Chapter 420

As Caiden's positive answer rang out, a thick silence fell over the room.

To those people, it was a murder.

To Brylee, it was a cocktail of emotions-bitter anger,a sorrow that cut deep, and the painful realization that everything had been one cruel joke.

The trust she'd given, so genuine and pure, had been shattered by nothing more than a self-interested liar with noremorse.

Though Cedric hadn't made a move before, now, he stepped forward, his body heavy with emotion.

Lillian lifted her hand, her voice firm but calm. "This isn't the end, Cedric. You need to put your faith in Daniela." Ryan, too, silently raised his hand, stopping Cedric in his tracks.

Cedric's heart ached for Daniela as he looked at her,his face etched with worry.

Daniela, almost detached, kept eating her orange as if nothing had happened, lifting her chin and asking Caiden,"Any leads on that intermediary?"

Caiden shook his head. "No, but I did overhear someone on the other end refer to him as Mr. Perry during a call."

Mr.Perry again.

"Daniela, I've told you everything," Caiden begged,his voice shaky. "Please, take me to the hospital. No matter what I did, I'm still your father. You can't just let me die, right? I regret it all. I wish I'd been honest with your mother from the start. She was capable, so much better at handling this than | was. I was foolish,too scared to think straight."

Daniela slowly stood and moved towards Caiden, starting to loosen the ropes that bound him.

As her fingers worked on the knots, she asked, "Did you ever love my mother?"

Caiden nodded quickly. "I did. Of course, I loved her.Your mother was the only real love of my life."

Caiden's face twisted with sincerity, his emotions spilling over as if he were a servant pleading for forgiveness.

"Really? Well, I don't think my mother would've cared," Daniela retorted.

Caiden's face went slack, his gaze locking on Daniela with a mixture of confusion and shock.

"She lived her life with so much pride, carving out a name for herself in the business world. She never let anyone down, not even you. She treated you with nothing but honesty and loyalty. My mother was a gem in this world, and you didn't deserve her."

Caiden's heart skipped a beat, his gut telling him that Daniela wasn't finished just yet. "When you die,I won't bury you next to my mother.I'll put your ashes with Katrina's instead. I hope you two stay tangled together, whether in life or death."

Daniela finished loosening all the ropes and noticed the fear spreading across Caiden's face.

She smiled, the same way Brylee had when they first met Caiden. For a brief moment, Caiden couldn't tell whether it was Daniela or Brylee standing there.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to let you die that easily.Death's too quick for you. Someone like you deserves a lifetime of lonely suffering."

Caiden's eyes went wide with shock. He stared at Daniela with a blend of disbelief and fear. "You can't do this to me. I'm your father!"

Daniela waved her hand dismissively, and the emergency medical team walked in, nodding at her before carefully placing Caiden on a stretcher.

"Don't cure him fully. Once the swelling is down,send him to the remote psychiatric facility. The wounds will keep getting worse in this heat. Just make sure he doesn't die," Daniela instructed calmly."I want him to live a long life."

At last, the shock took its toll, and Caiden passed out completely.

That all happened at Elite Lux's private hospital. As the medical team made their exit, they quietly cleaned up the bloodstains left behind on the floor.

The strong smell of disinfectant hung in the air.

Daniela didn't bother turning on the lights. Instead,she just sat on the sofa, peeling and eating an orange.

Just as she was about to peel another slice, Cedric hurried down from upstairs and stopped right in front of her.