Chapter 848

Cedric fought to steady himself, shoving aside the chaos churning inside.

The moment Carol and her group arrived upstairs,they were greeted by the sight of Cedric crouched beside Daniela, gently wiping streaks of blood from her cheek.

Cedric was determined to shield Daniela's vulnerabilities from prying eyes.

Without hesitation, he scooped Daniela up in his arms,landed a brutal kick on Alexander, and stepped into the elevator to head downstairs.

Behind them, a swarm of reporters gawked at Daniela's condition, their cameras clicking incessantly.

Cedric carried her to the waiting car, carefully wrapping a blanket around her shoulders before stepping back out and facing the mob of cameras.

Gone was the man content to be a mere shadow at Daniela's side. In his place stood someone formidable -untouchable and sharp-edged.

His voice rang out, steely and uncompromising. "I

have no ties to the McCoy family and I never will. Mr.McCoy,stop interfere in my life. I want nothing to do with you. And I'll hold every single person responsible for what happened today. I don't care how long it takes. Justice is coming."

Cedric's eyes locked with Hamilton's from across the crowd-his stare icy and unyielding

A beat later, Cedric slipped into the waiting car and vanished down the street.

No one there could have imagined the venom coiled in Cedric's heart, least of all Hamilton.

If he had foreseen what would happen in the future,he would have deeply regretted everything that happened today.

Nikolas and Damon hurried downstairs, completely blindsided by how far things hnad spiraled.

They couldn't even bring themselves to recall how fragile Daniela seemed or how angry Cedric was.

Damon rushed to his father, voice cracking as disbelief rattled through him. "Dad, why? Why would you do something like this? Daniela's just a young woman. What's the point of scheming against her like that? Do you find it amusing?"

Hamilton remained indifferent. "Dad, you've really pushed Cedric too far this time,"Nikolas stated. "You always thought Cedric was easygoing, but you're dead wrong. He's never cared about anything except Daniela. Today, you pushed him past his limit. He's not going to let this go."

Hamilton's eyes flicked to Alexander, who was being hauled away, blood staining his shirt. For a moment,even he was rattled by Cedric's merciless streak. "He's already beaten Alexander to this extent. What more does he want? Am I supposed to believe he'd go so far as to kill his own father?"

Damon's lips curled in a bitter smile. "You forget-he's never once called you his father."

Hamilton's voice stayed eerily steady. "That doesn't change anything. I'm still his father, whether he likes it or not. What's he going to do-kill me?"

Damon shot him a mocking thumbs-up. "Your arrogance is honestly impressive."

Nikolas' words cut even deeper. "One day, that arrogance will be your downfall. And something tells me that day isn't far off."

Meanwhile, in the car, Cedric leaned forward,unscrewing a bottle of mineral water to gently wipe the blood from Daniela's cheek.

The driver, sneaking glances in the mirror, was struck by how composed Daniela looked-so much calmer

than Cedric, whose every move radiated silent fury.

Cedric's hands shook so violently he could barely hold on.

Still, he whispered over and over, "It's okay. You're safe now. It's all over."

The words were meant to comfort, but even he didn't know who he was trying to reassure.

Daniela, silent and withdrawn, let Cedric gently wipe the blood from her face. Once her cheeks were clean,he worked his way down, dabbing at her hands.Without hesitation, he reached up to slide the partition closed, shrugged the coat from her shoulders, and tossed it out of the car without a glance back.

A suit worth a fortune-gone in an instant.

Another jacket, just as expensive, landed in a careless heap by the roadside.

"Does that feel any better? I'm so sorry. I should've seen it coming. This is all my fault." His apology quivered, heavy with regret.

Daniela's answer was barely more than a whisper."I'm alright. Really. It's nothing. Don't worry about me."

Cedric's fists were clenched so hard his knuckles blanched, and a savage light flickered in his eyes."I swear,I'll make them pay for this." Later,Daniela fell asleep in Cedric's arms. He carried her upstairs,bathed her, and tucked her into the sheets. Only after she was safely asleep did he collapse beside her,utterly spent.For a long while,he lay there,eyes fixed on her peaceful face.