Chapter 1009

Inside the car,Hamilton finally managed to steady.himself, though the silence between him and Carol felt awkward.

He cleared his throat, searching for something to say Carol shot a quick glance at the back of his head-he still refused to face her.

Breaking the tension, Carol spoke in an even tone."You don't have to act so awkward. Daniela sent me here. I'm just doing what she asked."

Hamilton straightened his spine, asking, "So Daniela gives an order, and you just go along with it?"

Carol nodded. "That's right."

He gave her a skeptical look. "Why are you so loyal to her? She tells you to steer clear of Nikolas, and you actually listen. What did she do-save your life or something?"

Carol's gaze stayed locked on the road. "She did. She pulled me out of the orphanage. If not for her, I wouldn't be here at all. The relationship we share isn't like the brotherhood you guys brag about. It's deeper.Maybe that's why you all end up scheming and betraying each other, while she and I never do. No matter what happens down the road, she's the only person I'll ever trust completely."

Hamilton blinked, thrown by her blunt loyalty. "What then-when you do get married?"

Carol shifted her grip on the wheel, her expression unwavering. "If Daniela doesn't think a man is good enough, I'm not interested. He'd have to respect her as much as I do."

Hamilton mulled that over, recalling how Nikolas also seemed to take all his cues from Daniela. It was almost like devotion.

"So if the guy you end up with can't get along with Daniela,you'd just write him off?"

Carol didn't hesitate."Exactly."

Hamilton fell silent, struggling to accept the implication that every man in the McCoy family had to fall in line behind Daniela. The idea sat uncomfortably with him,prickling his pride.

Carol gave a casual shrug. "Don't stress yourself.Nikolas isn't on my radar anymore, so you can quit scheming."

Her indifference stung Hamilton's ego. "You're just letting him go? That easy? Nikolas went so far as to starve himself for you."

Carol broke into a sharp, unbothered laugh."Admirers aren't exactly in short supply for me, and Nikolas isn't irreplaceable. I know how to make a good life for myself-whether I'm with someone or completely alone. I don't tie my happiness to any man, and I'm sure as hell not gambling my future on anyone else's feelings. He starved himself over me, so what? Does that mean I owe him my life? Am I supposed to throw everything away just to reward his devotion?"

She let out a snort, unapologetic and fiercely self-assured.

Hamilton glanced over, struck by how much Carol echoed Daniela in that moment.

Carol spoke quietly but with unmistakable conviction."My life isn't some melodrama. I'm the main character,not a sidekick. If Nikolas can't even get a handle on his own family, he's not qualified to stand beside me."

For a second, Hamilton couldn't look away from her -he saw Daniela's determination shining through.

He studied the curve of her face, a sudden thought gnawing at him. Maybe he failed as a brother and a father. The brothers he'd treated with genuine loyalty,the sons he'd tried so hard to mentor-why did none of them possess the same steel, the unshakable pride,as the people loyal to Daniela?

Once Hamilton was gone, Jules strolled into Josh's place.

Josh sat slouched on the couch, legs bouncing restlessly.

Was Brad dead or not? And what had happened to Ethan? Where had the body disappeared to?

Jules noticed Josh's distracted air and spoke up. "Josh,what's got you so deep in thought?"

Josh jerked upright, snapping out of his trance. "What?"

Jules' eyes narrowed. "Who do you think actually killed Brad? Is Daniela going to make it through tonight or not? It's already past midnight. Why haven't any of our people reported back?"

Josh's stomach twisted with unease, a cold sweat prickling his skin as he realized things were slipping beyond his grasp.

He tightened his fists and hurriedly dialed one of his men.

The line clicked, and a low voice answered,barely above a whisper. "Mr. McCoy?"

Josh didn't waste time. "Any updates on Daniela?"

The man hesitated, then replied quietly, "Nothing at all. It's dead silent over there. Daniela's in her room-looks like she's sleeping. No signs of anything out of the ordinary."

Josh's brow furrowed, an uneasy suspicion creeping in."No cars in or out? Not even a doctor dropping by?Did they find anything? Comb through every detail-l don't want anything slipping past us."

The man's eyes went wide, nerves edging into their

voice. "I swear, nothing unusual. The weather's been awful; nobody's come or gone. I've had a clear view of the living room the whole time. Daniela's barely moved from the sofa-just watching TV. The only person near her was Cedric, who handed her some fruit. No close contact, no visitors."

"Got it. Stay sharp," Josh said in a low, muffled tone.

Jules narrowed his gaze, a note of frustration in his tone. "This doesn't add up. The person who sold us that poison swore it'd work in four days-max. It's already day four, and Daniela looks perfectly fine.Did Brad poison her?"

Josh rubbed the back of his neck, looking uneasy."He definitely poisoned her. Maybe we just need to wait it out. Could be that Daniela's body is tougher than we thought, so the poison's taking its own damn time."

Jules let out a sharp laugh. "Tough? The seller told us the healthier the target, the faster the poison works.And don't forget-Daniela's carrying twins. I don't care how strong she is-no one could shrug it off this long.If things keep dragging, she'll give birth before we see any action."

Unable to sit still, Jules shot to his feet. "Enough waiting. Why are we just sitting here? We need to check on Daniela-now. I'm telling you, something's off. What if she caught on and turned the tables on Brad and Ethan? Do you ever think of that? If that's not the case, why can't we get through to Ethan after all this time?"Josh stiffened, his expression flickering with guilt.He sure as hell wasn't about to admit that he had planned the explosion that took Brad's life. That would make him look far too merciless.

Without another word, he trailed after Jules, the two of them heading straight for Daniela's villa.