Chapter 781

The secretary didn't sugarcoat his words. They came out so direct, Nikolas almost expected him to say,"Don't bite off more than you can chew."

Nikolas sat there, caught between anger and helplessness. Deep down, he knew Daniela had outplayed him.

After a pause, he muttered under his breath, "Even if I give up, I doubt Daniela will."

The secretary offered a calm reply. "Why not speak to her yourself? She doesn't seem unreasonable."

Nikolas gave a short nod. "Got it." His voice carried no strength.

He didn't want more conflict. He was even willing to offer Hamilton a proper apology

As he moved toward the stairs, a car engine rumbled outside the villa.

He stopped walking

Through the window, he spotted the McCoy Group's asset lawyer stepping out of the vehicle. The butler met the man at the door They exchanged a few words before the lawyer hurried inside.

Nikolas overheard the butler's voice down the hall "Mr. McCoy is waiting for you in the study."

The lawyer walked upstairs and gave Nikolas a brief nod before disappearing behind the study door

That room had thick walls. Not a sound made it through

Even though he couldn't hear what was being said,Nikolas had a feeling the meeting had something to do with the family's inheritance.

Uneasy, he slipped out of the house and headed across the street to a small cafe.

He waited there for more than three hours before the lawyer finally left the villa.

Nikolas sent him a short message.

Minutes later, the man joined him at his table.

"Mr.McCoy," the lawyer greeted, calm as ever

Nikolas rose, gestured toward the empty seat,and said,"Have a seat."He ordered a coffee for the man and spoke plainly "Mr. Kelly, you and my uncle have been friends for years. He once said I could come to you if I ever had questions. So I won't waste time."

Raul Kelly sat back and waited a moment before saying, "Go on."

Nikolas leaned in. "Did my father ask you to make any changes to the original inheritance plan while you were here?"

Raul pressed his lips together before speaking with care. "I can't give specifics, but I can say this-your father does consider all his children. Thatmuch,Iknow."

The message wasn't loud, but it hit hard.

Nikolas lowered his eyes, his voice flat. "Got it. Thank you,Mr.Kelly."

Raul got to his feet, then placed a hand on Nikolas ' shoulder. "You've got potential. If the path you're on feels tight, then carve your own. You'll go far, trust me."

Nikolas didn't need it spelled out. His father had never meant to hand him the legacy.

He knew it was coming. Still, it burned.

He stayed seated long after Raul left.

When he finally stood, his elbow bumped the coffee cup. It tipped over, spilling across the table and dripping to the floor

Later that day, he went to Daniela's company. From the outside, he spotted her on a windowsill, sorting through data. Upstairs, Cedric was directing the team at the site. The skyscraper they'd taken over was full of movement now. The future felt close enough to touch.

Nikolas felt all kinds of emotions swirling inside him.None of them were simple.

He walked up and called her name. "Daniela."

She glanced up and met his eyes. "I was hoping you had a minute," said Nikolas. "There's something I'd like to say."

She approached him.

Gone was the usual pride in his tone. "I'm not going to fight Cedric anymore. I'm stepping back. And whatever I did to you before-I hope you can leave it behind."

She didn't respond right away. Her eyes scanned his face, sharp and unreadable.

Then she smiled. It wasn't kind. "Do you really think you're in any place to bargain with me? Haven't you figured out who I am by now? I'm miles ahead of you,Nikolas. And none of this was ever about you." She was never one to sugarcoat the truth. "You've misunderstood your role here. You're not even in a position to negotiate"

Only the one holding the power gets to make deals

Nikolas stood there, not yet realizing how far behind he truly was