Chapter 306

Joyce's mind grappled with a sudden truth just before darkness overtook her senses.

Daniela, too, was only human. She could lose control. She had someone she cared about, and that was Cedric.

With that realization, Joyce slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Lillian and Ryan returned from ther late meal to a surprising scene-Cedric holding Daniela.

"Hey, you two, it's late. Maybe take the romance upstairs?"

Lillian was poised to exit, but Cedric's voice halted her retreat.

"Deal with the mess down here."

At that moment, Caiden, disturbed by the noise, descended in a hastily worn robe.

He entered the living room just as Cedric spoke.

As he noticed Joyce prone in a puddle of something odious, disgust flicked across his face.

Ignoring everything, Cedric guided Daniela upstairs, their hands intertwined as though they were alone.

Catching sight of Daniela, Caiden recoiled instinctively.

"What's wih her? Why the fury?" Caiden murmured. "Was she about to kill Joyce?"

Daniela's intensity shook him, drawing the remark from him without thought.

Upon hearing him, Daniela looked up from the intertwined hands of her and Cedric.

Caiden stood frozen, struggling to find words. Locked under Daniela's daunting gaze, as terrifying as a ghost from tales of old, he opened his mouth. But the malice in her eyes silenced him before he could speak.

She advanced a single, menacing step towards him.

Startled, Caiden hit the floor with a loud thud.

Cedric drew Daniela closer with a gentle tug of her hand. Bending close, he murmured, "Come on, honey.Let's go back to our room."

Daniela blinked, seeing her own reflection in Cedric's eyes.

He then led her into their bedroom.

For a while, Caiden's heart raced until it finally calmed.

He suddenly recalled it wasn't the first time Daniela's eyes held that fierce look.

Back when Brylee passed away, whispers of her hysteria circulated.

These whispers morphed into wild rumors that Brylee had overdosed on aphrodisiacs, which led to her death.

She was labeled a slut by many.

Initially, Daniela didn't grasp the meaning of "slut."

Observing Caiden, she tried to discern if the term was derogatory.

By that time, he had married Katrina and seemed indifferent to the slander about Brylee.

Time moved on.

Daniela matured.

Exceptionally intelligent, she advanced several grades, entering senior high at just ten

Among older peers, she frequently heard the careless slinging of the word "slut."

Her gaze then mirrored the intensity seen moments ago. One classmate's insult resulted in his own sustaining five broken ribs, a disfigured face from candle way,and deep emotional scars.

Caiden was taken aback.

As Caiden fetched Daniela from school, the look in her eyes deterred him from any scolding.

It was fear, not affection, that silenced him.

The ferocity in a ten-year-old's demeanor disturbed him deeply.

Daniela's emotional turmõil eventually leveled out on its own.

Caiden chose not to dwell on the past.

It was only later he understood that Daniela's mood disorder flared due to that singular term.

This only occurred when something deeply affected her core.

Caiden stared with a hardened gaze at the closed door of Daniela's bedroom.

Apart from Brylee, it seemed Cedric had become another crucial person in Daniela's life.

Rising, Caiden expressed his frustration. "Unbelievable. After all these years of my support, you've never defended me as a daughter should. Joyce merely attempted to seduce Cedric, and he was unharmed.Was such a drastic reaction really necessary?"

Descending the stairs, he presumed Joyce had simply passed out.

However, upon noticing the vivid red marks encircling her neck, he stood frozen

The front door swung open.

Ryan lingered by the threshold with a lazy stance.

Outside, Lillian was speaking on the phone. "So, she's still alive, right? Should we take her to the hospital? If she were dead, I'd just bury her here and save the trouble."

The response from the other end caused Lillian to end the call in annoyance. She turned to Ryan. "What if we just end her here? The hospital visit sounds tedious. We'd need to wait for the car.?

Ryan, absorbed in his phone, merely shrugged. "Doesn't bother me."

Caiden was taken aback by their indifference.

Concerned, he declared, "IH make the call. I'll take her myself. You two take a break. This is still about a human life. Let's not treat it so lightly."

After speaking, Caiden caught a glimpse of Lillian's mocking smile.

"Really? Do you actually believe a life is that significant? That we should treat it with more care?"

Pausing, Caiden sensed the implication in her words.

As Lillian moved past, she tapped Ryan on the shoulder. "Let's head back to bed."

The entrance then quieted down abruptly.

Caiden quickly phoned for an ambulance. As they helped Joyce to the ambulance, he realized she was completely exposed beneath her robe.

A sudden gust of wind whipped the fabric away.

Now Joyce was fully exposed to everyone's eyes.

One paramedic commented in dismay, "We're here to save a life, not to be confronted by such a distasteful sight."