Chapter 254

Daniela, feeling sleepy, couldn't suppress a smile. "Did Ryan take Lillian out?"

Cedric sighed, pulling her closer. "Yeah, she was being stubborn. I almost didn't think I'd make it here tonight."

Daniela closed her eyes, a smile curling on her lips.

Cedric suggested, "Can't we just make it public? Not even to Ryan or Lillian?"

Daniela nestled deeper into Cedric's arms, seeking warmth. She feared the cold, and his embrace brought comfort.

She was used to sleep in his arms now.

"Ryan can know, but if Lillian hears about-it with her big mouth, the entire world will know. I still have things to sort out."

More than the rumors about their relationship, she feared people uncovering her weaknesses.

"Don't come upstairs tomorrow. I can handle sleeping by myself," she added.

"But when I'm not here, you never sleep soundly."

Daniela often struggled with sleep, finding it hard to rest deeply. In the past, she would turn to Cedric's puzzles, working on them until she was tired enough to fall asleep.

Eventually, she realized that with Cedric beside her, she could finally sleep soundly.

She had stopped doing puzzles altogether, and the ones scattered on the floor hadn't been touched in over two weeks.

Just now, she felt a little tired, but still, sleep wouldn't come easily. Daniela sighed to herself, marveling at how quickly habits could shift. In just half a month, her insomnia, which had lasted for years, seemed to have improved.

"I'd eventually fall asleep," Daniela murmured, her voice drowsy, as her breathing evened out.

Joyce,on the other hand, was still waiting for Cedric's answer.

In the meantime, she had gone back home once.

"Going back to your parents' place again?" Richard asked, his tone indifferent as he looked at her.

Joyce didn't entertain him and replied curtly with a simple "Yes."

"I heard Daniela's robotics company paid out dividends?"

Joyce let out a scornful snort. "Yes, they did."

Richard looked down on Joyce's arrogance. His friends were curious about the amount of the first dividend from the robotics company. Since Joyce held a small stake, Richard didn't pay much attention when he asked about it.

Joyce curled her lips into a smirk. "Three million last time, and another three million this morning."

"What?" Richard felt a surge of unease. "Is that the total amount distributed, or what you actually received?"

Joyce gave Richard a look of pure disdain. "Are you serious? A company as large as a robotics firm-how could three million be enough for everyone? I'm just a minor shareholder with no say in the company. How would I know the total distributed? That's the actual amount I received."

As soon as she said this, Richard's eyes brightened.

Joyce hadn't done a thing, yet just because Caiden had knelt to Daniela that time, she somehow struck it rich--six million just like that?

If he had the chance, Richard wouldn't hesitate to kneel as well.

Sadly,he wasn't fortunate enough to have a daughter like Daniela.

His lips tightened in frustration. If Alexander hadn't chosen to divorce Daniela because of Joyce, Richard would be the one on top in Olisvine today.

The more he thought about it, the more he loathed Joyce.

His anger deepened as he remembered how she had manipulated things to turn against Alexander.

Joyce then headed upstairs, slipped into an outfit that screamed confidence, and left the house.

As she passed, she didn't even spare him a glance, her arrogance unmistakable.

Richard,irritated,wasted no time complaining as soon as Alexander walked in.

"What kind of woman did you marry? She's acting like I'm not even her father-in-law. Don't you see that,Alexander? Daniela's robotics company is raking in the cash, and Joyce is acting so smug about it. She even told the servants she won't be back for dinner. I'm telling you, Joyce has some dangerously ambitious plans.You'd better keep an eye on her, or she'll end up causing a scandal."

Alexander set his briefcase down, his attention elsewhere. "The company is brand new. How much could they possibly distribute? A few hundred thousand, at most. Joyce might splurge on a couple of inexpensive bags, but that's all."

Hearing this, Richard dramatically raised his fingers."Joyce claimed they distributed this amount. They did it last week and again this morning. Looks like Daniela's business is quite successful!"

Alexander glanced at his fingers and fell silent, contemplating for a long moment.

"That's not possible," Alexander muttered as he hung his coat. "Her company hasn't been around long enough to distribute that much. Everyone knows tech startups need heavy investment, and it takes years before they even break even. There's no way they could give out so much so soon."。

Richard remarked, "Joyce let it slip this morning. She can't keep anything under wraps."

Alexander retorted, "She has to be lying."

Richard didn't respond further. The atmosphere became heavy with silence.

"I'll give Raul a call. He made a small investment," Richard said as he dialed the number.

The call was answered promptly, and Richard went straight to the point.

Raul clicked his tongue twice. "You're well-informed, Richard. The funds just came in this morning, and you're already in the loop. Daniela certainly knows how to run a business. Have you heard the gossip?