Chapter 105

Daniela's voice sliced through the air like a shard of ice, chilling Ryan and Lillian to their core. It was as if she harbored a murderous intent.

"Alexander, I have you on speakerphone. The Harpers are present. I need a direct answer. Have you been engaged to Joyce or not?"

"Absolutely not. I assure you, I have never been engaged to Joyce."

Daniela turned her piercing gaze to Katrina, whose face had bloomed a fiery red. She told Alexander,"Your family made this mess, so clean it up yourselves!If you told Joyce you'd marry her, then stop pestering me."

Alexander's voice, tinged with panic, cut through the tension. "I promise you, there's no truth to that! Have they been causing you trouble? I'll have my father sort this out immediately."

After that, Daniela ended the call.

A mere ten minutes later, Richard arrived, his anxiety palpable. He approached Katrina, his voice laden with worry. "What's the commotion about? We're all reasonable folks here: why stir up such a scene?"

Richard, adept at gauging the mood, sensed Daniela's seething anger. Misinterpreting it as indignation over a rumored engagement between Alexander and Joyce,a smug satisfaction flickered across his face.

Seizing what he believed to be a chance at redemption, Richard donned a sincere smile and turned to Daniela. "Daniela, I admit, I mishandled things. I'll make sure Alexander apologizes to you personally.Just leave everything to me, okay?"

Next, he faced Katrina, his voice now laced with contempt. "Katrina, what you're doing is utterly unacceptable. Stop spreading your lies. Everyone here is well aware of Alexander's integrity. He truly is the finest young man anyone could know. However, his goodness doesn't give you the right to push your wayward daughter at him."

Katrina wanted to say something, but Richard continued, "Remember this-Alexander always wants Daniela. His loyalty to her has been unwavering. As for Joyce, with her dubious reputation and now expecting a child, she's clearly not a suitable match for him. It was Joyce who disrupted Alexander and Daniela's wedding once before. And now, just as they are finding their way back to each other, here you are causing chaos again! Katrina, the fact that Daniela isn't your biological daughter doesn't give you the right to treat her like garbage. Remember, it was Brylee who took you in. After that,you fucked your way to power by crawling into her husband's bed. You're a walking disgrace. If you're hell-bent on this path, don't cry when Joyce ends up just as ruined as you. Is that what you're aiming for?"

Richard was a master at manipulating words, skillfully unveiling Joyce's secrets in a few deft sentences while portraying himself as the paragon of virtue.

His maneuvers were carefully orchestrated to capture Daniela's favor.

He cast a smug look towards Daniela, expecting approval. Yet, her expression remained icy and detached.

Katrina was left reeling, feeling the weight of judgmental glances and whispered conjectures around her.

The only response she could summon was a fiery glare directed at Daniela. "Daniela! Just you wait! This isn't over!"

Humiliated and cornered, Katrina was briskly escorted away by the Harper family, her departure marked by a trail of disgrace.

Caiden made a futile attempt to converse with Daniela, who turned her back and disappeared into the building,leaving him amidst the unsettled crowd.

Richard dashed after her, his face stretched into a perennially ingratiating grin. "Daniela, next time something like this happens, don't hesitate to reach out to me. As for individuals such as Katrina, extending excessive politeness only serves as an invitation for exploitation."

Daniela entered the elevator, her gaze sharp and frosty as she faced Richard. "Shouldn't you be the one handling this mess? What, are you expecting gratitude from me now? If I'd known the circus of bullshit you'd bring into my life, I would've stayed the hell away from Alexander. Don't even think about showing your faces again."

With a resolute press of a button, Lillian initiated the elevator doors to close.

Richard made a brief attempt to wedge himself into the elevator to offer an explanation, but the doors clamped shut before he managed,leaving him outside.A security guard promptly intervened, escorting him away from the scene.

Visibly irked, Richard stomped his foot and dialed Alexander's number. "You need to resolve this immediately! Damn it, Daniela's pissed off! That bitch Katrina is trying to screw me over completely. If she szibves Daniela away, I'll hunt her down and make her teansh she never crossed me!"