Chapter 831

Cedric frowned when he looked over the contract. "Why is my name listed under the partner's section?Shouldn't that be Daniela's company?"

Carol shrugged. "I'm not sure. You'll have to ask Daniela."

Just as he turned to do that, Cedric caught sight of Alexander walking in with someone unfamiliar.

"Hey," said Carol, stepping closer."Who's that guy?"

Cedric asked around. One of the guards answered, "He said he's Mr. Bennett's new secretary. Name's Arthur Lopez."

"Arthur?" Cedric had never heard that name before.

When he went upstairs, both Alexander and Arthur were already inside the meeting room.

Cedric paused at the doorway and took a closer look.

The man wore a light gray suit and looked like he was in his forties. Behind his thick glasses, his sharp gaze barely moved.

He didn't speak to Alexander. Just kept scribbling on a piece of paper.

Cedric glanced at Carol. She got the cue.

When she passed by Arthur's chair, she slowed just enough to catch a glimpse. He was sketching some kind of chart. Nothing she recognized.

The meeting kicked off.

Alexander spoke first, laying out the goals of the partnership, the process, and the benefits both sides could expect.

Daniela paid attention, jotting down notes. Then she paused. She felt someone watching her.

She looked up and met Arthur's eyes. He gave her a faint, unreadable smile.

Daniela gave a small nod and returned to the documents in front of her.

Across the table, Cedric kept his eyes on Arthur. Not once did the man look at Alexander. Every time,his gaze was locked on Daniela. He kept writing, slow and steady.

Later in the meeting, Cedric stood up and passed behind Arthur. His eyes caught something odd. The paper was covered in small black dots. No text. No lines. Just dots.

Cedric studied them as long as he could, but they didn't make sense.

He stepped into the hallway, pulled out his phone, and started looking up anything that might explain the markings.

A moment later, Carol joined him. She crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "That guy gives me a weird feeling.I tried asking him about the project, but he said he was new and didn't know much yet. So why is he even in there?"

Cedric's expression darkened. "He's been watching Daniela too closely. It's not casual."

Carol gave a small nod. "I noticed it too. He's staring at her like he's studying her. The way he looks at her-it's cold. Makes my skin crawl."

Cedric turned his head and looked through the glass into the meeting room. Arthur was still seated, still writing in that same notebook.

Then, as if he felt Cedric's eyes on him, Arthur looked up, met Cedric's eyes, adjusted his glasses using the same hand that held his pen. then looked back down and kept writing-like nothing had happened.

Cedric narrowed his eyes and flagged down someone from Lone Wolf. "Take a look at this for me."

Toward the end of the meeting, he walked back into the room holding a pot of coffee, "accidentally" spilling it all over Arthur's notebook. Arthur jolted in surprise.

Cedric quickly set the pot down. "Are you alright? I'm terribly sorry."

Arthur moved his leg and looked up at Cedric, but his expression didn't match the apology. There was a flicker of something darker behind his eyes.

Once the meeting cleared out, Cedric and Carol pulled Daniela aside. "That guy's not right," he said,holding out the paper marked with dots.

Daniela studied the pattern but didn't recognize it. "If we match this to what I got last night,it lines up. He's probably the one Hamilton sent to find out my weaknesses. He doesn't ask anything about the project. But he tracks every move I make. That says more than anything else."

With Daniela's words, Cedric felt a chill crawl down his spine.

Carol looked uneasy. "What should we do now? He's not going to find your weaknesses, right?"

Daniela stayed calm. "They're not sure yet. They're just guessing."

She glanced toward Cedric, then leaned in to whisper something to Carol. "Get some tranquilizer ready for me." Carol gave a nod and left.

Daniela turned back to Cedric. "It's alright. Even if they figure something out, I'll be fine. The tranquilizer will keep things under control."

Cedric clenched his jaw.

This wasn't how business was supposed to be done. Tactics like this had no place in a boardroom.

He hadn't thought much of the McCoy family before, but now he was certain-they'd crossed the line. Going after her like this? It was cowardly.

"I get it," said Cedric, voicelow and tight. "But I'm not letting anything happen to you. I'll handle it."

Daniela stood close enough to feel the heat rolling off him.

She wasn't scared. Not really. But seeing Cedric like that stirred something in her. He was angry. Protective. And all of it was for her.

She'd always taken care of herself. But hearing someone else step up to shield her? It felt different.

Cedric left, his expression hard. He called out to Mose. "Dig into every last person in the McCoy family. I want a full list of their weaknesses. All of them."

If they wanted to play dirty, then fine. He could match them move for move.

Mose, who rarely saw Cedric like this, raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You're really fired up. Not like you to get worked up over someone who's not Daniela."

Cedric's teeth ground together. "They're targeting my wife."

Mose let out a short laugh. "Your wife? Seriously? Who's dumb enough to try that?"