?Chapter 95:


    Cedric watched the exchange, his eyes darkening as he viewed the vase.


    “It’s already dirty,” he dered, his disdain palpable.


    The manager paused, his bewilderment in on his face.


    “Sorry. What did you say?”


    Cedric offered no further exnation.


    “Just get rid of it,” he stated dismissively.


    In his eyes, anything Katrina defiled with her touch was as good as garbage, a disgrace to Dani’s name.


    He entered the elevator without another word, his expression unreadable, yet his revulsion was clear. Katrina made a half-hearted attempt to reach out, to halt his departure, but the elevator doors sealed shut before she could utter a single plea.


    The building manager exhaled a deep, tired sigh and ambled over to the trash can. With a resonant ng, he dumped the vase into it without a second thought.


    Katrina’s eyes stretched wide in shock. Casting aside any semnce ofposure, she dashed to the trash can and leaned over, her arms plunging in to rescue the vase.


    Cradling it protectively, she muttered in disbelief, “How could anyone toss away such a stunning vase? It’s worth a fortune! Oh, no—look, there’s a chip on the rim!”


    Caiden and Joyce stood by, utterly mortified, their cheeks burning with embarrassment as they observed Katrina’s frantic actions.


    Behind them, Joyce’s friends exchanged nces, their eyes wide with shock, their whispers intensifying as they struggled to mask their astonishment.


    Your next favorite is on g?lnσν????s．??o??


    “This is utterly disgraceful.”


    “She haspletely tarnished the image of every dignifieddy! Can you believe Cedric refused the vase just because she handled it, and now she’s scavenging it from the garbage? Did you see the desperation in her actions?”


    “Truly, though, it’s hardly shocking. I heard that Katrina only secured her ce in the Harper family after Dani’s mother passed away. Before that, she was merely a humble viger, busying herself with pickling vegetables. It seems she employed every cunning tactic avable to seduce Dani’s father.”


    “All that money, and she still can’t shake off the pitiful aura of someone who’ll grovel for scraps.”


    “Indeed,ing from modest means is no fault of her own. But where is her sense of pride? Has she no self-respect at all?”


    “Self-respect? Please. It’s doubtful Katrina even understands the concept. I heard that right after Dani’s mother died, Katrina moved in. Driven by fear of missing her chance at wealth, she disregarded how tantly disgraceful it appeared. A woman of her sort—do you really think she possesses any self-respect?”


    As Jerry Oliver took the lead with the group in tow, their footsteps reverberated through the corridor, apanied by a low murmur of whispers that filled the air with a sense of unease.


    Katrina, gripping the vase, struggled to maintain herposure. A pulsing headache exacerbated her growing irritation, yet she managed to suppress the rising storm within her.


    She nced back to check on her daughter, only to see her engaged in light-hearted conversation with a friend, seemingly oblivious to the tension around them.


    With a deep breath, Katrina tightened her eyes shut, mentally coaxing herself to remain calm and not to sumb to the provocation of the youngsters’ carefree disregard.


    As the elevator moved down through the floors, Caiden’s previously easy smile slowly dissolved into a look of concern. A troubling premonition gnawed at him, prompting him to finally break the silence.


    .


    .


    .