Chapter 287

The door slammed shut with a resounding crash.

Katrina's heart raced furiously.

Compared to Cedric's placid demeanor, she felt exposed, like a guilty child caught in the act of sneaking a cookie.

It wasn't until the familiar hour of her usual breakfast that Katrina gathered enough courage to venture downstairs.

Cedric had returned from his morning jog, his demeanor as serene as a still pond. With her heart in her throat, Katrina approached him. "Cedric..."

Cedric paused and turned to face her.

"Why were you coming out of Daniela's room this morning?" Her voice trembled slightly, stark against Cedric's tranquility. "Did l?" Cedric's reply was laced with feigned ignorance.

"Yes, I've seen you do it several times."

Cedric's eyes narrowed, his gaze cutting through the air like a knife. "Is there a problem with that?"

Katrina bit her lip, struggling to find her words."It's just... Daniela is a woman. It doesn't seem proper for you to stay in her room overnight, does it?"

Cedric gave a nod, his face an unreadable mask."Indeed."

Katrina stared, confused.

Just that? Then what? Wasn't he going to elaborate?No flurry of excuses? No desperate bribes to keep her silent about his secret? Nothing. Cedric displayed none of those.

Instead, his response was chillingly detached. "From now on, if you notice anything like this, you know what to do, don't you?" Katrina stood dumbfounded.

Cedric's voice was icy, a stark contrast to the warmth he showed Daniela. "If this matter gets out, I will deal with you."

Katrina recoiled.

"Or Joyce." Cedric dabbed his forehead with a towel,his expression one of utter indifference. "I don't easily lose my temper, but I've had my limits tested before. Those people have disappeared."

His words were delivered calmly, yet each one bore a threat. "Feel free to challenge me, but be warned-1don't negotiate, and I certainly don't take kindly to threats."

With that, Cedric turned and retreated to his room.

Katrina remained frozen in place.

She couldn't react for a long time.

Had she just been threatened?

It was Cedric whose secret was uncovered. Yet, he had turned the tables, making her the target of his intimidation.

Seething,Katrina dialed the media tip-off hotline.

But when someone answered, her voice caught in her throat.

She couldn't deny it; Cedric's intimidation had struck a nerve.

From that day forward, Cedric became brazen.Previously, he would sneak to Daniela's room when the house was quiet.

Now,he ascended the stairs without hesitation, and Katrina even caught him showering in Daniela's bathroom once.

Katrina seethed with anger. Yet, she felt powerless to intervene. Eventually, she resigned herself to the situation.

It was okay. She had sought Alexander's help before,who had done nothing. Now, with Cedric and Daniela openly together, Katrina found twisted satisfacton in watching Alexander trying to win Daniela back but to no avail.

But her amusement was short-lived.

Joyce returned home after vanishing for several days, her demeanor crushed. "Mom, can you just give me back the eight million?"

Katrina thought Joyce had finally come to her senses, but her next words nearly made Katrina faint.

"The company I invested in is in a bit of a bind. It needs eight million to weather the storm. Mom,please give me the money."

Katrina was feeling as though she'd raised a complete fool. "Eight million? You gave me eight million, and now, by sheer coincidence, your company is short exactly that amount? Joyce, think it through! Does that not strike you as suspicious?"

Joyce shook her head. "It's exactly that-a coincidence. Milo says the company is thriving! It's just a temporary cash flow hiccup. Once we plug that gap, we'll be rolling in profits. Mom, please, I need that money."

Katrina scoffed bitterly. "I don't have that kind of money. What do you want me to do, sell myself?"

At this, Joyce's expression hardened, and her eyes grew icy. "Mom, must you stand in the way of my success? What's happened to you? You've changed,and it breaks my heart."

Katrina was so enraged that she was speechless.

Joyce stared defiantly at her mother, her voice cold and detached. "Fine. Don't come to regret this."

With those words, Joyce stormed out.

Later that day, Joyce became the subject of viral videos across all platforms. Her appearance was disheveled, her expression haggard, and her confessions shocking. She openly admitted to infidelity and blamed herself for the dissolution of her marriage.

She even branded herself a whore in front of the cameras.

Katrina, watching the videos, felt her heart splinter into fragments.

This was the daughter she had adored for over two decades. She was doing this to quell the Bennett family's scandal and get money from them.

For Milo, Joyce had sacrificed her dignity and trashed her own reputation.

The ache in Katrina's chest was agonizing.

Only then did she grasp the true weight of Joyce's parting words: "Don't regret it."

But it was already too late.

Joyce again squandered the eight million dollars she had taken from the Bennett family.

That night, Katrina sat in the living room, the internet aflame with scorn and ridicule, while calls from dismayed relatives flooded in.

Caiden, who seldom reached out, finally called."I can't believe I ever married you. You and Joyce have brought disgrace upon me. I'm severing all ties with her."

With that, Caiden hung up, his decision as final as when he had disowned Daniela.

Katrina collapsed onto the couch, unable to utter a word for three long days and nights.

The once poised woman, always impeccably dressed, now seemed drained of life, her face etched with premature lines, gray hairs emerging one by one.

One morning, as Cedric descended the stairs,Katrina's weary eyes lifted to meet his. She pleaded,"Please, Cedric, save Joyce. If no one helps her, her life will be ruined forever!"