Chapter 844

"Somewhat," Kohen replied. "Daniela glanced down,but only for a second. Cedric was right there, so l couldn't really press the issue."

Hamilton was clearly dissatisfied with such a result,though he didn't let any anger slip through. "Try again.Find a better chance and dig deeper next time."

"Got it," Kohen answered.

Without missing a beat, Hamilton demanded,"And what about Nikolas and Damon? Why do their phones always go straight to voicemail when I call?"

Every word from Hamilton dripped with palpable disappointment.

Sensing an opening, Kohen decided to fan the flames."Honestly, they've turned into Daniela's lapdogs.I even reminded them your birthday's this weekend-told them they should probably get you something."

Hamilton's eyes narrowed to icy slits as he probed."And?"

Kohen went on, "They basically said Daniela's birthday takes priority now. Since they don't need anything from the McCoy family anymore, your opinion doesn't matter to them."

Hamilton's composure finally shattered. With a howl of rage, he hurled his phone across the room,shattering it against the wall.

That very same day,McCoy Group launched a ruthless assault on Nikolas' latest business venture

The attack was vicious and unyielding, fracturing Nikolas' financial lifeline and leaving him just a hair's breadth from declaring bankruptcy right then and there.

For the first time, a cold, consuming fear gripped him -he'd almost lost a fortune that wasn't even his,but entrusted to him by Daniela.

Panic rising in his throat, he rushed into Daniela's office,complexion drained of color.

A heavy sense of defeat weighed on his shoulders.He'd never overseen anything of this scale before,and now he was staring down a disaster he couldn't control.

If he were back at home, Hamilton's look of scorn would be unbearable-he could already picture that icy,disappointed gaze.

Self-loathing churned inside him, dark enough that a part of him wished he could simply vanish rather than face the fallout.

"Let me see what's gone wrong." Daniela barely glanced up from her work, her tone impossibly calm."Sit. Give me a minute. We'll find out what's broken and see how to fix it."

Her collected composure caught Nikolas off guard.Carol, quietly attentive, passed him a glass of water.

His hands shook as he accepted it, white-knuckled and tense.

Carol gave him a reassuring smile. "There's really no need to panic. Isn't this just how business goes?"

Nikolas let out a weary breath. "This is a lesson from my father-my mistake to fix. I missed something important and left an opening he could exploit."

Carol, completely unfazed by the tension, brushed his concern aside. "You're not superhuman, you know.You've been working yourself to the bone.I heard you've barely slept. Look at those dark circles."

But Nikolas was in no mood to dwell on exhaustion.His attention remained locked on Daniela,searching her face for any sign of hope.

He never would have imagined, not in a million years,that Daniela would become his last hope, the person he was desperate to lean on

Life had a twisted sense of humor.

After a thorough review of the situation, Daniela summoned a few trusted aides to join her for a quick strategy session. Once they'd hashed out the details,she turned to Nikolas and laid out a plan. "Your father knows you inside and out. That's why he knows where to strike. Give this method a shot-if it fails, come straight back to me and we'll figure out the next step together."

There wasn't the slightest note of blame in her voice -only calm assurance.

Still, Nikolas was consumed by guilt, unable to shake off his own self-reproach.

Catching the storm in his eyes, Daniela smiled. "Take a breath and trust yourself. I know you can handle this."

Afterwards,Nikolas stepped into the hallway, only to be intercepted by Kohen. "So this is it? You're just going to settle for playing Daniela's lackey now?"

Nikolas shot him a frigid glare, the coldness in his eyes answering for him.

Unlike Damon, he couldn't be so easily controlled. A cold sneer twisted his lips as he faced Kohen. "Kohen,even if I walk away, Father would never hand the reins to you. Do you know why? You don't have the backbone or the brains for it."

Kohen's forced grin faltered, his confidence visibly shaken.

Nikolas pressed on, his voice low and razor-sharp. "If McCoy Group ever falls into your hands,I'll make it my mission to bring you crashing down. Why are you so smug now? You don't have the character for this.Even if you manage to grab hold of the position, it won't last. You should really take a long, hard look at your own abilities."

Without sparing another glance, Nikolas strode away,leaving Kohen standing there-frozen and rattled,unable to pull himself together for a long while.

Hamilton's birthday arrived that weekend.

He sent out invitations to Cedric and Daniela, then turned to Alexander with a calculating glint in his eyes."Daniela's afraid of heights. That day, lure her up to the rooftop. The rest will be up to you."

Alexander blinked, confused. "The rooftop?"

A mocking smirk curved Hamilton's mouth. "Her greatest weakness is heights. You've known her this long and never figured that out?"

Alexander looked utterly thrown. "She's scared of heights? Who told you that?"

Hamilton's eyes glittered with mischief. "You don't need to know where I heard it. Just trust me-it's your best shot with Daniela. Leave Cedric to me; I'll make sure he stays busy in the study."

Hesitating, Alexander remarked, "Cedric isn't the type to just do what he's told."

But Hamilton only laughed, brimming with confidence,"Relax. I have my ways."