Caden had his sights set on a goal, and nothing would stand in his way. It just so happened that Yolanda wasn’t part of that picture, and as much as Dorian loved his daughter, he wanted her to be with the man she loved.

Neither of them was at fault.

The room was thick with tension until Dorian, ever the reasonable one, broke the silence. “Mrs. Ward, we’ve known each other for years, and I hold you in the highest regard. But this is different. Caden made the offer, and he has no reason to back out now.”

Ciara felt a dull ache behind her temples. She was torn. Of course, she was biased toward Caden, but deep down, she knew he wasn’t blameless.

“You should talk to Caden directly,” she suggested, her voice calm but firm.

Dorian took the hint and rose to his feet, preparing to leave.

As he stepped out, he reminded Jasmine to take good care of Ciara. Still worried about his daughter, he then went to check on her.

Just as he was about to reach for the door to Yolanda’s room, it swung open, and Regina emerged. She shook her head gently and whispered, “Yolanda’s resting. Don’t disturb her. She’s not feeling well.”

Dorian’s brows furrowed in frustration. “I’ll stop by Caden’s company later. There’s a personal matter we need to settle.”

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Unbeknownst to them, inside the room, Yolanda had crept to the door, listening intently.

Regina’s voice followed him. “Why? What’s your plan?”

“I’m going to talk to him about Yolanda; he’d better give me a good explanation for this.”

“He doesn’t want to marry her, okay? What’re you going to do, force his hand?” Regina sighed, softening her tone. “Just let it go and calm down, will you?”

Dorian’s reply was a low growl. “Calm down? How can I calm down when Yolanda’s health is failing? He used us, Regina. Played us like pawns, and now he thinks he can toss us aside? What does he take us for?”

Regina placed a gentle hand on his chest, trying to soothe him. “Don’t do this to yourself,” she coaxed. “You know Caden isn’t heartless. Let nature take its course. We shouldn’t meddle too much.”

Dorian’s eyes hardened. “Yolanda is my only daughter—my only child. How can I not stand by her? What if I decide to push for what’s right for her?”

Regina gave him a helpless look. Dorian was a man of many strengths, but his devotion to Yolanda often clouded his judgment. He wouldn’t rest until Caden and Yolanda were together, even if it meant that the Ward and Moss families would go to war with each other. Besides, if push came to shove, Dorian was convinced that Caden would be the one to surrender.

Yolanda, with her ear pressed against the door, smiled to herself as she eavesdropped on their conversation. As much as she resented her parents, she couldn’t deny that her father’s blind affection for her was a powerful weapon.

With a smirk, she sauntered back to her bed, casting a dismissive glance at the pills on her bedside table. Without a second thought, she swept them into the trash.

Meanwhile, Alicia was just arriving at Caden’s office.