Chapter 19

Daniela took her time signing the pile of documents resting on her desk.

Still focused on her paperwork, she asked casually,"Has an hour passed already?"

Lillian quickly checked her watch and replied, "Just a minute past the hour."

Daniela gave a small nod. "Perfect. No reason to call back now."

Lillian paused, momentarily startled by Daniela's easy dismissal. After a second, she asked hesitantly, "And the blueprints?"

Daniela shot her a look, and Lillian quickly nodded,catching the unspoken message. "Understood."

When the blueprints finally arrived, curiosity got the better of Lillian, and she couldn't resist peeking at them.2

Her jaw nearly hit the floor.

Unbelievable.

Seriously,how shameless could someone be? The design looked like it belonged in a royal palace -over-the-top and dripping with extravagance.

"Easy to splurge when it's not your own money, huh?"

Lillian passed the blueprints over to Daniela, who took one quick look and threw them into the trash can without a second thought.

Meanwhile, Caiden had been sitting around for over two hours,growing increasingly restless.

He kept his eyes glued to the phone,staring so hard it made them ache, but Daniela never returned his call.

His expression turned stormy and intense.

Katrina let out an exaggerated sigh from her seat on the sofa. "Well, it's obvious Daniela isn't calling back.They say once a daughter gets married, she stops being part of the family. She's clearly not close to you anymore, dear. Maybe it's time to accept it.Relationships require mutual respect, you know.Pushing it won't lead anywhere good."

Caiden remained silent, his piercing eyes locked on the phone like he could will it to ring.

Joyce's eyes welled up with tears. "Dad, Daniela's not going to give me the three floors, is she? Does she hate me that much? Is she still angry about what happened before? I already apologized. I was young and made a stupid mistake. I'd even get on my knees and beg if that's what it takes. But even after all that,she still won't forgive me?" 9

Joyce leaned against Katrina, the two clinging to each other as they sobbed dramatically.

The endless sound of their crying gnawed at Caiden's patience. With a sharp crash, he smashed his favorite cup against the floor and marched upstairs in afury.

As soon as he was out of view, Joyce stopped crying instantly. She turned to her mother and murmured in a low voice, "Mom, what's the next move?"

Katrina stopped to think for a moment before saying,"Get Alexander to talk to her. Daniela's always been the type to let her heart rule her head. She'll believe anything he says. If he steps in, she won't say no.Those three floors are worth a fortune. You have to make sure you get them."

Joyce nodded firmly, her eyes gleaming with resolve."Got it."

Meanwhile, Richard paced in the living room, chain-smoking cigarette after cigarette.

At last, the sound of a car in the driveway made him stop and turn to the front door. "Alexander, you're here." Richard crushed his cigarette into the ashtray and glanced at his son as he stepped inside.

Alexander didn't fit the mold of a traditional heartthrob, but his icy demeanor and quiet arrogance gave him a magnetic presence that was impossible to ignore.

Richard hadn't thought much of Daniela in the past.

But ever since it came to light that she was the CEO of Elite Lux, Richard had started to see her in a new light. 3

Alexander raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised to find his father still up at this hour.

Richard settled into his chair and motioned to the one across from him with a commanding gesture."Take a seat."

Alexander stayed where he was, refusing to move.

Richard didn't press the issue; he knew better than to push the boundaries of their strained relationship.

"Did you see Daniela today?" Richard asked,breaking the silence.

Alexander nodded in response. "I had someone dig into it," Richard went on. "It's confirmed-she's the CEO of Elite Lux. What's your opinion on that?"

Alexander hesitated briefly, then asked, "What exactly are you getting at?"

Richard leaned back in his chair and spoke in a calm,deliberate tone. "I know Caiden wanted you to marry Joyce, but that was before we learned who Daniela really is. Now that we know she's the CEO of Elite LuX,everything has changed. Her status isn't just higher than the Harper family's-it's higher than ours. She's barely been back in Olisvine, and already, people are lining up to court her favor. You've heard about this,haven't you? But here's where you have an edge-Daniela has always been in love with you. Blindly so.Between Joyce and Daniela, there's no competition.If you marry Daniela,our family would instantly climb to the top of Olisvine's social ladder. It'll save you years of hard work. For the family, this is the smartest move you could make."

Richard was brimming with confidence about the situation.

In his mind, Daniela's deep love for Alexander was undeniable.

He was convinced that if Alexander so much as lifted a finger,Daniela would come rushing back, more than ready to rejoin the Bennett family as his wife.

To Richard, Daniela's unwavering love for Alexander was an unshakable truth, something he believed would never fade.

Alexander, on the other hand, remained completely still, his expression unreadable and distant.

There was a time when he might have agreed with Richard's certainty.

But after seeing Daniela earlier that day, his confidence wavered. Her attitude towards him was nothing like it used to be.

She had hardly even looked at him, as though he were invisible.

Not a single word had passed between them.

Her indifference towards him was impossible to miss.

Richard caught Alexander's silence and let out a scoff."Some things never change, do they? A fool for love then, still a fool for love now. You honestly think Daniela's any different? She's just sulking because you left her for Joyce. This is nothing more than a tantrum.Now that she's running Elite Lux, all you need to do is play along with her for a bit. She'll fall back into line."

His voice carried the kind of certainty that left no room for doubt.