?Chapter 168:


    But he had failed to take note.


    Looking back, the maid’s reserved expression, Katrina’s self-satisfied smirk, and Dani’s silent eptance all seemed to underscore Dani’s unhappiness.


    That year, Dani was merely five years old.


    Yet, in the face of such inequity, she did not weep or make a fuss.


    Reflecting on it, Caiden couldn’t fathom why the image of Dani’s small hands clutching a terger than her face now struck him so profoundly.


    A torrent of feelings overwhelmed Caiden.


    In the garden, the gardeners were conversing.


    “Alexander Bet is on his way. Seems like he’s here to propose an engagement to Joyce.”


    “She’s expecting, and he still pursues her?”


    “For the affluent, money can buy almost anything, can’t it? Moreover, since Dani has severed her ties with her family, all properties in this home will soon be Joyce’s. The Bet family is shrewd in their dealings. They clearly recognize the advantage in this arrangement.”


    “In my opinion, everyone’s adept at making calctions—everyone except Caiden. Dani is his flesh and blood, his own daughter. How could he possibly disown her? She’s both talented andpassionate. Should he ever face adversity, she would undoubtedlye to his aid. But is it wise to depend on someone as selfish as Joyce?”


    “That’s right! She doesn’t even know who the father is. In any other family, she’d be nothing but a filthy scandal.”


    “Dani would never find herself in such a disgraceful situation. There’s a saying that a leopard doesn’t change its spots, and there’s some truth to it. Consider Joyce, who’s lived in this home for years, yet remains as unrefined and impulsive as ever. Who knows where she got those traits? Anyone marrying her would surely be after her wealth.”


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    “I simply can’t fathom Caiden’s thought process. Why is he sovish with his fortune on outsiders? Once he passes, how will he justify his actions to his first wife? What will he say when she inquires about the severe treatment of their daughter all these years?”


    “Truly, while men may wander, it baffles me that Caiden takes hismitment to Joyce so seriously, given she’s not even his own blood. What did histe first wife see in him?”


    The servants continued their hushed discussions.


    Caiden watched the servants, his expression unreadable.


    Usually, theyuded him for his genuine kindness, even towards his adopted daughter, filling him with pride.


    Yet unbeknownst to him, behind his back, they considered him a gullible fool.


    Caiden’s life had flipped upside down in an instant.


    For the first time, he sat down with a grave expression, mulling over the stark contrasts between Dani and Joyce.


    His thoughts consumed him so deeply that he failed to notice the Bet family’s car rolling through the gate.


    It was only when Katrina’s voice echoed in the garden that he snapped out of his reverie, rising from his chair with a start.


    As he made his way into the house, memories of the day he had cut ties with Dani flooded back—the day she had knelt before him.


    If it were Joyce, would she have made this choice?


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