Chapter 1003

Hamilton was caught off guard. His two sons, Nikolas.and Cedric, were utterly rebellious, unwilling to walk the pathhe'd paved.

He could understand why Cedric chose Daniela-she was a force to be reckoned with, a titan on the world stage.

But Carol? She was a nobody. Just Daniela's assistant.

"What do you want me to say?" Hamilton yelled at Nikolas. "Since you're all gathered here, I'll just say it.Carol-"

Before Hamilton managed to finish,Daniela tilted her chin, her voice slicing through the tension. "You need to realize exactly where you're standing."

Hamilton blinked, caught off guard by her icy rebuke.

Daniela fixed him with a look sharp enough to cut glass. "This is my house."

She stood up from the sofa. Sunlight slipped behind a bank of clouds, casting a gray shadow across her face and making her appear even more untouchable.

She let her eyes drift over Nikolas, then pinned Hamilton with a final, cold stare. "Here, you think you ela's Fruit can lecture my people?"

Hamilton's jaw clenched, frustration roiling in his chest.

Daniela's gaze grew colder."Get out."

Flushed with anger and humiliation, Hamilton shot Nikolas a glare, then Daniela, before spinning on his heel and marching out.

He barked at Nikolas from the doorway, his patience snapped. "What are you waiting for? Get moving!Remember this-either you stay single forever, or you marry Miss Rowe. Those are your only options."

Without another glance, Hamilton stormed out.

Nikolas remained rooted to the spot, his eyes locked helplessly on Carol. Words seemed to fail him.

Daniela rolled her eyes and instructed the housekeeper to see them out.

The housekeeper walked over, voice gentle but firm."Mr.McCoy, let's not make this any harder. It's time to go home."

Jaw clenched, Nikolas forced himself to speak. "I'm going now, Carol. And I mean this-I'll never marry anyone else. I'd rather be alone than spend my life with someone who isn't you."

He offered her one last lingering look before striding away, the set of his shoulders rigid with determination.

Meanwhile, Brad lounged in the living room, idly it

popping fruit into his mouth, a quiet grin curving his lips as he took in the wvhole chaotic scene.

Today was the third day. Tomorrow would be the last.

When Daniela turned her head, she caught Brad's sly grin-smug,unsettling.

She didn't dignify him with a reaction,simply tossed him a bored glance before sinking onto the sofa and flipping through channels, her posture radiating indifference.

Later, once the living room had emptied and Brad had disappeared down the hall, Ethan crept over to her side, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Daniela,I'm telling you-there's something off about Brad."

Annoyance still simmered under Daniela's calm exterior, but she refused to lash out at anyone else.She gave Ethan a sidelong look, eyebrows raised in silent invitation.

He pressed on, earnest and worried. "I'm not messing around. You have to trust me. We grew up together -I know what he's like. He didn't write any confession,and now he's lurking. That's not normal. He's obsessed with money, and after losing so much, he won't let it go."

Daniela let herself sink further into the cushions, her gaze steady but unreadable. "Got it."

Ethan studied her, clearly wishing she'd show a little more alarm, but all he could do was sigh in frustration. Despite everything, Daniela was still just a girl-one who rarely took advice until the fallout landed squarely on her shoulders.

Ethan released another quiet sigh, catching a glimpse of Brad creeping into the kitchen,his movements sly and guarded.

At that moment, the housekeeper was out fetching a package, and Cedric was in the yard, plucking lemons from the tree.

Ethan stepped closer, his tone sharp as he called out to Brad.

Brad jerked so hard the fruit nearly slipped from his grip. He spun around, face pinched with panic, and hissed under his breath, "What's wrong with you? Have you lost your mind? Why are you yelling?"

Brad darted a nervous glance toward the living room,checking if Daniela had noticed.

Noticing Daniela was still absorbed in her show,he set the fruit back, grabbed a mug of steaming coffee to cover his tracks, and slipped out of the kitchen.

Ethan, unconvinced, lingered in front of the refrigerator for several moments before finally asking,"What were you up to just now?"

Brad dragged Ethan into his bedroom and shut the door. "Mind your own business. Just know that everything I'm doing is for the McCoy family." Ethan's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Did you do something to Daniela's fruit?"

Brad took a leisurely sip of coffee, refusing to answer,but the smug curve of his lips said enough-he looked like a man who'd just pulled off a masterstroke.

"You really messed with her fruit, didn't you?" Ethan's tone grew sharp, his frustration mounting. "Daniela's pregnant! What did you do? Those babies-do you even realize they're McCoy blood? When Dad died, he made it crystal clear: no one is ever to harm the family. What's gotten into you?"

Frustration flashed in Ethan's eyes. "And Daniela's carrying twins. Are you actually after them?"

Brad gave a theatrical sigh, rolling his eyes. "What's got you so riled up? They're not even your children."

That offhand remark sent a chill crawling down Ethan's spine. He studied Brad's cold, unconcerned face. "Maybe they're not mine, but they're still part of this family. I won't let you hurt them."

His grip tightened as adrenaline surged through him."Forget it. I'm telling Daniela right now. She can't touch that fruit."

He strode toward the door, urgency driving every step.