Chapter 275

Milo wrapped up the conversation and strolled off, exuding confidence with a self-assured smile.

Turning her head, Daniela noticed Cedric's car already waiting at the side, and slid into the passenger seat.

Cedric, his voice low, remarked, "That guy was flirting with you."

It was a statement, not a question.

Daniela shot Cedric a glance and smiled. He had a habit of getting jealous, and she secretly found it endearing.

From the back seat, Lillian jumped in, her voice brimming with curiosity. "Daniela, I heard Milo charges fifty grand a night for his company. If he's willing to waive that for you, isn't that a pretty swreet deal?"

Daniela let out a quiet chuckle, her eyes flicking to Cedric's visibly sour expression. "That's true. But I prefer things that retain their value."

Pulling out her phone, she transferred ten million to Cedric. "I'd rather invest in a truly expensive man,like one worth ten million a night."

Cedric's phone vibrated, and when he checked it, he saw a notification confirming a ten-million-dollar deposit into his account.

Lillian leaned forward to peek at Cedric's screen, then groaned dramatically."Ugh, you two lovebirds are unbearable! Let me out of the car-I can't handle all this PDA!"

Cedric turned the wheel with a grin that stretched from ear to ear, unable to hide his slelight.

In that moment, Daniela realized she had discovered a fresh reason to work hard and earn more money.

She found that teasing Cedric was a surprisingly enjoyable hobby.

While she didn't care much for indulging herself, she genuinely enjoyed spoiling Cedric. Standing at a distance, Joyce saw Milo deep in conversation with Danlela. But he wouldn't let her approach,so she could only watch with longing.

After losing Alexander to Dániela, Joyce couldn't shake the fear that Milo might also slip through her fingers.

Unsure of how to keep his attention, she resorted to showering Milo with money.

However, the borrowed cash soon dried up. By the time Joyce maxed out over a dozen credit cards, MAilo had disappeared from her life yet again.

The situation left her in a state of extreme anxiety.

To her dismay, she saw Milo standing beside her rival, Liza Alvarado.

Her anger boiled over, and she went to find Daniela.

Bursting into the room, she yelled, "Daniela, I don't care what it takes-you have to give me money right now!"

Daniela,sitting in the living room with the TV on, didn't flinch. Her face remained calm and unreadable.

"Or better yet, how much for those stocks?" Joyce pressed. "Just tell me how much, and I'll sell them to you."

Katrina sprang to her feet, her face flushed with anger, and slapped Joyce hard. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Yes, I'm crazy!" Joyce shouted back. "I need Milo in my life-he makes me feel aliv/e,like a real woman! I'll do whatever it takes to keep him! So, either you give me the money, or I'm selling the shares. The choice is yours!"

After her outburst, Joyce turned her attention to Daniela, waiting for a response.

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Daniela realized this was the moment she had been anticipating. Smiling faintly, she asked, "Joyce, have you forgotten? Those shares were a gift from mne."

Joyce frowned,.confused."What do you mean? A gift can't be sold?"

Johan,seated quietly nearby, watched as Daniela deftly worked towards her desired outcome. "The shares I gave you can't be sold," Daniela declared matter-of-factly.

Panic flashed across Joyce's face. "Why not?" she demanded.

Daniela explained, "Because they came with conditions. Imagine if you sold them to someone who could use them against me. I can't afford to leave myself vulnerable."

Joyce stood frozen, unable to process what she had just heard.

Daniela added, "And about the dividends...

Katrina's face went pale. She feared what Daniela would say next.

Daniela went on, "Your mother told me not to distribute dividends to you. Since money shouldn't just sit idle,I reinvested it into the company's next research project. There won't be dividends for the next ten years."

Katrina's jaw dropped in disbelief at Daniela's revelation. Snapping back to reality, she exclaimed, "I only told you to withhold dividends temporarily, not to sink them into investments!"

"You can't be serious. This is company money. The funds have to be utilized, so as the majority shareholder,I reinvested them into research. It's a logical decision based on what you told me. Are you now trying to backtrack?"

Her words hit Katrina like a dagger.

Johan watched in amazement from the sidelines.

Was Daniela truly unaware of psychology?

How could someone so seemingly unaware be so skillful at psychological manipulation?

Joyce, upon hearing everything, was on the verge of breaking down. She confronted Katrina, crying out,"Mom! Why would you do that? Ten years with no dividends! You did it deliberately, didn't you? If I don't do what you want, you make my life a nightmare!"

Joyce beat her chest with a loud thud. "I'm your daughter! Why are you doing this to me? Why?"

Her voice cracked as she screamed,"Why?" Katrina moved to explain, but Joyce shoved her away violently, "You've never treated me like your daughter.You've only seen me as your puppet. You want to control me, to manipulate me for your entire life. If I don't follow your orders, you punish me without mercy. You're not my mother, not really. I can't stand it anymore. I never want to be under your control again!"

Katrina shook her head in desperation.

But Joyce, in a fit of rage, shoved her once again.

The force sent Katrina tumbling to the floor, her head hitting the steps, causing a painful crack and blood to start trickling down her temple.

Joyce, however, showed no concern. She glared at Katrina with a look of pure hatred, as though the woman on the floor wasn't her mother but a bitter enemy she could no longer tolerate.