Chapter 716

By the time Daniela and Carol were heading back, the clock had already slipped past four. Empty streets stretched endlessly under the dim glow of the streetlights.

Fog crept across the glass, casting a ghostly chill over the inside of the car.

Carol broke the silence with a frustrated groan. "So now what? What's your next move? And Cedric-what about him? His father is a monster. He dumped his own kid into an orphanage, and one of them even killed your mother.It's insane."

Carol's rant didn't stop there. She kept at it, one breath rolling intothe next.

As the car finally rolled to a stop outside the villa, Carol leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Daniela, listen.This mess isn't Cedric's fault. Don't take it out on him, okay? And come on, they only said 'Mr. McCoy'-that could be anyone. Maybe it's not even Cedric's family."

Nothing on Daniela's face gave away how she felt.

She had already gone over every detail in her head. Winslow's reasoning hadn't left any holes.

A person who was about to spend the rest of his life in prison would cooperate for his daughter's sake.

Carol let her shoulders drop and sighed. "So what now? What are you planning to do?"

Without offering a single word, Daniela stepped out and pushed the villa door open.

Later that night, Mose sent Cedric a message. "Boss, Clarinda turned the man over to me. But he didn't make it. Got ambushed halfway-he's dead."

Still groggy from sleep, Cedric blinked at his screen.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, he stared into nothing for what felt like ages. When he finally got up and headed downstairs, the first thing he did was tell Daniela. Daniela didn't react.

Brows furrowed, Cedric glanced at her. "Wasn't Winslow supposed to be important? He's gone now. Aren't you even a little shaken?"

Daniela gave only a nod, barely noticeable, before turning and walking away.

Cedric asked if Daniela would be back for lunch. No answver came.

Just then, Carol appeared downstairs, catching the tail end of the exchange. With a quick glance between them, she let out a quiet breath.

Cedric looked genuinely lost. "Did I do something? Is she mad at me?"

Saying nothing, Carol offered Cedric a small pat on the shoulder and stepped outside.

At the hospital, Nikolas received a call fromn Hamilton. "Dad..."

"Seems like life's been pretty exciting for you lately. Word travels fast-even to Oiscoll."

Nikolas instinctively drew back, his voice shaky."|t′Snot what it looks like, Dad. It's just a big misunderstanding."

Hamilton didn't bother softening his tone. "If any of you are stupid enough to fall for this kind of manipulation, then maybe you don't belong in the McCoy family/at all.Got it?"

As Daniela stepped into the room, the McCoy brothers stiffened. Whatever composure they had left,it cracked at her presence.

Without a word, she waited for Hamilton to end the call, then pulled out a chair and sat like she had all the time in the world.

The three of them had just been reprimanded, their energy drained from the events of the previous night.They had come dangerously close to losing their temper.

Nikolas was the first to break. "Why are you here?" he asked, his tone brittle with hostility.

Daniela didn't spare him a glance. Her eyes locked onto Charles. "I came to speak with you." Caught off guard, Charles blinked. "Me? I've got nothing to say to you."

"Really? Wasn't it you who helped Joyce escape?"

His gaze darted away for the fastest second. "No, that wasn't me. Didn't I already show you? The handwriting didn't match mine."

Kohen and Nikolas started to protest, ready to jump to his defense.

But Daniela cut them off. "Is that so? Then go ahead and write something with your left hand. Let's see how

it compares."

The air in the room went still. None of them spoke.

After what felt like forever, Charles finally asked,"How did you find out?"

With a slight nod, Daniela answered, "So you're admitting it now. Tell me-who put you up to it?"

There was no hesitation in his reply. "Nobody told me to doanything. I just couldn't stand the thought of you living so comfortably. That's it. I didn't need orders for something like that. Cedric doesn't matter. He's nothing. And now he thinks he has the right to fight us for the McCoy inheritance? That legacy belongs to us, and we're not about to hand it over. The game's out in the open now, Daniela, I don't have to fake anything anymore.Cedric has no place in this family's future."

A soft laugh slipped from Daniela.

Charlesnarrowed his eyes. "What's so funny?"

"That you actually believe any of that," said Daniela, her voice laced with disdain. "Do you think you have the authority to decide who inherits the McCoy fortune?" She turned to Nikolas. "Or is it your call now?"

Her tone cooled. "After the mess you made yesterday, do you honestly believe Hamilton's going to hand over the family reins to you? You think he trusts you now?"

Confusion swept across Charles' face. "What are you getting at? Why say all this to us?"

Calm as ever, Daniela replied, "Because I'm offering you something." That only deepened Charles' suspicion. "Offering what exactly?"

Leaning back in her chair, Daniela spoke with deliberate ease. "I'm willing to guide one of you. There's only room for one head of the McCoy family. And with me backing you, it's just a matter of when, not if."

The bait dangled in the air. Temptation flickered in Charles' eyes, though he tried to keep his voice guarded."Why help us? Why not Cedric? What's your real intention here?"

A slow smile curved on Daniela's lips. "Cedric? He's more comfortable behind a stove than at the head of a boardroom. That's not the kind of leader this family needs."

The answer landed exactly as intended.

"Give it some thought. If either of you wants to step up, you know where to find me. I'll throw the full weight of Elite Lux behind you-everything I have. Just don't let the chance slip away," she said as she rose from her seat.

As she reached the door, she saw Cedric standing there, having arrived unnoticed.

Cedric looked at Daniela and felt a little sad. "So in your eyes, l'm just a man who enjoys cooking?"