Chapter 63

Caiden had reached his breaking point.

With a thunderous shout, he barked, "Enough!" Both Joyce and Katrina recoiled instinctively, taken aback by the sudden outburst.

The reporters, however, remained unfazed. One of them pressed further, "Mr. Harper, are you genuinely considering Joyce as your successor in the future?"

Caiden rubbed his forehead, trying to ease the pounding ache in his head. But then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed Katrina's piercing gaze locked onto him. A cold shiver ran through him.

In her eyes, Caiden saw the same ambition and greed-cold, sharp, and relentless-that he had once seen in Daniela's late mother. That familiar, haunting look had tortured him for years, like a recurring nightmare.

And now, that very gaze was back, this time in the eyes of the woman he loved most.

Caiden felt overwhelmed, his mind struggling to process it. He blinked fast, hoping to shake the image from his mind. When he looked back, Katrina had already dropped her eyes, tears running down her cheeks, her face filled with sorrow and grief.

With a shaky exhale, Caiden tried to convince himself it was just a figment of his imagination.

He forced himself to regain focus, straightening up as he turned to face the reporters. "This is a private family matter. We appreciate your interest, but this isn't the right time or place. Please leave. Thank you."

Realizing they weren't going to get anything further, the reporters began to disperse, given that Katrina had secretly bribed them.

In no time, the atmosphere grew quiet.

Caiden remained at the center of the lobby, his face clouded with frustration. He was seething inside-today, Daniela had made a mockery of him, embarrassed him in front of everyone, and he couldn't stand it.

He spoke sharply, his tone icy. "Daniela, just answer me one thing. Will you allow your sister to work at Elite Lux or not?"

Without missing a beat, Katrina chimed in, "It's not just any position, of course. We're talking about a director's role; something that reflects her status."

Caiden slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. He was about to light it when he felt Cedric's cold stare fix on him. The weight of Cedric's gaze made his hand hesitate. With a sigh, he begrudgingly tucked the cigarette back into his pocket.

Holding back his frustration, Caiden managed a smile and turned to Cedric. "Mr. Phillips, this is a private family issue. You're a busy man, I'm sure you..."

He made a subtle gesture, signaling Cedric to take his leave.

But Cedric leaned back, exuding an air of easy defiance. "Oh, don't worry about me. I've got all the time in the world. Go on, pretend I'm not even here."

Caiden felt his eye twitch involuntarily. He thought about redirectingthe conversation elsewhere, but before he could offer the idea, Daniela interjected, "I'm extremely busy. If you have something to say, say it here."

Feeling cornered, Caiden bit back his growing irritation. He had no choice but to proceed. "Joyce is your sister.You're the CEO of Elite Lux, with numerous positions at your disposal. Surely, it wouldn't be hard to find her a place-a director's role, nothing too extreme."

Daniela locked eyes with the man in front of her.

Once,she had seen him as her father, the one person closest to her, the one she had trusted without question.

But now, as she looked at him, anger had faded, leaving behind something much deeper.

When disappointment cuts that deep, it consumes all other feelings.

Daniela spoke quietly, as if offering Caiden, and herself, one last chance to hold on to whatever was left of their family bond.

"I can set up a position for Joyce within thecompany. In her department, she'll have full authority.Once I make a promise, I always keep it. You don't have to worry."

As she finished, her secretary moved forward, but Daniela raised her hand, signaling that she had everything handled.

The secretary hesitated, glancing quickly at Cedric, who was still sitting nearby. His calm eyes were fixed on Daniela, his face showing quiet trust and solid support.

Across from her, both Katrina and Caiden wore expressions of visible excitement.

The idea of Joyce, once just a shopkeeper, now rising to a position of power within Elite Lux, was something they had never even dared to imagine. It was a win they were eager to celebrate.

Moreover, with Joyce under Daniela's wing, if anything went wrong with her down the line, they'd have someone to answer for it.

Maybe Joyce could pick up some useful skills, or even better,"borrow" some of Elite Lux's trade secrets.Perhaps starting her own company one day wouldn't be such an unrealistic goal after all.

At the very least, she would have some stability, and if any problems arose, they could always point the finger at Daniela.

Caiden's grin stretched even wider, his relief clear as day. He couldn't hide his satisfaction.

"But I do have one condition," Daniela said slowly, her tone calm and even as she locked eyes with the three greedy smiles staring back at her.

Caiden and Katrina were absolutely thrilled.

"Of course, go ahead and tell us what it is," Caiden said, practically bouncing with excitement.

Katrina quickly added, "As long as it'snot too much to ask, we'll agree to it. Daniela, at last, you're doing something that truly matters for this family!"

Daniela spoke slowly, making sure each word hit with precision. "I want to officially cut ties with Caiden."

Caiden froze, his smile faltering as his face hardened with disbelief.

Daniela pressed on, "And not just in name. I want a complete, legally binding termination of this relationship."

As she said this, she raised her hand, signaling for her legal team to take action.

One of them stepped forward, holding out a set of documents that had clearly been prepared in advance."Sign these, and then have Joyce deliver them to me. Once everything's in order, her position at Elite Lux will be confirmed without delay."