?Chapter 69:


    Once Dani had finished her breakfast, Josie ced a shawl around her shoulders.


    “The mornings carry a bit of a chill. Don’t forget to look after yourself.”


    With her characteristic smile beaming, Josie seized apact shopping cart and set off to purchase groceries. From the doorway, Lillian observed her departure, her expression radiating pride. Josie was a remarkably considerate soul, seemingly tailored perfectly to meet Dani’s needs.


    As Josie headed off, Dani felt a strange sense of recognition, as if she had seen Josie in another time or ce but couldn’t quite pinpoint it. After Josie was out of sight, Dani turned to Lillian with a thoughtful expression.


    “She’s really sweet, but I have this feeling that things could get messyter. When she returns, let her know—if anyone from the Harper family shows up, she needs to stay out of it. I don’t want her getting caught up in their trouble or hurt.”


    Even though Dani had paid the former housekeeper $10,000 to cover medical costs, the entire incident still lingered heavily on her mind. The image of an elderly woman being pped by Joyce was something she couldn’te to terms with. The mere thought of it left Dani feeling uneasy, weighed down by guilt.


    Lillian couldn’t erase the image of the old housekeeper’s face, puffed up like a balloon when she walked out. She cursed Joyce under her breath for what she had done.


    After her pointless visit to Dani, Joyce was seething with frustration. She stormed off to Caiden, tears streaming down her face as she vented about how badly Dani had treated her. But Caiden brushed her off with a careless wave.


    “Don’t waste your time on that crazy woman. So what if she’s got some money now? Do you really think she can break away from her family? Let’s see if she dares to get married without me, her father, escorting her down the aisle!”


    Without her family backing her up, people would surely look down on her. Sooner orter, she’d have to swallow her pride ande running back to him for help.


    Caiden’s self-assurance didn’t waver. Joyce sulked and turned to Katrina, silently asking for her opinion on the matter.


    Katrina just shook her head slightly, saying nothing.


    Later, when it was just the two of them, Joyce couldn’t keep her frustration bottled up.


    “Mom, why can’t I ask him to defend me? Did you see how arrogant Dani was yesterday? I was so mad I thought I’d explode!”


    Katrina, ever calm, sat on the patio and poured herself a cup of coffee.


    “Honey, you’re grown up now.


    You need to think beyond just the moment. Do you see what I mean?”


    Joyce stared at Katrina, her expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity.


    “Let me tell you two important things today. First, remember this: in every family, the man is the anchor. If you can win over the man in charge, the whole house will fall in line. Right now, Caiden has no influence over Dani. If you force him to confront her now, it’ll just blow up in our faces. Be patient. When the timing is right, we’ll make sure their father-daughter bond is broken beyond repair.”


    Joyce hung on to every word, nodding intently.


    “And what’s the second thing?” she asked, curiosity piqued.


    “Second, no matter how far a woman climbs in her career, she’ll always find her way back to her family. Take Dani, for example—she seems all tough and self-reliant now, but let’s not forget how she used to hang on Alexander’s every word.” Joyce blinked, puzzled.


    “And what about that?”


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