Chapter 503

"Is that so?" Daniela scoffed, sinking lazily into the sofa.

Daniela's indifferent tone made Natalie's lashes quiver.

Natalie bit her lip as her confidence slowly crumbled. "Daniela, what exactly do you mean?"

Daniela smiled. Her lips, a delicate shade of red, curved gently, like a rare winter rose in bloom.

"Natalie, take a guess. What do you think I want?"

The moment those words left Daniela's lips, Natalie's heart skipped a beat. She eyed Daniela with growing wariness.

Daniela remained composed, like a seasoned predator watching its prey squirm.

Natalie struggled to find her words before finally whispering,"What do you want to know?"

Daniela folded her hands in front of her, exuding effortless ease. With a calm gaze, she asked, "Take a guess.You've always known exactly what I'm after, haven't you?"

Just then, the office door creaked open.

Cedric strode in, flipping on the desk lamp to cut through the darkness before settling beside Daniela.

Natalie darted a glance at Cedric before returning her wary gaze to Daniela. "I don't understand what you're saying."

"That's fine." Daniela's voice was calm, almost soothing.

She had a way of making everything feel unhurried, as if time itself bent to her will-calm, measured,yet always in command.

"Go ahead, keep pretending." Daniela chuckled softly, her smile pure yet laced with amusement. A sharp pang of fear shot through Natalie.

"Let's keep playing. I just hope you can afford the stakes." Daniela's amused gaze bore into Natalie.

A chill ran down Natalie's spine, sending goose bumps across her skin. "You want to know...?"

"Yes."

"So this was all your doing!"

"Naturally."

The instant Daniela confirmed it, a wave of fear crashed over Natalie.

Her once-confident expression dissolved into sheer shock.

"You mean from the moment I tried to get close to Doug, this was alI part of your plan? You were setting me up?"

Daniela shook her head. "It started long before that. From the moment I first met you, from when you told me you wanted to join Elite Lux-I had already factored you into my plans. In fact, ever since you came back from abroad, I knew this day would come."

Natalie stared at Daniela, terror creeping into her wide eyes. "That's impossible!"

Daniela offered a serene smile. "Believe it or not, it doesn't change anything. As I said, keep acting-I'll play along." Her tone was light, almost casual, as if she were merely discussing the weather.

"You..." Natalie's voice wavered, trembling against the eerie silence of the office as a nameless fear gripped her.

It dawned on her-her fate had long been trapped in Daniela's grasp.

She now understood-Linden's hatred, his contempt, everything had been orchestrated by Daniela from the start.

Daniela's machinations were too precise, too ruthless, and for the first time, true fear took hold of Natalie. "What do you want to know?" Natalie's voice trembled as the weight of realization bore down on her.

She couldn't deny it-she was utterly outmatched by Daniela!

Against Daniela, she was nothing but powerless.

"I want the truth about my mother's death-every detail, every name. No one gets away with it!"

Cedric rose from his seat, setting down a pen and paper in front of Natalie.

"And if I tell you, what do I get in return?"

Daniela's expression remained unreadable.′′As you pointed out, the villa you stayed in is still yours. I can send you abroad for further studies until the scandal with Doug fades. Once people forget, you can return.

Whether you resume as my secretary or pursue something else is entirelyyour choice."

Natalie hesitated, lost in thought.

Staring at the blank sheet before her, she spoke. "If I give you the names, I want more. When I return, I want a company under Elite Lux."

The thought of remaining Daniela's secretary made her stomach churn. Daniela's mind was far too dangerous. It was better to carve out her own path.

"And one more thing, you can't harm my mother."

Daniela sat up, her smile razor-sharp as she met Natalie's gaze. "You get one-either a company, or my promise not to touch your mother. Pick."

Natalie's teeth dug into her lip. Silence stretched before she finally spoke. "The company."

Her decision was final.

Self-interest always came first.

That was the lesson Elyse had drilled into her since childhood.

She had always been the dutiful daughter. This was a world governed by laws-what real harm could Daniela possibly inflict on Elyse?

She clung to that reasoning, conveniently pushing aside the grim memory of Caiden's fate.

"Yes." Natalie gave a decisive nod. "I choose a company."

Without hesitation, she knelt by the table, pen scratching across the page as she jotted down the names.

"Natalie, you know me," Daniela murmured, watching as she wrote. "I already know parts of the truth. This is just to test your sincerity. If you write false names, and I uncover the truth later, you won't be making it back from abroad. Don't expect me to let family ties hold me back."

Natalie's grip on the pen tíghtened. After a brief hesitation, she scratched out a few names-Joyce among them.

As she slid the list over, she spoke with forced certainty. "Every name is there. None are missing."

Daniela skimmed the names before flicking a dismissive hand. Without another word, Natalie straightened up and left.

Elyse was pacing anxiously downstairs. The moment Natalie emerged, she rushed over.

"Sweetheart, I just borrowed some money from Nina. If Daniela won't help, don't worry, I'll find another way."

Natalie's gaze softened with pity. "Mom, don't you get it? We can't win against Daniela. It's time to accept reality."

That single sentence froze Elyse in place.

A heavy silence followed before she finally lifted her head, disbelief written all over her face."What did you say to Daniela?"