Chapter 974

As soon as he heard the question, Cedric shifted his gaze toward Hamilton and rolled his eyes without holding back.

Hamilton picked up on it right away. There was something loaded in that glance.

A flicker of hope rose in him. For a second, he imagined Cedric might square his shoulders and say with conviction, "I'll handle this myself."

But that wasn't what happened.

Cedric, the son Hamilton always praised as exceptional,simply stretchedout his legs, and replied,"You might have gotten the wrong idea."

Hamilton stared, stunned.

Cedric continued, "Daniela calls the shots on everything. Only when she doesn't want to take charge, I'll step in."

The words were tough to hear. Even so,Hamilton studied Cedric's face and saw no trace of shame.Cedric didn't seem the least bit bothered. He looked like he meant every word A wave of irritation bubbled up in Hamilton's chest."You're a man, Cedric! Don't you feeI any pride in being a McCoy? This attitude of yours... I don't know where it comes from. It sure didn't come from your mother. She wasn't a pathetic, lovesick fool."

Golden light streamed in from the window as Cedric kneaded dough. It gave him the look of someone basking in his own peace.

He kept his tone light. "There's no rule that says men should make all the calls. The one who's right should lead. And just so you know, my mother never got married. I'd say she was a lovesick fool."

"Nonsense!" said Hamilton, sounding both flustered and annoyed. "I went to see her later on,and she didn't even look me in the eye. She told me flat-out she would lost interest after being intimate with a man and she wouldn't see him again."

Cedric stopped kneading. Slowly, he turned his head and looked at Hamilton.

Hamilton's ears had gone bright red.

Cedric narrowed his eyes. "Funny. I remember you telling me you never went back to see her."

Hamilton let out a dramatic sigh. "I said that because I was embarrassed. Truth is, I went five times. Five!And the last time, she gave me a look so cold I still feel it. So you're not like her at all. She treated me like trash after she got what she wanted. Back in those days, she was a top model. Everyone wanted her.She didn't need a man like me."

He had spent years pretending none of it happened,telling people he never chased after Cedric's mother -all to protect his bruised pride.

Trúth was, he had been left behind and didn't have the guts to admit it.

Cedric glanced at Hamilton,saw the red flush creeping up his face, and knew right away it wasn't a lie.

"Well, if that's true, maybe we're not even related."

Hamilton's jaw dropped. "That's nonsense! I've conducted a paternity test. You're definitely my son."

Cedric didn't look thrilled.

Feeling as if someone had punched him in the gut,Hamilton cried out, "Why don't you take a look in the mirror and see what you look like right now?"

Cedric Let out a half-smile.

Hamilton gave himn a mournful look. "Is it satisfying to know your mother dumped me?"

But Cedric wasn't feelingtriumphant. He had entered the orphanage when he was young, and whatever memories he had of his mother were faint-mostly of her wearing flashy clothes, doing her hair just right,and carrying a different purse every time. That was about all he remembered.

Still, he figured it would've been better if Hamilton hadn't let her down so badly.

Cedric never looked for affection from family anyway.To him, Daniela wasn't just someone he cared for-she was everything.

As long as she stayed, he had no complaints.

"Forget the past. Can you handle things where Daniela's involved?" Hamilton asked.

Cedric shook his head. "Nope."

The answer made Hamilton throw up his hands."D。you even realize how serious this is?"

While brushing a coat of honey on the pastries, Cedric replied, "She knows what she's doing. If she believes it's right, I'm behind her. She always sees things through."

He slid the tray into the oven and leaned back, eyes cast down. "I worked hard just to stay by her side. You wouldn't want me ending up alone like you,would you?"

That one hit Hamilton hard.Cedric added, "She may look easygoing, but when things go south, she won't hesitate to cut me loose.If that happens, I'm not sure I'd even know how to get back on my feet. So, please, drop this. Don't bring it up again."

He pulled open the kitchen door.

Standing outside were Brad and Ethan. Cedric had no clue how long they'd been listening. But he didn't care.He walked past them without a second glance.

Brad blinked in surprise. "Cedric says whatever's on his mind. Doesn't even bother with saving face."

Ethan scoffed, "Who needs pride when your wife's got power and you've got nothing to worry about? If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't care either. In families like ours, people fight like dogs over scraps. But Daniela? She just points and takes what she wants.Heard her tell Carol she's planning to hand the whole McCoy Group to Cedric. All these years we broke our backs, and it's all just a gift-wrapped toy for someone else."