Chapter 41

Daniela was taken aback. The new housekeeper,Josie, had an unexpectedly firm hold.

In a single fluid motion, Josie yanked Daniela behind her. She placed one hand on her hip and pointed at Caiden with the other. "You call yourself a father?How can you be so unreasonable? Joyce is your daughter, but Daniela isn't? Where's your sense of logic? Joyce misbehaved, so why are you taking it out on Daniela? Look at you, always trying to play the peacemaker but doing it in the worst way possible. Is this what being a father is all about? No wonder kids are so ungrateful these days. After all, it's parents like you who create them!"

As soon as Josie began speaking, Caiden stepped back, his fists clenched tightly.

Katrina moved forward, but Josie shot her a sharp,accusing look. "And you must be the stepmother, right? You brought Joyce into the Harper family,didn't you?"

Katrina stood frozen, her gaze fixed in disbelief on Josie's pointing finger. Still in a daze, she nodded, as though she were swept away by the force of Josie's words.

"So you're actually agreeing with me? Let me set the record straight. This is the true daughter of the Harper family. And yet, you've moved into her home and act like you own the place? Who do you think you are? The Harper family fortune isn't just Caiden's to claim. It was his first wife who single-handedly kept their business thriving. Everyone knows that.Now that Daniela's mother is gone, you're here to cash in? Do you have no shame? And as if reaping the rewards wasn't enough, you have the gall to push your luck?"

Katrina had been married to Caiden for years, and in all those years, no one had ever spoken to her like that. Today, being confronted so boldly left her completely stunned and without words.

For what felt like an eternity, she simply stood there,staring at Josie, whose imposing figure stood guard in front of Daniela.

"You're bullying Daniela like this. Aren't you scared her mother will come back to haunt you in your dreams?" Josie's voice dropped to a chilling tone as her wide eyes gleamed with a dangerous light.

Just hearing Daniela's mother's name, whose tragic death still lingered in Katrina's memory, made a cold shiver run down her back.

Without sparing them another look, Josie stormed over to the door and threw it wide open. "Out! If you don't leave immediately, I'll call the cops. Let's see how you handle the humiliation!"

Grabbing a broom, she began pushing them towards the door. By the time Lillian stepped off the elevator,she was met with the sight of Katrina's face,streaked with tears.

Alexander hesitated for a moment, and just as the door was closing, he turned back to face Daniela. "Daniela, now that you've got the upper hand,it's time to show some forgiveness. You've gone too far today."

Daniela let out a bitter laugh. "Really? Now that things have flipped, you're all about mercy? Where was your mercy when I was in the hospital with a broken rib, wrongly accused by everyone? Back then,not a single person stood up for me."

Alexander's brow furrowed. "That's all behind us now."

Daniela nodded in agreement. "Exactly, it's all in the past. And tonight will be just another part of that.What's the matter? Can't handle it wvhen it's turned on you? Mr. Bennett, stop being such a hypocrite."

With that, she slammed the door shut, the sound echoing through the hallway.

The three of them standing outside flinched as one,their eyes wide with disbelief as they stared at the closed door. After being thrown out of Daniela's home, Caiden had no option but to settle the bill for the auctioned items.

Tens of millions vanished in the blink of an eye.

On the drive back, Caiden's face was clouded with anger.

In the car, Joyce cried uncontrollably, her voice thick with emotion. "It's all Daniela's fault! She actually had the police called on me! Mom, you have no idea how scary it was in there. I was locked in that room all by myself. My legs won't stop shaking, and my hands are still ice cold!"

Katrina's heart shattered for her daughter.

When they arrived home, Katrina comforted Joyce and helped her to her room. Once Joyce was settled,Katrina crawled into bed, burying her face in the covers as she cried.

Caiden, on the other hand, was seething with frustration.

Daniela's mother had been a sharp businesswoman,amassing a fortune that she left behind. But now that she was gone, all that was left was her inheritance.

Caiden, on the other hand, had never been good with money-he'd lost a lot in failed investments early on and was barely managing to keep things going. If they kept spending like they were, what would they have left to live on down the road?

Dropping tens of millions today felt like a sharp blow to his chest.

In frustration, he snapped at Katrina, "Tell Joyce to stop provoking Daniela!"

Katrina stiffened, taken aback by the harshness in his voice. A moment later, she curled up tighter in the bed, burying her face in the sheets as her sobs grew louder.

"It's all my fault! Everyone always says being a stepmother is tough, and now I truly understand just how hard it is. When I married you,I promised myself I'd treat Daniela like my own daughter. I even swore l wouldn't have kids of my own just to make her happy.And now, look at me! I'm getting older, I can't have children anymore, and Daniela still treats me like I'm nothing. Did you hear what her staff said today?She called Daniela the true daughter of the Harper family and accused me of being a gold digger! What have I done to deserve this? I loved you, trusted you, and chose to marry you. I don't care about the pain l've gone through, but now my daughter, Joyce, has to suffer too. People are judging her because of me!Maybe I should just disappear!"

Caiden's heart softened the moment he heard her words. He pulled Katrina into an embrace and kissed her gently as he soothed her.

"I can't let our daughter go through this. Get Daniela to give those floors of the Luxor Tower to you. How could I ever face Joyce otherwise?" Katrina wiped her eyes, then moved closer, leaning against his chest, which lit a spark in Caiden.

He kissed her passionately, completely caught up in the intensity of the moment. "Okay, I'lI handle it.".

It was only then that Katrina used her charm, making sure Caiden was completely satisfied.