Chapter 345

Joyce didn't have the energy to deal with Erika.

Standing off to the side, Erika threw a quick glance at Joyce before quietly slipping one of her expensive scarves into her bag.

Joyce noticed but chose to ignore it, finding it too trivial to cae about.

Wearing a sickly-sweet smile, Erika chirped, "So, Joyce, when are you going to pull the reins tighter on Bennett Group?"

Without much interest, Joyce replied, "When the moment's right. There's no rush-just wait."

When Joyce had first approached Erika to set up an introduction to Marvin, Erika had demanded a company.

In a sprawling city like Olisvine, Erika had her sights set on Alexander's business.

Buying it outright wasn't an option since Alexander would never let it go willingly. So, Erika's game was patience,waiting for the moment his defenses crumbled.

"Don't tell me you're catching feelings for Alexander again?" Erika's words lingered in the air like an accusation.

Joyce's expression turned icy.

Realizing she might've crossed a line, Erika let out a nervous laugh."Oh, forget | said that. You divorced him because he's cold and detached. No way you'd go back to that. Besides, he's still hung up on Daniela,not you. Let's keep this simple-don't let emotions ruin the plan."

Joyce's face remained blank. "Get out. I gave you my word, and I'll deliver. Just stay out of my hair until then."

Erika chuckled awkwardly and left, but not without snagging an antique vase on her way out. Joyce tossed her phone aside, no longer interested in her game.

She stared at the stark white ceiling, her lips curling into a bitter smile.

With the kind of money she had, why would she settle for Alexander?

Meanwhile, Katrina was anxiously checking her account, waiting for the funds to arrive. But her balance remained unchanged.

Frustrated, she crossed the street, her mind distracted, when a speeding car came hurtling towards her.

Frozen in fear, Katrina couldn't move. Her thoughts went blank, and her legs felt like they were glued to the ground.

As the car drew closer, her eyes widened, breaths coming quick and shallow.

At the very last second, a powerful hand yanked her backward.

She stumbled, nearly losing her footing.

A split second later, the car zipped past, narrowly missing her by mere inches.

Katrina's breath hitched in her chest. For several moments, her mind refused to catch up with what had just happened.

With trembling hands, she turned to glare at the retreating white car.

Her stomach dropped as she recognized that license plate instantly.

The other party wanted her gone.

The realization was too much to bear, and before she could even turn to see who had saved her, her vision blurred, and she collapsed into unconsciousness.

Standing over Katrina's unconscious body, Lillian stared blankly before pulling out her phone. "Daniela,she fainted.What now?"

On the other end, Daniela's voice was cool and direct. "Just come back." Without hesitation, Lillian complied, leaving the scene as Katrina lay sprawled on the pavement. An ambulance arrived shortly afer to take her away.

Katrina had braced herself for retaliation, but even in her worst fears, she hadn't imagined they'd go as far as attempted murder.

The doctor had said she needed to stay under observation for another day.

Just as Katrina turned off the lights and closed her eyes, a sound from the window jolted her awake.

Her heart raced in her chest.

She opened her eyes, barely catching sight of a cold gleam in the darkness. A sharp blade was coming down in the moonlight.

All Katrina could do was squeeze her eyes shut.

"Seems like they're desperate to silence her. She knows too much."

Katrina's eyes snapped open at the sound. To her relief, it wasn't an attacker but Lillian.

In the pale light of the moon, Lillian was engaged in a fierce struggle with a bulky man, fighting with nothing but her bare hands.

Katrina gripped her head tightly, panic overwhelming her as she tried to scramble away from the corner.

Fear consumed her-she couldn't bear the thought of dying.

"Hey!"

The fighting suddenly stopped.

Trembling, Katrina slowly let go of her head and looked up to see Daniela and Lillian standing in the doorway.

Lillian stood with her arms crossed, her voice cold. "Where do you think you're crawling off to?"

Tears flowed down Katrina's face as she looked up, desperation in her eyes. She crawled to Daniela's feet, her voice shaky. "Someone's trying to kill me!"

However, Daniela's expression was unreadable. "Who?" she asked.

Katrina's face contorted with emotion, and she hesitated.

"Why do they want to kill you?" Lillian's question was sharp and probing.

Katrina's heart tightened at the pressure of the question. The anxiety coursing through her became almost unbearable.

She released her grip on Daniela's shoe and stammered, "No one..."

Daniela nodded, her voice cold. "Katrina, people only get one life. You won't always be lucky enough to be saved. If you really want to die, I won't stop you."

Without another word, she turned and walked away.

Lillian followed closely behind her.

As the car sped down the road, she turned to Daniela and asked, "Shouldn't I stay with her? If they try again, taking her out would be so easy."

Daniela's fingers tightened around the steering wheel, her face calm and focused as she drove. "They won't act tonight. After two failed attempts, they'll rethink their approach. Besides, making Katrina feel like she's constantly under threat is far more effective. If she feels untouchable when you're around, she won't spill anything."

Soon enough, the car came to a stop at the Harper family residence, where Cedric was already waiting by the door. "What's the reason for being so late today?"

Daniela smiled smoothly. "Just got caught up with some work at the company."

Cedric nodded, his eyes scanning Daniela's shoes, noting they were different from the ones she had on earlier in the morning. "Did you change your shoes?"

"Yeah, they got dirty, so I switched them out and threw the old ones away." Though Daniela wasn't someone known for extravagance, she did take cleanliness seriously.

The fact that she had discarded her shoes implied someone had touched them.

"So, what happened?" Cedric asked.

Daniela simply smiled and waved it off. "Oh, nothing major. I just spilled some coffee on them at the office."

He gave a nonchalant nod, accepting her explanation."Alright,then."