Chapter 741

Cedric caught the shift in Daniela's eyes and instinctively turned, his gaze trailing upward to see what had stolen her attention.

His eyes locked onto Hamilton, standing on the second floor of the balcony.

The fleeting smile that had danced on Cedric's lips vanished.

Protectively, he extended an arm, subtly ushering Daniela to step back behind him.

Hamilton's expression was a smile only by shape, carrying a sly, calculating coldness rather than warmth.His gaze cut through the distance, sharp and unyielding.

Beside him, the secretary leaned closer and asked, "Mr. McCoy, should we go down to meet them?"

Hamilton's lips curled into an emotionless grin. "Yes, let's welcome our guests," he answered evenly.

The grand hall buzzed with the low hum of the McCoy family reunion dinner.

Whispers flitted through the air as every eye turned to Cedric, Hamilton's illegitimate son, who had never spent a day with the McCoy family.

Naturally, they were itching to lay eyes on him, curious to see what kind of person he had become without their influence.

Still, no one dared to approach first. Until Hamilton gave the signal, they remained in check.

And now, with his arrival, the room's atmosphere tensed, charged with expectation.

From the edge of the gathering, Damon and Duran fixed their gazes on Cedric. Their looks were sharp and piercing, filled with a bitterness that was both overt and palpable.

"Cedric, you're finally here,"Hamilton greeted and extended his hand, an inviting gesture, but Cedric avoided him. Unfazed by the awkwardness, Hamilton's smile didn't falter. "You're home now. You don't have to keep your guard up here."

As he turned to the bustling courtyard, Hamilton beckoned to his five children. "This is Cedric, your eldest brother."

The five remained silent. None of them stepped forward to welcome Cedric as their sibling.

Duran broke the silence with a skeptical arch of his eyebrow. "Who can be sure he's one of us? Our family's wealth and prestige are coveted far and wide. What if this is all a scam? Wouldn't that make us a laughingstock? Our family's got a proud legacy, you know. Not just anyone can carry that name."

A shadow of irritation flickered across Hamilton's face,quickly masked by a controlled calm. "What bullshit are you implying, Duran?" he countered sharply. "There's no question here. Just look at him. He looks so much like me. Cedric has endured more than enough. Do you expect me to subject him to a DNA test upon his return?"

The crowd shifted, a murmur of realization spreading among them.

That was right!

They hadn't considered the lack of a DNA test.

Duran pressed on, his tone unyielding. "Dad, our lineage is our foundation. Without concrete proof, how can we accept him as a McCoy? It's not about the inheritance-I'm concerned about preserving the integrity of our bloodline. If he truly belongs,why should he fear the test?"

As he declared his intentions, a shadow of suspicion cast over the faces of his brothers. Their eyes narrowed, scheming silently.

If Cedric were to consent to a DNA test, they had already devised strategies to ensure the outcome would not be in his favor. A flicker of hope seemed to reignite in them.

Duran continued, "Dad, we really need to go through with the DNA test. Lingering doubts will only poison our family's harmony."

Damon, ever the instigator, pushed harder. "Exactly, Dad. We should handle this today, without delay!" Nikolas, seizing the moment, added his own flair to the urgency, "It's really no trouble at all. We have all the necessary medical equipment right here at home. I'll summon our staff immediately. With all our relatives and friends gathered here for the banquet, what better time to resolve this? If Cedric truly is your son, we can celebrate his legitimacy today and silence any external doubts once and for all. Isn't that what we all want?"

Amidst this fervor, Hamilton turned his gaze to Cedric with a troubled expression. He looked like a loving father who was reluctant to put his son through more hardship.

"I think... perhaps we might not need to proceed with this test after all?" Hamilton suggested, a tentative hope in his tone as he looked towards Daniela. "We're family. Do we really need a test to confirm what we already know?"

His words, meant to shield Cedric, unwittingly stoked the flames of suspicion among his other sons.

Nikolas, quick to challenge, shot back sharply,"|fthere's nothing to hide, there should be nothing to fear,right?"

Kohen leaned forward, his voice tinged with challenge. "Indeed. Are you frightened at the thought that you might not be our brother?"

Charles, his eyes darting away from Daniela's piercing stare, mumbled uneasily,"It's just a test. It shouldn't pose any issues,right?"

Damon's voice rose with conviction, slicing through the tension. "Absolutely! We must go through with it!Otherwise, how could we ever truly accept him as our brother? Not a chance!"

Duran scoffed, "And who's to say he really is one of us? Just because he bears a passing resemblance doesn't make him family. Should we divide our legacy amongst every lookalike?"

The air thickened with unease as whispers drifted through the crowd of relatives and friends.

"They're not wrong. This is about the inheritance. We need definitive proof."

"Hamilton has always played it safe. What's gotten into him now to throw caution to the wind?" "Perhaps it's guilt gnawing at him? The boy's been adrift on his own for years, weathering storm after storm.Maybe Hamilton's conscience won't allow him to fracture what little connection they might have."

"But it's necessary. Without the test, how can he truly be certain that Cedric is his son?"

Summoned by the stern looks of the family elders, Hamilton stepped aside for a grave discussion.

Returning with a furrowed brow, Hamilton attempted to mask his inner turmoil with a forced smile.

Approaching Cedric, he spoke with evident hesitation, his voice thick with conflicting emotions."Cedric,how about we proceed with the test?"