Chapter 59

Tears slipped quietly down Daniela's face,her eyes shut tightly against whatever torment was chasing her in her dreams.

Cedric stood motionless beside the bed, his brows knit together in concern.

Josie walked in, looked over at Daniela, then turned to Cedric. "It looks like Ms. Harper is having a nightmare."

Cedric froze, his body tense, a sudden wave of shock rushing through him. He turned to Josie, his voice cutting through the air like ice. "What did you just say?"

"It never crossed my mind before, but now l've come to understand that Ms. Harper has a habit of sleepwalking. It doesn't follow any predictable pattern, but it always occurs in enclosed areas. One night, her bedroom door was left slightly open. I woke up and found her just sitting there in the dark living room. I tried calling her name, but she didn't even flinch, so I decided to sit down with her. After nearly an hour, she got up, walked back to her room,and lay down like nothing had happened. I followed behind, just to be sure everything was fine,but she showed no signs of being aware during the entire ordeal. The following morning, I brought it up, but she had no memory of having sleepwalked the night before. She said it's been a thing since she was just five years old. She told me, 'If you ever see me sleepwalking, don't freak out. Just make sure the doors and windows are locked. I usually stop when l bump into something.' I asked her if she'd ever gone to a doctor about it, but she just laughed and brushed it off. She mentioned that her childhood had been chaotic, and even her mother knew about it but didn't bother doing anything. Eventually, she just learned to deal with it and didn't think much of it anymore."

Josie paused for a moment, then spoke again."Afterwards, I made it a habit to check on her. Some nights, I'd wake up and feel the need to look in.There was one night I heard her crying softly. It was faint and restrained, as though she was trying to keep it hidden. When I looked in, she was still asleep.But she was crying. It was gut-wrenching to witness."

She shifted her gaze from Daniela to Cedric."The same thing is happening again."

Cedric's hands curled into tight fists, and his entire frame was shaking uncontrollably.

Caiden had known all along, but he had turned a blind eye.

She had cried so painfully in her sleep before, just like she was now.

Her words struck him like a punch to the gut, each syllable driving the blade of guilt further into his chest. It felt like his chest might cave in fromn the sheer intensity of his feelings, his breathing ragged,as though he was drowning in it all.

Noticing his pain, Josie offered quiet reassurance. "Maybe it's just the aftermath of yesterday. Facing such cold treatment from her own family-it's more than anyone should endure. But things will improve.She's awvay from the Harpers now. She has Elite Lux,and, most importantly, she has you. Give it time, and she'll heal.Her future will shine."

She then slipped out of the room.

Lillian shifted slightly at the faint sound of the door closing. She opened her eyes briefly, glanced at Daniela, still sleeping soundly, and sank back into the couch. It wasn't long before her light snores resumed.

Cedric's focus turned back to Daniela. He observed the way the crease in her brow, which had been so tense moments earlier, was beginning to relax.

The gentle rhythm of Lillian's snores seemed to calm her, as if a quiet part of her mind registered Lillian's comforting presence.

Cedric hesitated for a second, then grabbed his phone and dialed his friend, Shaun Rodney. "Hey,

Shaun, quick question-do you know how someone can make themselves snore?"

Shaun asked, "What's this about? Did yourgirlfriend say you snore? But didn't you have that sleep test done ages ago? You're not even a snorer!"

"I'm aware I don't snore. But I want to figure out how to do it. Any suggestions?"

"Is this some kind of snoring kink? Does your girlfriend actually like snoring? Look, I'm a doctor, not some snore expert. Oh, and by the way, you were trending yesterday. Is this about Daniela? Is she the one who's into snoring?"

Cedric didn't waste time reading the rest. He exited the chat, opened his browser, and typed "how to snore" into the search bar. Just as he was about to press enter, a quiet knock came from the door.His secretary stepped in carefully, sparing a quick look at Daniela, who was still sound asleep in the bed,before speaking in a hushed tone. "Mr. Phillips, the Harpers have arrived."

Cedric's expression darkened, and he got to his feet.

The secretary paused, her discomfort clearly showing. "There's a group of reporters with them.After what happened yesterday, it looks like they're trying to do damage control, saying they came to apologize. Katrina's really laying it on thick-crying her eyes out, tears and snot all over the place. If Ms.Harper doesn't make an appearance, the media might twist it to make her look haughty or ungrateful.Elite Lux is still patching up its reputation domestically. Sir, it might be best toask Ms. Harper how she wants to deal with this."

It was clear Caiden and his group were aiming to put on a show.

A misstep in handling this could spiral into a public relations nightmare.

Earlier that morning, the Bennett family's stock had hit rock bottom, erasing tens of millions in value.During a media interview, Richard's face betrayed his growing anger and disappointment.

The secretary, ever the careful observer, could feel the gravity of the moment hanging over them.

He stole a quick glance at Cedric, who was not officially part of Daniela's life yet.

When Daniela's eyes fluttered open, the first thing she noticed was Cedric's slightly exasperated expression. Under his eyes, there was a trace of weariness,like he hadn't gotten much rest.

She propped herself up on one elbow and flashed him a small smile. "You're not heading to work today?"

She didn't bother questioning his presence.

Cedric's stern look eased a bit."Iam."

Daniela glanced at the clock on the wall, raising an eyebrow in surprise. "You're running late. It's already past nine."

"Hmm," Cedric replied with indifference.

Daniela didn't think much of his short reply and went to the bathroom to freshen up. A few minutes later,she came out and saw Cedric still sitting inthe chair.

After a brief pause, she asked, "Would you like to have breakfast with me?"

Without a second thought, Cedric said,"Sure."

Daniela stared at him, surprised. "I didn't mean it-1was just being polite."

Unbothered, Cedric shrugged and replied, "Perfect.I'm starving. Let's eat."