Chapter 367

That night, Cedric ended up sleeping in Daniela's lounge at Elite Lux.

The next morning, Nina walked in and was taken aback when she saw him there.

Her eyes widened in surprise, but as soon as she remembered how bluntly he had rejected her the night before, she paused, quietly collecting herself.

"Good morning, Mr. Phillips," Nina greeted,her voice steady and calm.

She knew well that men often valued what was hard to get, not what was always there for them.

So she kept her cool, maintaining a slight aloofness.She even tried to mirror Daniela's usual smile,offering a soft grin.

Cedric greeted back and left Daniela's lounge without a second glance.

Nina watched his retreating figure with a smirk,then quickly looked down at her phone.

"Mom,it seems like Daniela and Cedric had a fight!!!" Nina texted, making sure to add three exclamation marks for emphasis.

She could feel the excitement bubbling up. This was her chance.

If the two of them had fought, that meant there was some kind of crack in their perfect relationship.something that couldn't easily be fixed.

Now,all she needed to do was get Cedric drunk. With her slight resemblance to Daniela, she was sure it would be enough to win him over.

Nina's chest swelled with pride as she imagined her plan coming to life.

Standing nearby,Elyse frowned slightly.

She didn't buy Nina's theory.

After all, what kind of man, after arguing with his woman, would sulk and sleep in an office lounge? It didn't add up.

If Cedric truly didn't care for Daniela, he wouldn't have stayed behind like that.

But Elyse said nothing.

She was used to Nina making a fool of herself, so she let her continue with her little schemes. When Natalie returned, that would be Elyse's true support for the future.

Elyse nodded, turning to Nina. "You better take this chance while you can."

Nina's eyes brightened as she eagerly nodded in agreement.

That day, Daniela didn't come back to Elite Lux.

Katrina was dead, and according to Caiden, she didn't deserve much of a send-off.

He was cold and detached, as if he'd never spent years of marriage with her.

"Anyway, that's how I feel. She's gone, and no amount of mourning will change that. So why make a fuss? Isn't it embarrassing enough?" he said, his voice void of any emotion.

Joyce glared at him, her disappointment cutting deep.

"Caiden Harper! I've already said I'll cover the costs.You won't pay a dime. But my mother's funeral has to be grand. She was your wife, for God's sake! Can't you at least do this for her?"

Joyce clenched her jaw, the memory of a hot summer day flashing in her mind. She was just a little girl, standing at the top of the stairs, watching Caiden and Katrina together, their breathing loud in the silence.

She wanted to go down, to run to her mother and ask,"Mom,what are you doing? Why are you with him?"

But she stayed where she was. It was as if she understood something, but not completely. She simply stood there,silently watching for a long time.

What she couldn't make sense of as a child, she now understood as an adult.

She had always believed Caiden and Katrina had married,despite the scandal, because they loved each other.

But now, all she could see was Caiden's ugly true nature.

"Either you take Katrina away, or if she's going to be buried as my wife, it's on my terms. Don't make a spectacle of it. Just bury her quietly. I've been humiliated enough because of her. Why should I keep suffering for her even after she's dead? She's gone,Joyce. Don't you get it? The living are what matter."

Joyce was stunned by Caiden's shamelessness,her eyes wide in disbelief. She couldn't believe he could be this cold. "Is that all she is to you now? Just a dead body?" Caiden didn't hesitate. "What else?"

Joyce's heart shattered. She nodded, then turned to Daniela. "What do you think? Will you let me take my mother's body?"

Daniela had never seen Joyce so firm before, but she couldn't help a faint smile. "It's your choice."

Joyce narrowed her eyes at Daniela. "Really? You don't see her just as a body, do you?"

Daniela arched an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

Joyce continued, "I know you always believed my mother was responsible for your mother's death. But I've asked her, and she swore she had nothing to do with it. Daniela, you've wronged someone who had no part in this."

Daniela's face remained stoic, her tone cold. "I didn't do it, Joyce. You need to think this through. If it had been me, Katrina would have been long gone by now,a hundred times over."

Joyce scoffed in mockery. "Do you expect me to buy that?"

Daniela's expression stayed cold. "I don't care if you do or not. Even if I had done it, what could you possibly do about it? Some might kiss up to Doug for his wealth, but to me? He's nothing." Joyce's face drained of color at Daniela's biting words.

Daniela let out a soft chuckle, her eyes glinting. ”didn't do it, but given everything that's happened,I can't say I'm upset with how things turned out."

Just before Katrina died,she whispered an apology in Daniela's ear, saying, "I know I was wrong. Please, for the sake of my death, spare Joyce."

Daniela smiled and leaned in just as close and whispered,"In your dreams."

When Katrina finally passed, her eyes stayed wide open for a long time, as though unwilling to let go of something.

The word around town was that Katrina had died with unfinished business.