demeanor stood in stark contrast to the tense atmosphere. Then her attention shifted to the housekeeper,her swollen, tear-streaked face speaking volumes.

Her eyes gradually hardened, a shadow darkening their depths.