Chapter 693

Daniela stayed composed. She gave a quiet nod.

Kohen sat down beside her as Tasha placed a glass of water on the table.

Unlike Nikolas, Kohen had an easy way about him.His smile was calm, and he spoke without any tension.

There wasn't the slightest hint of hesitation on his part.

He glanced at Daniela and smiled. "Daniela, is Cedric still working these days? As a McCoy, why is he still working himself so hard? He's gone through enough.

Spent years on his own. I'm sure life hasn't been kind to him. I believe once our father meet him, he'll make it right."

Daniela didn't react, and Kohen didn't seem to mind He kept his warm smile and continued, "I see Cedric as my brother. Just because we were apart doesn't mean we should stay distant. Whatever happened before, we should let it go,right?"

Kohen hadn't expected her to answer-but she did.

"I'm not Cedric. I don't know what he went through,so I won't speak for him."

That caught Kohen off guard.

He turned to Nikolas with a surprised look.

Then he gave a small laugh. "I heard before I got here that Cedric listens to you. Whatever you say, he does."

Daniela didn't blink. Her voice stayed flat. "I don't get involved in his choices. But I won't let anyone upset him."

Kohen opened his mouth to reply, but Daniela cut him off. "I won't sugarcoat anything. I protect who l care about. So if anyone tries to hurt Cedric, don't expect me to play nice." Kohen was left speechless.

He had never met someone who brushed off social niceties like this.

He let out a stiff chuckle.

After sitting there a bit longer, he left with Nikolas.

While walking through the garden, Kohen leaned closer and asked, "She's got a nasty temper, doesn't she? Seems like she's not easy to trick."

Nikolas let out a slow breath and shut his eyes for a moment. "Exactly why I wanted you to meet her yourself. Daniela's rich, and she doesn't play around.You need to be careful."

Kohen snorted. "You're blowing this out of proportion. She's just a woman. And no matter what Cedric's capable of, he's still no match for us.They're are inexperienced and naive. They'lI never get a slice of the inheritance."

Right as the last word left his lips, a black car rolled into the yard. Nikolas leaned toward Kohen and whispered,"Cedric's back. Be careful with your words. He's not as easy to figure out as you thought."

This was the first time Kohen had ever seen Cedric in person.

Everyone in Oiscoll knew the McCoy brothers had good looks.

Cedric seemed to carry the best of those traits.

The only flaw was the slight limp in his step.

That detail dulled some of Kohen's admiration,though the envy still lingered.

With a friendly grin, he called out, "Cedric!"

Cedric didn't know who he was, but the resemblance to Nikolas was enough to guess they were related.

His expression didn't soften.

He stood firm at the villa's entrance, blocking their path. Kohen blinked, confused. "Cedric, what's that supposed to mean?"

Cedric looked between them. "You tell me. What do you mean?"

Right then, Tasha's voice rang out from inside,calling everyone in for dinner.

Niklaus knew Cedric cared most about Daniela, so he quickly suggested, "Why don't we go inside?Daniela's waiting."

Cedric's brows furrowed just as the front door swung open.

Daniela stood there and said, "Come in for dinner first."

Cedric had spent the day in Kaloria for a business meeting. She didn't want him dealing with them on an empty stomach.

Without a word, Cedric walked in. The other two followed behind him. "Cedric, why are you still living here with Daniela?Phillips Group is doing fine. Why not just get your own place?" Kohen pulled out a chair and sat down."If money's tight, I'll talk to Dad. He can get you a

villa."

As he spoke, he shot a glance toward Daniela.Her expression didn't change.

He figured that unless Cedric's safety was involved,she wouldn't speak up.

Turning back to Cedric, Kohen smiled again. "Or maybe there's a style you like? Tell me what kind of villa you want. I'll buy it."

Once he handed over the keys, Cedric would be stuck in this city.

And by taking the gift, Cedric would be too ashamed to make demands of the McCoy family later.

All the family's assets would stay in their control.

From where Kohen sat, Cedric looked like nothing more than an average businessman. No ambition. No vision.

Getting him a villa seemed more than generous.

At best, Kohen figured, he might spring for a luxury one.