Chapter 61

The reporters exchanged uneasy looks, unsure whether they should stay or leave the scene.

Even Caiden, who had come in with confidence, now seemed eager to leave.

But Katrina wasn't ready to let it go. She subtly tugged at Caiden's sleeve.

She'd dropped nearly twenty thousand to bring these reporters in. If they left now, it would be a total waste of all that money.

Besides, they hadn't yet accomplished what they came for.

Katrina leaned in and whispered to Caiden, "Do you want to fix things with Daniela or not?"

Caiden bit his lip, clearly wanting to say something, but after catching a glimpse of Cedric's expression,he held back.

"Daniela, I shouldn't have slapped you yesterday. I'm here to apologize. Katrina and I got up early today and made this soup just for you. Eat it, and let's put everything behind us. Yesterday was a mistake. Please don't hold it against me."

The reporters behind him were snapping photos, capturing every word and every exaggerated gesture.

Katrina smiled warmly. Rather than passing the insulated lunchbox to the secretary behind Daniela,she opened it herself.

The rich scent of soup filled the air, and the reporters began snapping shots of it.

"Come on, darling, just take one little sip, and we can forget all about what happened. Take a look around-there's a whole crowd here watching us. Even though you're the CEO of Elite Lux now, it wouldn't hurt to show a bit of respect to your dad. And as for those things you said yesterday about cutting ties, those shouldn't be said again. Do you have any idea how much it hurt your father? He sighed all night. Look at him; he's even got a white hair now, all thanks to the stress."

Her words depicted Caiden as a caring, regretful father who deeply regretted losing his temper and slapping his daughter.

Caiden didn't hesitate to jump in, his voice dripping with self-importance. "Daniela, listen to me-you have to realize that everything I do is for your benefit. You're my daughter. If I don't look out for you, who else will? When you mentioned cutting ties yesterday, do you even understand how deeply that cut me?"

He stared at Daniela's unfeeling, distant expression, then quickly shut his eyes for a moment, cursing her silently in his mind.

He reached out to her, his insincere smile growing wider as he spoke. "Come here, sweetheart.Did I hurt you too much yesterday? Let me check."

Daniela took a step back. That look-intense and unforgiving-made a knot form in Caiden's gut.

It was a look he recognized instantly. The same one her mother had given him years ago.

Cold. Unforgiving. Relentless. A headache. Just like her late mother.

Caiden knew Daniela wouldn't fall for threats or compliments. But did it really matter? With all the reporters here,what could she do?

He'd already pretended to regret his actions. If Daniela dared to challenge him, the next day's headlines would be shouting, "Daniela Harper: The Ungrateful Daughter."

Once that label stuck, not even the top PR team at Elite Lux would be able to fix her reputation.

Reputation was the core of any business. No one would back a company led by a CEO accused of being cold-hearted toward her own family.

A surge of triumph rushed through Caiden. Being her father gave him the upper hand.

He straightened his jacket, his chest puffing out with newfound confidence.

And Cedric? Who cared? He was just another man. Sure, Cedric might scare some people, but not Caiden.

Cedric wasn't invincible, and today's little showdown made that crystal clear.

A self-satisfied grin crept across Caiden's face.

Katrina, noticing his smug expression, gave his arm a gentle tug, a reminder to tone it down. Caiden quickly wiped the smugness off his face and replaced it with a mask of warmth and concern. He turned back to Daniela and said, "Sweetheart, can you just forgive me?"

Daniela stood motionless, her cold, unflinching stare locked on Caiden.

It was the first time Caiden had used that word in years, not since she was five.

Sweetheart.

For years, she had convinced herself that she wasn't worthy-like she hadn't done enough to deserve his love.

She believed that if she worked harder, achieved more, and made herself irreplaceable, maybe, just maybe,she would finally hear him say "sweetheart."

She had waited for that word endlessly. Even when she topped her class, it never came.

When she skipped grades and joined the elite gifted program, still nothing.

And when she passed her exams at fifteen, becoming the youngest doctoral candidate in her field, it remained absent.

She had finally accepted that, no matter what she achieved, she would never hear that word come from her father, not in this lifetime.

And now, there it was. Caiden, with a forced grin, had finally said it.

The irony was almost too much to bear.

A bitter laugh escaped Daniela.

Caiden's eyes gleamed as he turned to the reporters, beaming while pointing at Daniela. "See? She's smiling. That means she's forgiven me," he said, his focus entirely on how the reporters would see him.

Katrina's face lit up, spotting her chance. "Sweetheart, you're right-your father and I messed up yesterday.

We shouldn't have put that pressure on you. The mix-up is all our fault. Joyce shouldn't have acted like that."

But Joyce couldn't stay silent and whined in objection, "Mom!"

Ignoring Joyce's outburst, Katrina kept her calm and overly sweet demeanor, turning back to Daniela. "You know, Joyce really looks up to you, Daniela. You've been her role model. But, you know how she is. She struggles with everything, poor thing. At her age, still staying at home, it's been such a concern for all of us."

Joyce stared at Katrina, her mouth hanging open, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Even Caiden furrowed his brow, confused by Katrina's sudden criticism of Joyce.

But Daniela saw through it. Katrina wasn't just throwing Joyce under the bus-this was the beginning of her real request.

And, as expected, Katrina didn't waste any time before unveiling her true agenda.

"We're still family, right? And as family, we're supposed tohelp one another. Joyce is young and has a lot to learn.Why not take her under your wing? Let her join you at Elite Lux, help her gain some hands-on experience. She looks up to you so much, Daniela, and has always admired everything you've built with Elite Lux.Just offer her a director's role. It's no big deal-just a way for her to dip her toes in the water. I promise you, she'll give it her all."

At this, Joyce's face lit up instantly. The pout and the anger from before vanished in an instant. In their place, her lips curved into a smug, victorious smile as she looked at Daniela.

She was already imagining all the perks that came with such an impressive title.

Yes,she thought, tossing aside the idea of running a tinyclothing store-becoming a director at Elite Lux?Now that was real prestige and allure.

She was determined to become a director at Elite Lux.

Caiden was just as thrilled by Katrina's suggestion. Her plan was pure genius. If Joyce could figure out how to earn money like Daniela, he wouldn't have to worry about relying on Daniela's generosity as he aged. Joyce could support the family just as easily.

Grinning with excitement, Caiden quickly turned to Daniela and added, "Yes, exactly. Just give her a director's role."