Chapter: 458

Her resolve hardened. She knew if she remained defiant, she'd lose all respect.

When Cedric arrived, he found her still in tears.

After hearing the entire ordeal, he was both enraged and heartbroken.

"He's dependent on us now, yet he dares to treat you this way? Does he think I'm easily manipulated?"

Cedric fumed, his face flushing with anger as he prepared to confront Joshua.

Knowing his temper, Lilliana quickly intervened. "Dad, please, don't. Caden has been putting him under pressure, and it's understandable he's lashing out. He hasn't hurt me directly."

Cedric was visibly upset. "Why do you still defend him?" he demanded.

"What choice do I have Lilliana wept. "I'm due in a few months. Do you want me to face this alone and become the subject of ridicule?"

Despite her disputes with Joshua, Lilliana's feelings for him persisted, prompting her to defend him.

Cedric had only one child. He was initially furious but knew he had to relent for Lilliana's sake.

His anger was palpable.

Lilliana tried to calm him.

“Joshua's situation is temporary. He still has support from the Yates family. Once he inherits, he'll have the resources to counter Caden's moves."

Cedric remained concerned.

“Caden is well-prepared. In just a few months, he's compiled significant evidence against Joshua. It feels like a long-planned strategy. Don't underestimate him," he warned.

"If Caden is really that powerful and influential, why would he even bother to come back and fight for his share of the Yates family's inheritance?" Lilliana retorted.

“Well, what if the Ward family is actually more powerful than we think?" Cedric countered.

"Like I said, why would he bother? If that's the case, then wouldn't it make more sense for him to stay with the Ward family and bask in his current glory?" Lilliana huffed and seethed. "It even looks like he's spent a fortune just to deal with Joshua this time around. What's so special about Alicia, anyway? Why is Caden going to such lengths for her sake?"

Just then, a phone call interrupted their conversation.

It was Lilliana's former agent.

"Lilliana!" a female voice cried out as soon as the call connected.

"Something big just happened. The accounts we used to bash Alicia on social media have all been suspended, and we are unable to reach the people using them. Word from the grapevine is that someone has wrangled them all up and they are now under someone else's control."

Lilliana's brows knitted tightly. "Do you have any idea who it is?"

"I'm afraid not," the agent answered in an anxious tone. "We're still looking into it. Considering the uproar we caused on different online platforms, we'll definitely be sued once we get exposed. Also, someone posted records of your meetings with Joshua in various hotels, all while he was still married to Alicia. A bunch of netizens are already calling you out for being his mistress. They're stirring up a great deal of discourse as we speak."

Lilliana was livid.

It must be Alicia again, it couldn't have been anyone else!

That bitch had gone after Joshua first, and now she was coming for Lilliana. Alicia was going to ruin them one by one, that scheming wench!

Realizing the gravity of the situation, Cedric was even more furious than Lilliana. “What the fuck did you do to that woman?" he demanded in a booming voice.

Lilliana hung up and angrily tossed her phone to the side. “That bitch, Alicia had it all coming! I just put her in her place, it's what she deserves! How was I supposed to know everything is going to blow up one day?"

She turned to her father and quickly changed her tone. “You have to help me, Dad!"