Chapter 196

Caiden and Katrina spent the whole day glued to their phones, eagerly waiting for the three hundred million Cedric had promised to appear in their account.

They called the bank again and again, hounding them for updates on the transfer.

They stared at their phones, obsessively refreshing the balance page, doing nothing all day but waiting for that transfer notification.

Across the room, Daniela watched them with a smile that was cold and indifferent, as if she found their behavior amusing.

As night fell and the money stll hadn't come through,Katrina's frustration reached its breaking point.Unable to hold back any longer, she stormed to the door, determined to confront Cedric as he returned home.

"Cedric, you're a man of great wealth and influence,yet I never thought you'd go back on your word."

Cedric had just returned from a meeting. His brow furrowed at the sight of her, and his gaze darkened with irritation.

Beneath his calm exterior, fury simmered, and he spoke coldly. "Are you out of your damn mind?"

The money had already been transferred from Cedric's personal account; there was no reason it shouldn't have arrived.

Earlier that day, the bank had assured him the transaction would be completed by morning, and Cedric had trusted their word.

Now, with another meeting looming in just thirty minutes, he was running out of time-and patience.The Harper family's nonsense was the last thing he wanted to deal with. Just seeing them made his fists clench in frustration.

He brushed past Katrina and made his way inside.

Katrina instinctively stepped forward to block him once more, but then she saw Daniela sitting in the living room, playing games, and froze in her tracks.

Katrina realized that Cedric's forced politeness towards them was driven solely by his relationship with Daniela.

If they pushed him too far and angered him,they might not get a penny.

To Katrina and Caiden, it didn't matter who had been there for Daniela in her childhood.

What mattered now wasn't the past. What mattered was getting the money into their account to secure their own luxurious lives.

Katrina gave Caiden a quick, calculating look.

Caiden hurried after Cedric up the stairs and into his room. Once inside, he forced a grin and handed Cedric his phone, displaying his bank account details. "I really didn't want to trouble you, but the money hasn't come through yet."

Cedric opened his mouth to speak when a knock echoed at the door. Daniela leaned casually against the doorframe, her cool eyes locking with Cedric's."Would you like to have a meal with me?"

Cedric could never say no to Daniela. He gave a slight nod."Sure."

Daniela raised her chin towards the living room."Come on."

Without a second thought, Cedric left the room and followed her.

Caiden followed closely behind them.

Daniela knew how to indulge. Rather than ordering takeout, she always arranged for private chefs to create extravagant meals at home.

Tonight's menu featured king crab, fish, tender lamb chops, and more.

The living room table was covered with an array of gourmet dishes, filling the room with tempting aromas.

This extravagant setup was nothing new; Caiden and Katrina often indulged without hesitation. Daniela never said no to them. She wasn't the type to care much about food.

But tonight, as soon as Caiden tried to sit down,Daniela's sharp gaze rose to meet his. "Hey."

Caiden reflexively looked up. "Are you calling me?"

Daniela's face remained unchanged. "Did I invite you to eat?"

The room went still. Every pair of eyes turned to Caiden, including Josie's.

Caiden felt a rush of humiliation wash over him.Even the servant got to sit at the table, but he was not allowed? His face flushed with anger. He stood up sharply, his voice laced with irritation. "Fine! I don't care!" He stormed upstairs, muttering under his breath,"Once the three hundred mnillion arrives, I can eat whatever I want."

Despite his angry outburst, Caiden didn't head to his room. Instead, he lingered on the second-floor balcony, watching the living room below, waiting for Cedric to finish his meal so he could confront him again about the money.

The tantalizing aroma of the food wafted upstairs,irresistible to even the most hardened hearts.Enticed by the scent, Joyce couldn't resist and made her way downstairs.

A few moments later, she came running back upstairs, tears streaming down her face. She rushed to Caiden, exclaiming, "Dad! Can you believe how petty Daniela is? It's just food. Why does it matter so much?"

Caiden's face darkened as he listened to her tearful complaints.

Joyce wiped her eyes. "Dad, did you upset Daniela somehow? She's never told me not to join her for meals before. Seriously, Dad, you and Mom shouldn't be pushing her like this. You're not going to win."

Caiden,who had been holding his temper all day,finally snapped. "Upset her? What did I do to upset her? Daniela's the one being unreasonable. What's that got to do with me? Look at yourself and then look at her! She's achieved more than you'll ever manage. Instead of facing your own shortcomings,you're here blaming me? If you had even a fraction of her skills, I wouldn't be stuck living like this every day!"

He kicked a vase in the hallway in frustration,sending shards flying across the floor.

Joyce shrank back, too frightened to speak.

Hearing the noise, Katrina emerged from her room.She saw Joyce's tear-streaked face and immediately turned her fury on Caiden. "What? You can't deal with Daniela, so now you're taking it out on Joyce?You think you're so impressive? Then why didn't you go downstairs to eat? Oh, right-because Daniela put you in your place, and now you're hiding upstairs like some scared little kid! Sure, Daniela's doing well now,but don't forget who your real family is. You can't rely on her for anything! Stop acting like you're in charge here! If you were worth anything, we wouldn't have to put up with this from her!"

With that, she grabbed Joyce and dragged her back to the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

Caiden stood in the hallway, fuming with anger. After a while, he managed to calm down and apologized to Joyce, promising to buy her a limited-edition handbag once the three hundred million arrived.

It was only then that her sobs finally stopped.

After offering Joyce some comforting words, Caiden and Katrina positioned themselves at the top of the stairs, waiting patiently for Cedric to finish his meal.

Tonight,they were determined to get the money.