Chapter 6 Mildred's Fury And New Schemes

• Mildred stormed back into her room at the mansion, seething with anger. The conversation with Daniel had not gone as planned. He was supposed to be her ally, her pawn in the grand scheme to push Natalie out and take control. But now, it seemed he was developing feelings for her cousin.
• “How dare he go soft now,” Mildred muttered to herself, pacing back and forth. “He was supposed to be on my side.”
• Her mind raced as she considered her options. She couldn’t let Daniel’s newfound conscience ruin everything. She needed a new plan, one that would remove Daniel from the equation and still ensure Natalie’s downfall.
• As she sat down at her desk, a wicked smile spread across her face. She would use Daniel’s own feelings against him.
• The next morning, Mildred called her loyal friend, Karen, to the mansion.
• “I need you to do something for me,” Mildred said, her tone icy. “I need you to find any dirt you can on Daniel. I don’t care what it is—financial troubles, skeletons in his closet, anything that can be used against him.”
• Karen nodded, eager to please. “I’ll get right on it, Mildred.”
• As Karen left, Mildred leaned back in her chair, feeling a sense of satisfaction. If she could discredit Daniel, she could turn Natalie against him. And if she could turn Natalie against him, she could drive a wedge between them, making it easier to execute her plan.
• Later that day, Natalie and Daniel were driving back to the mansion after running some errands. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and it was clear to anyone watching that they were falling deeper in love.
• “Have you ever thought about taking a vacation?” Daniel asked casually, glancing at Natalie in the rearview mirror.
• Natalie laughed. “A vacation? What’s that?”
• “I’m serious,” Daniel said, smiling. “You’ve been working so hard. You deserve a break.”
• Natalie sighed. “Maybe someday. But right now, there’s just too much to do.”
• Daniel reached over and took her hand. “Promise me you’ll think about it.”
• Natalie felt a warmth spread through her at his touch. “I promise.”
• As they continued to drive, Daniel couldn’t shake the feeling of dread that Mildred had instilled in him. He knew he had to come clean to Natalie, but he didn’t know how. Every moment they spent together made it harder to imagine losing her.
• Meanwhile, Mildred was growing increasingly impatient. Karen had come back with a file of information on Daniel, and it was even better than she had hoped. Financial troubles, a few minor run-ins with the law from his youth—nothing too severe, but enough to paint him in a bad light.
• Mildred reviewed the file with a sense of triumph. This would be enough to shake Natalie’s trust in him. She just needed to deliver the information in a way that would hit the hardest.
• That evening, as Natalie and Daniel were getting ready to leave the mansion, Mildred intercepted Daniel outside.
• “We need to talk,” she said, her voice low and urgent.
• Daniel looked around, ensuring Natalie was nowhere near. “Alright. Where?”
• Mildred led him to a secluded area in the garden. “What are you doing, Daniel? You’re getting too close to her.”
• Daniel’s jaw tightened. “Mildred, things have changed. I’m not going through with this anymore.”
• Mildred’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t get to change the plan. Remember why we started this? To get Natalie out of the picture so we could take control.”
• Daniel shook his head. “It’s not that simple anymore. I’ve developed real feelings for her.”
• Mildred scoffed. “Feelings? You think she would still care about you if she knew the truth?”
• Daniel felt a pang of guilt. “I’m going to tell her everything. She deserves to know.”
• Mildred stepped closer, her expression cold. “If you do that, you’ll ruin everything. Do you think she’ll forgive you? She’ll see you as a traitor.”
• Daniel’s resolve wavered. He knew Mildred was right. Natalie would be devastated if she found out the truth now. But he couldn’t keep lying to her either.
• “Just stick to the plan,” Mildred insisted. “Get close to her, make her trust you, and then we’ll move in. We can have everything we ever wanted.”
• Daniel clenched his fists, torn between his loyalty to Mildred and his growing love for Natalie. “I’ll handle it,” he said finally. “But things are going to be different.”
• Mildred smirked. “We’ll see about that.”
• As Daniel walked back to the mansion, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He had to find a way to come clean to Natalie without destroying everything they had built. He just hoped it wasn't too late.
• Inside, Natalie was finishing up a call with one of her clients. She saw Daniel approaching and smiled. “Ready to go?”
• Daniel forced a smile. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
• As they drove away, Daniel couldn’t help but glance at Natalie, his heart heavy with the secret he was keeping. He knew he needed to tell her the truth, but every moment they spent together made it harder. He just hoped he could find the right time and the right words before everything fell apart.
• Back at the mansion, Mildred watched them leave, her mind racing with possibilities. She had come too far to let anyone stand in her way. Not Daniel, not Natalie—no one. This was her time to take control, and she would do whatever it took to get what she wanted.