Chapter 193

Lillian stood up, ready to step in and stop Caiden from speaking any further.

But Daniela stopped her with nothing more than a look.

A shiver ran down Daniela's spine, creeping through her entire body.

The whole situation was almost laughable, but there was no humor in it.

On a bright, sunny afternoon, her own father was haggling with Cedric, trying to settle on a price to sell her.

For years, she had given her all to Alexander,and Caiden knew why.

And yet, he watched her fall even further, knowing full well that the person from her past was Cedric,

but he never said a word.

He constantly reminded her to return Alexander's favor, even taking satisfaction in her marriage to him.

He saw her chase after Alexander, only to be rejected, and eventually, he watched her go through the divorce.

Caiden, someone who knew the whole truth, had seen it all unfold.

He was supposed to be her father, the one who should have protected her. Yet, he remained utterly cold and detached.

The whole thing was pure nonsense.

Everything about it made her want to scream.

But Daniela couldn't find the strength to laugh at it;instead, she felt a deep, bone-chilling cold that seemed to freeze her from the inside out.

She turned to look out the window, her gaze falling on the large tree outside, its shadow shifting with the breeze as sunlight scattered across the ground.

She had never felt more foolish than she did now.

And all these years, what had Caiden thought as he watched her tirelessly chase after Alexander?

Did he find it entertaining? Or simply laugh at her expense? Or perhaps he took a twisted satisfaction in the idea that Brylee had given birth to such a fool.

In that moment, Daniela only wNanted one answer: did Caiden truly see her as his daughter? How could he treat her like this?

Daniela's hands tightened into fists, her grip becoming almost painful. She remained seated,subtly signaling Lillian to stay down as well. A bitter,self-mocking smile tugged at her lips as she realized that any further questions would only make her appear more foolish.

She looked out the window in despair. Her eyes, once warm, were now void of all softness, replaced by a cold emptiness. Behind Daniela, Cedric and Caiden continued their conversation, unaware of her silent presence.

"Cedric, when I first saw you, I knew you were the boy who helped pull Daniela out of her depression all those years ago," Caiden said, pointing to a spot near his eye. "You have this little mole, and that's how l recognized you right away."

A smug smile spread across his face. "But I kept it to myself. I thought it was quite amusing. Isn't Daniela always so proud? Isn't she wealthy? Yet she couldn't even recognize you. No matter how successful she is, she's still blind!"

Cedric's fingers tightened around his coffee cup, his restraint barely keeping him from hurling it at Caiden.

Cedric's voice remained calm as he asked, "But Daniela isn't Brylee. She's your daughter."

"Is she?" Caiden's face remained emotionless."The only one who truly counts as my daughter is the one who'll take care of me when I'm old. Can Daniela do that? I once felt sorry for her. I even thought about telling her that Alexander wasn't the one who was with her back then, hoping it might ease her pain after the divorce. I showed her kindness, only to be met with her indifference. Can I really trust someone like that when I'm older?"

Cedric's eyes narrowed, his voice taking on a sharper edge."So your idea of a good daughter is someone who will take care of you in your old age?"

"Of course, we raise children, hoping they'll care for us in our old age. But now I see things clearly.Daniela is just as cold and ruthless as her mother.I can't depend on her, and frankly, I don't care what happens to her or who she marries. Cedric, since we're being honest, let's strike a deal."

By now, Caiden had dropped all pretense. He had revealed his true, selfish self, his expression cold and calculating. A sharp laugh escaped his lips. "Cedric,name your price. Daniela's life or death no longer matters to me. Consider her sold to you. It's a one-time deal. You can take her home, treat her however you want, and make her serve you as you please.I have no objections."