Chapter 916

Carol walked in and spotted Daniela on the sofa,flipping through a stack of records.

"Daniela, Hamilton says he's sick and refuses to come out.What's our move now? Should we ride this momentum while we've got it?"

Daniela stared at the laptop screen, quiet and still.

Carol leaned over for a better look. "Josh is such an idiot. I just heard half their senior staff resigned. All long-timers too. Josh is so panicked, he's replaced them with clueless loyalists. He's basically sabotaging himself. This is the perfect time to hit McCoy Group where it hurts."

They had no one else to blame for their own collapse.

With Josh's poor judgment, it wouldn't take much for Daniela to bring the whole thing down. "Taking them down wouldn't be hard..."

But Daniela had her eye on something else-she still needed to uncover who was behind the explosion from years ago. If she crushed them now, the McCoys would scatter, and that would make the truth harder to chase down.

And truthfully, Cedric was also on her mind.

She knew Hamilton hadn't played a role in her mother's death. If it turned out he was innocent in the bombing too, she'd let him walk away with his pride.

McCoy Group was something he'd built brick by brick. And he was Cedric's father. She should show him respect.

"There's no need to destroy McCoy Group completely," said Daniela, her tone even. "We just need to strike hard enough to make them feel it.Hamilton's hiding because he thinks I can't shake the foundation of McCoy Group and he can clean up the mess later. And let's be honest. He's aging. He's already laying the path for the next one in line."

Daniela figured he was grooming either Cedric or Nikolas to take over.

In the end, Hamilton was still a father before anything else. He wasn't entirely cold.

So she left McCoy Group a way out.

Carol stayed quiet. She rarely questioned Daniela's decisions.

Once the tasks were settled, Daniela let out a long yawn.

Carol raised a brow. "You've been weirdly tired lately.Didn't sleep well again?"

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Or is Cedric just that charming? Keeping you up all night?"

Daniela rolled her eyes and laughed. "Shut up!"

Carol laughed too and stepped out to make a call.Daniela's smile lingered, but only for a second. That tired feeling had been showing up more and more.

It reminded her of her pregnancy days several years ago.

Cedric had been extra clingy lately, which only added to her doubts. She glanced at her belly and made a mental note to buy a test soon.

Before Daniela could finish the thought, she drifted off on the sofa.

Cedric stepped out of the study, a fresh glass of juice in hand, but he couldn't see her anywhere.

A maid noticed how worried he looked and let out a soft chuckle.

She had never watched two people so attached.They hated being apart, even for a heartbeat.

The maid pointed at the sofa where Daniela lay bundled up like a sleepy kitten under a thick blanket."Right there. She drifted off, so I closed the curtains.You probably thought she was just a pile of covers."

Cedric turned and finally spotted Daniela, curled tight and fast asleep. He hadn't realized she was right there all along.

A smile broke on his face as he crouched beside her.He gently lifted the blanket, uncovering her peaceful face.

"Still tired?" he asked in a hush.

She didn't answer, lost deep in dreamland.

Cedric traced a fingertip along her cheek. She stirred, eyes fluttering open for a second, then closed them again with a sleepy mumble. "What is it?"

Her voice, low and warm with sleep, made him catch his breath.

Cedric leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Come on.You should sleep in the bedroom."

Daniela stayed snug under the blanket and whispered, "Carry me." Cedric laughed quietly, tucked the blanket tight,and scooped her into his arms.

While climbing the stairs, he teased, "Why are you so sleepy these days? Is it my fault?"

Half-asleep, Daniela buried her face against his chest."It is."

Cedric laughed so hard he almost lost his balance.

Daniela was truly worn out. When she fell asleep,Cedric usually stayed close, drifting off with her or pressing soft kisses on her skin.

Whenever Cedric tickled her like that,Daniela would grumble, "Do it again and I'll throw you out."

Cedric would pin her gently and grin. "You wouldn't have the heart to do it."

Not long ago, he'd never dare joke like this. Now,though, nothing held him back.

Even when they were tangled up close, he whispered words that turned her cheeks red.

Cedric claimed these moments made them stronger as a couple.

Whether it did or not, Daniela only knew he had endless energy, leaving her drained but happy.

Daniela slept through a full day and night. But sleep stayed far away from others.

With top staff gone, Josh shoved his own lackeys into empty spots. They were lazy fools who knew nothing about business.

By dawn, McCoy Group's stock crashed again.Revenue sliced in half overnight. Board members nearly fell off their chairs in shock.

"What?" Josh coughed on his drink, spinning to face the secretary with wide eyes. "What did you just say?How much did the stock drop today?"