Chapter 709

Nikolas was livid, his jaw tightening as he ground his teeth in frustration.

Finally, Richard shot him a calming glance. Nikolas forced a crooked smile and muttered, "Alright, let's eat first,then we'll talk."

Nikolas waved the waiter over to begin serving the food.

Soon,the table was piled high with an array of dishes. With a broad grin, Nikolas turned to Daniela and said,"Come on, Daniela, give it a try. It is the signature dish in the restaurant. Cedric, you too. And Carol, don't just sit there, dig in."

Nikolas was brimming with enthusiasm.

Carol reached for her fork.

But just as she was about to take a bite, Daniela reached out and stopped her.

Carol paused, tilting her head in confusion, her eyes drifting to Daniela.

Daniela's gaze remained calm as she looked at Carol. Turning to Nikolas and Richard, she said, "If there's something you wish to say, just say it. We came straight from home, and we already ate."

Nikolas narrowed his eyes.

Richard clenched his teeth tightly, barely containing his frustration.

"If you've already eaten, a little more won't hurt," Nikolas said, gesturing toward the beef Carol had been eyeing. "Carol, don't mind Daniela. The beef here is unbelievably tender!"

Daniela let out a mocking laugh, her smile laced with mockery.

She slowly turned her gaze from Carol to Nikolas, then gestured at the dishes in front of her. "Why don't you eat first?" Nikolas froze. Earlier, he and Richard had slipped something into the food.

Nikolas chuckled dryly. But he'd expected Daniela to be wary, so he didn't lace every dish. "Alright, I'll eat.

Daniela, you're way too suspicious. We're family, aren't we? Are you really accusing me of poisoning the food? You're hilarious!"

Then Nikolas picked up a slice of cucumber and crunched into it, smiling with exaggerated satisfaction.

Just as he set his fork down, Daniela asked casually, "Is that all you're going to have?"

Nikolas had never encountered anyone as difficult as Daniela.

He gritted his teeth behind his smile and reached for some vegetables.

Daniela lowered her gaze, then looked over at Richard. "Aren't you going to eat?"

Richard gave a light chuckle, obediently picked a fork, and took a slice of radish.

Daniela nodded, satisfied, and picked up her fork. With Nikolas and Richard watching her closely, she added some greens to her plate.

Nikolas said, "Come on, Daniela,have some meat!"

He sounded a little too eager.

But before he could make another move, Daniela dropped a piece of beef onto Nikolas' plate.

"I remember you like it too. Go ahead," Daniela urged.

The atmosphere suddenly intensified.

Nikolas stared at the beef before him, a chill creeping over him.

"Daniela! What's the meaning of this? I invited you for a meal, but that's what you are trying to do?" Nikolas was so enraged that veins popped on his forehead, his face flushing red.

"I mean nothing," Daniela replied with a slight smile. "What? Is the beef inedible? Or why else would you be so upset?" Nikolas clenched his jaw again.

Daniela met his gaze and asked, "So, is this beef edible?"

She had backed Nikolas into a corner. If he didn't eat the beef, he'd look guilty.

But if he did...

There was a laxative in that dish, and if he dared to eat more than a few bites, he'd be stuck in the bathroom all night.

Nikolas took a deep breath, annoyed and relieved at the same time. Well, at least it was just a laxative.

Nikolas forced himself to eat the beef.

Daniela smirked and turned to Richard, who calmly followed suit, taking a bite of beef as well.

Nikolas,struggling to keep his cool, cleared his throat. "Alright, Daniela, we've eaten. Now you..."

Daniela nodded with a smile. "Of course we'll eat it! You've been such a generous host, and we wouldn't want to disappoint you."

Nikolas was overjoyed. Fortunately, he had secretly brought antidiarrheal pills with him.

He felt lucky to have come prepared. Otherwise, Daniela would've outsmarted him.

"Then, feel free to eat whatever you like," Nikolas said before stepping out to make a call.

"Kohen, everything's going smoothly. Once the laxative kicks in, we'll move them to the rooftop and toss them off. We'll say they jumped off the building."

That way, they wouldn't arouse any suspicion.

Kohen replied, "Okay. In thirty minutes, Charles and I will storm in with a team. Cedric and Daniela must die."

Nikolas narrowed his eyes, a grin tugging at his lips. "Alright."

After finishing his call, Nikolas returned to the room, feeling quite pleased with himself. But the moment he stepped inside, he noticed Richard's grim face.

Nikolas glanced at the table and noticed a few new dishes while the food that he had ordered had been pushed to the side.

Carol was digging into a plate of stir-fried lobster.

Nikolas was surprised.

Daniela wasn't playing by the usual rules.

Nikolas demanded, "What do you mean, Daniela? Do you think the dishes I ordered aren't good?"

Daniela said calmly, "How could it be? Carol likes spicy food, so l ordered some. We can still talk now. You can tell me what you're planning to say."

Nikolas was furious. He could barely resist the urge to throw Daniela and Cedric off the building.