Chapter 302

Caiden clenched his jaw tightly.

He felt a deep, genuine fear of Daniela now-far more than he'd ever feared angering Brylee.

With Brylee, he could smooth things over and return to his usual carefree self once her temper passed.

But Daniela was entirely different.

She was firm and unrelenting in her stance.

She was immune to both soft and hard tactics.

Caiden now lived with a constant, gnawing fear that Daniela might toss him out of the villa at any moment.

"Whatever Katrina and her daughter do, it has nothing to do with me. I just want to stay out of it. If they stir up any trouble, don't blame me," he said.

Daniela could see the fear in him.

The emptiness of his pockets and the constant uncertainty were indeed a slow, agonizing torment.

She didn't offer a single comforting word. Instead, she let him worry day after day, believing that was the only way he could atone for his sins.

Early that morning, Joyce filled a thermos with breakfast the maid had prepared and set off to visit Katrina at the hospital.

As she was leaving,she noticed Caiden but ignored him.

Caiden's expression darkened as he spat disdainfully at her retreating figure, regretting everything more than ever.

The whispers of rumors people had spread behind his back echoed in his mind. "Caiden must have some nerve. How could he raise someone else's child so willingly?"

"I don't understand. One day, I visited his place when it was freezing, and Daniela was wearing nothing but a thin shirt. I asked the maid why she didn't make her wear something warmer, and she said Daniela was just that stubborn-she didn't feel the cold."

"If the mnaid was bold enough to speak like that, Katrina must have been even tougher on her."

"Caiden's a fool. He should've cherished his own daughter. I witnessed Joyce pour freezing water over Daniela in the middle of wvinter. Caiden saw it too, yet he acted oblivious."

"He'll eventually face the consequences of his actions."

"Damn,Caiden."

There had been countless similar comments, but Caiden had always dismissed them as idle gossip.

Now, however, he felt the weight of every word coming to life. The reality of it all sank in, and he finally understood-he was facing the consequences he had long avoided, the ones he truly deserved.

Meanwhile, Joyce made her way to the hospital with the thermos in hand.

With a wide smile, she sat by Katrina's bedside and peeled an orange for her.

Katrina lay there, feeling comforted, believing that all the love and care she had given her daughter over the years had finally borne fruit.

Now, Joyce was taking care of her.

"Mom,how does it taste?" Joyce brought a piece of orange to Katrina's lips.

Katrina smiled. "It's sweet. And it warms my heart. There's nothing that makes me happier than seeing you so caring."

As shespoke, Katrina's thoughts wandered, weighed down by the crushing burden of Joyce's debt.

"I'll do everything I can to take care of your debt. If things get too complicated, I'll divorce Caiden. Daniela has a tight grip on the finances, but maybe | can squeeze ten million out of him. It won't cover everything, but it should help with part of what you owe. After that, I'll figure out the rest."

Suddenly,Joyce's cheerful demeanor faded. She slowly raised her gaze, her eyes turning cold. "Mom, what did you just say?" she asked.

Katrina kept a faint smile on her face, but it faltered as she noticed Joyce's change in demeanor. "First, I'll divorce Caiden, and then..."

"Divorce?" Joyce sprang from her chair, her voice sharp with agitation. "And ten million? Mom, you know how much I owe. Ten million is barely a fraction ofit. And if you divorce Caiden and cut ties with the Harper family, what happens to-me? How am I supposed to use that status to secure a future, especially when it comes to getting married? And what about my son?"

Katrina's brow furrowed. "I know this is difficult for you, but it's theonly option we have at the moment."

As she spoke, her chest tightened, a sharp pang of pain shooting through her.

She gripped her chest, struggling to catch her breath. The orange she had just eaten turned bitter in her mouth.

"Don't worry. I'll work something out for you. Jack can stay somewhere else for now. We'll rent a place.And..."

Joyce found the entire suggestion laughable. Her gaze turned cold, and she fixed Katrina with a steely stare."Mom, I refuse to return to a poor life. And don't even mention marrying someone else who's easy to control. Men like Caiden, who are that naive, don't come by often. You're getting older. Do you really think you can compete with younger women?"

Katrina bit her lip, feeling the sting of Joyce's words deep within her. She was about to protest, ready to ask,"Why do you think I'm doing all this?"

Joyce cur her off. "And is this really the only way?"

The words lingered, heavy in the air.

Katrina's forehead creased, a look of confusion crossing her face. "What do you mean?"