Chapter 148

The crowd jeered,hurling insults at Caiden, calling him a pathetic failure of a father.

Daniela entered the elevator and glanced at Lillian."What did you think of my speech?"

Lillian responded with a thumbs-up.

Back in her office, as Daniela settled in, a new secretary timidly approached Lillian. "Do you think Daniela is upset?"

Lillian shook her head with certainty. "She is warmly kind to those she respects, but she's swift and decisive in cutting ties with anyone who disappoints her."

Katrina and Joyce had felt the sting of her resolve.And now Caiden and Alexander had been added to that list.

Daniela's public confrontation was a clear sign she had already put any past relations behind her. There was no point in feeling sorry. They weren't worth her time or a damn ounce of her concern.

Meanwhile,Caiden was stewing in the shame of being completely humiliated. Daniela's harsh dismnissal had caught him off-guard.

Even if he handed over the three hundred million,people would still think he was a worthless piece of shit.

Favoring his stepdaughter over his own, squandering his ex-wife's earnings to coerce his biological daughter into handing over her research-every accusation was painfully accurate, leaving Caiden defenseless.

Katrina, anxious and wary of the media, whispered urgently from behind him, "Caiden, what should we do now? The hospital's expecting us."

Caiden clenched his teeth tightly and announced with a heavy heart, "Three hundred million... It looks like we'll have no choice but to sell the company."

Katrina immediately objected, her voice laced with desperation. "Absolutely not!"

Her expression twisted into one of fury as she seized Caiden's hand with a fierce grip. "You can't possibly sell it!"

Katrina had spent half her life serving Caiden,so that she could get her hands on Harper Group. But the discussion about selling the company was on the table.She was not prepared to surrender without a fight. Caiden held her hand firmly. "And what? Allow the child to die?" His eyes, red and frustrated, bore into hers as he shook with anger. "We need to prioritize saving the child! Everything else can wait. I promise you, whatever Daniela ends up taking, I'll reclaim it.Trust me."

Katrina felt a deep conflict stirring within her.

Locking eyes with Caiden, she realized arguing was futile.

With a heavy sigh,she nodded in agreement.

Her lips quivered in anger, tears born of frustration trailing down her face. Her body tensed, her shoulders stiffening,yet she gave a reluctant nod.

While Caiden was on the phone with Daniela, Katrina stood aside, her fingers digging into the flesh of her thigh, the pain a sharp reminder of her resolve.

She silently swore to herself to recover whatever losses were to come, at any cost.

Caiden called Daniela.

"Have you made your decision?" Daniela responded in a tone of cool indifference.

Caiden clenched his fists and growled through gritted teeth, "I'll hand over twenty percent of Harper Group's shares! Just give me the damn medicine!"

Daniela responded with a soft, derisive chuckle, her amusement clear.

A wave of panic surged through Caiden. He had gambled on her ignorance of Harper Group's precarious situation.

He silently prayed she didn't realize that the twenty percent stake was merely worth five million dollars.Unfortunately,his hopes were dashed.

"Twenty percent? You think that's sufficient?"Daniela's voice cut through the air, sharp as a knife."Or are you implying that the life of a child is worth merely a few million?"

Caiden's heart raced, skipping a beat at her words.

"If you insist on playing these games, I'm not particularly bothered, but I doubt the child can afford to wait," Daniela continued calmly,her voice steady yet chilling.

Caiden found himself gasping for air, his breath catching in his throat.

"Fine, let's not complicate things unnecessarily,"Daniela declared evenly. "I demand fifty-one percent of Harper Group's shares. Agree, and the child lives. Otherwise,you're merely wasting my time here."

It dawned on Caiden that Daniela was after true control of Harper Group.

"Deal," he choked out, the word tasting of bile in his mouth.

His eyes smoldered with deep resentment.

Lillian shook her head, her expression one of bewilderment. "Why not demand everything? They'd probably yield if you pressed them further."

Reclining in her chair, Daniela narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Perhaps. But I've just had a change of heart."