Chapter 1020

Cedric and Daniela glanced up to find Hamilton planted squarely in front of them, shielding them with a quiet ferocity.

"Have you lost your mind? It's the middle of the night,and you're here causing trouble for my daughter-in-law?" Hamilton's glare cut straight through Josh,eyebrows drawn into a hard line of warning.

Josh's face was flushed with rage. He gripped the fruit knife tightly, knuckles white, jabbing it in Daniela's direction. "Why don't you ask her what she's done?"

Hamilton let out a sharp, frustrated breath, barely restraining himself. "She stepped outside for some air.What on earth could she have done? Get out. Now."

Josh stared at them, completely thrown off. "So you're not even going to ask her?"

Hamilton shot back, his voice edged with disgust."Ask what,exactly? The real problem here is you. What are you doing at my daughter-in-law's house in the dead of night with a knife in your hand? If I hadn't been staying over for her pregnancy checkup tomorrow,who knows what you would've tried? Get out. Now."

As Josh looked around, Nikolas, Kohen, and a dozen more people poured out of the house behind Hamilton, forming a solid wall of support. With a tight, bitter laugh, Josh threw up his hands."50you brought the whole cavalry,huh? Daniela! Just wait -one day you'll be on your own. And when that day comes, I'll settle the score!"

Hamilton jabbed a finger at his own chest. "Come at me! What grudge are you trying to settle? Go ahead,I'm right here!"

Josh hurled the fruit knife onto the back seat and stomped off, cursing under his breath as he disappeared into the night.

Once Josh's car finally roared away, Hamilton let out the breath he'd been holding and shot a worried look at Daniela's belly. "Don't go wandering around for the next few days. Josh is completely unhinged right now.You so much as step outside, and he loses it."

Everyone nearby murmured their agreement,glancing at each other uneasily.

Daniela stayed where she was, her white dress bright beneath the porch light. She blinked. "Actually,I just came back from Josh's villa."

Hamilton stiffened, completely caught off guard."Why would you go there?"

Daniela replied, "Brad tried to have him killed. Josh fought back, set a trap of his own. I stepped in and saved Brad, and now Josh is after me."

Hamilton blinked, momentarily lost, as if she'd just rattled off a riddle.

His expression twisted with concern before he found his words. "Stay out of their feud. You're heavily pregnant-you shouldn't be running all over the place.Let those fools fight their own battles."

The entire McCoy family stared at Hamilton, stunned by his sudden detachment.

Nikolas said, "Dad, that's not what you said before.You said they were your brothers, that family mattered more than anything."

Duran chimed in, "You told us to help, no matter what."

Charles added, "Exactly."

Both Damon and Duran nodded eagerly, looking at their father.

Their words landed on Hamilton all at once, making him see just how much he'd overlooked his own children's feelings.

A faint flush crept up his neck. "Alright, let's just leave it there. What matters most is that we all live our own lives."

Their laughter rose, warm and unrestrained, ringing through the house and out into the night.

The next morning, Daniela was still groggy when Carol hurried in, her expression grim.

Daniela stared at her,momentarily at a loss for words."Who did it?"

"Brad," Carol answered, her eyes darkening. "He lost his mind after missing his chance with Josh yesterday.So instead,he went after Jules-and finished the job."

A faint composure settled over Daniela's face. "Got it."

Carol pressed on, her voice steady. "Hamilton's already gone to check things out. From what I heard,Brad dragged Jules all the way down the street.Somehow, he managed to string the body up outside Josh's bedroom door. Blood just kept pouring out,soaking the floorboards all night long. At first, Josh thought maybe a water pipe had burst, so he tore through the bathroom, searching everywhere and yelling for the maid. But when the door finally swung open, he was met with Jules hanging right there on the doorstep-eyes wide, blood pooling at his feet.Josh dropped in a dead faint before he could even scream."