Chapter 983

Hamilton always assumed Daniela would strike back right away.

No move came from her, though.

If anything,she appeared more relaxed than ever.

That almost made Hamilton think she was not interested in settling any old scores.

Still,could anyone really believe Daniela would let things go that easily?

The explosion had already claimed one life and left two others gravely injured.

Daniela might present a gentle front, but underneath she was tough and fiercely determined. Anyone willing to commit her father to a mental institution would not hesitate to act against those outside her family.

Anxiety settled heavily on Hamilton's shoulders, leaving him tangled in worry.

There was no doubt that Daniela saw through Hamilton's fears, but she paid no attention to him.Every now and then, she would crack a joke with Brad and Ethan, teasing, "It's almost an month, isn'tit?"

Jarvis and Ethan frequently visited Josh's office.

Every last cent they had was tied up in this project, and for them, the stakes could not be higher.

Most of Daniela's energy went into caring for her pregnancy, but she watched as Brad and Ethan shifted from confidence to nervousness, then to frustration, and eventually to near despair, caught between hope and dread.

More than once, Brad asked, "There will not be any issues, right? We've put in so much money. Why isn't there any progress?"

Ethan narrowed his eyes. "If things were going as they should, we would have already heard about the construction starting. Why has there been no progress at all?" Hamilton's nerves got worse by the day. He was unable to think about anythíng else. After all, he'd invested a large sum of money too.

It was not long before all of Oiscoll felt the tension building.

People everywhere started searching for any scrap of information about what was really happening.

Meanwhile, Jules began acting showy and extravagant.

Suspicion first dawned on Hamilton. "Where do you think Jules got all that money?"

Brad tried to reassure him. "Don't worry, Hamilton. Tonight, I'll have my daughter arrange a dinner with Jules' kids. I want to get a look at how much is actually in his accounts."

"Can you trust that?" Ethan asked.

Brad gave a confident nod. "Lara, my daughter, is the top student in finance. You can count on her. Let's just wait and see."

Minutes dragged by.

During dinner, Daniela enjoyed her meal while the three McCoy brothers paced the courtyard restlessly,looking as uneasy as caged lions.

The housekeeper asked, "Should I call them in for dinner?"

As Cedric offered Daniela another spoonful of soup, she answered, "I doubt they have the appetite for food tonight." 0

Much later, Brad's phone lit up with a message from Lara. She sent a screenshot showing Jules' company's account balance.

Everyone gathered in the soft courtyard light, their eyes glued to the numbers on the screen.

"Thousand... Mllion... Ten million... Hundred million... Billion... Ten billion... Six hundred sixty-six billion!"The shock in the air was impossible to miss. "Hold on!" Hamilton nearly lost his composure, but his mind for numbers stayed sharp. "Why does that number seem so familiar?"

Their call was still going.

On the other end of the line, Lara let out a frustrated sigh and said, "This is everything McCoy Group is worth, except for what you handed over to Daniela. It means every asset belonging to the McCoy family has ended up right back with Uncle Jules. Dad, what have you been doing this whole time? In the end,all your efforts just helped someone else benefit."

A dull thud followed as the phone slipped from Brad's grasp."NO, that can't be. It's impossible! Jules would never do this to us. We're brothers, and he wouldn't scheme against his own family."

Ethan,who had once been tricked and promised it would never happen again, now realized he had fallen for another deception in only a matter of days.

A sharp pain shot through his chest, and he pressed a hand over his heart. "It has to be Jules. He must have set us up. His grudge against Josh for not paying him back led him to pull us all down with him. There's no other way the numbers would match up so perfectly."

Brad and Ethan turned hopeful eyes toward Hamilton, searching for any sign of optimism. However, not a trace of hope showed in his expression.

Hamilton's complexion was ghostly pale, his hands balled into tight fists, and his whole frame seemed to waver."We need to find Josh right now!"

Quick agreement came from Brad and Ethan. "Yes. We have to find Josh."

Hamilton started for the door but paused, glancing back at Daniela, who sat on the sofa,eating fruit.

A nagging feeling crept in, as if he was overlooking something important; maybe he should have asked Daniela a question before leaving.

Brad didn't give him the chance, tugging him along in haste.

A sense of urgency sharpened Brad's voice. "Move it, Hamilton, or you might go completely broke before your grandkids come."

Whatever thought had been forming in Hamilton's mind vanished at Brad's words. He rushed after Brad without another word.

Meanwhile, Carol asked quietly, "Shall we start carrying out our plan, Daniela?"

Daniela replied, "That's not necessary yet. We agreed to give it a month. Let them turn on each other first.We'll act once my babies are safe and healthy."

Carol gave a quick nod, accepting her answer.

Cedric slipped a coat around Daniela's shoulders. "I'll make sure they stay away for a while; all the commotion is bothering you."

A soft smile curved Daniela's lips. "It's fine. I want the babies to see how I stand up for the sibling they lost."Her eyes sparkled, but true happiness was nowhere to be found.

Cedric, struck by a wave of sadness, gently pulled her into his arms."After all this is over, we'll go somewhere far away."

Saying nothing, Daniela kept her gaze on Cedric before letting her eyes drift to Carol.