Chapter 811

When Nikolas said Cedric was pathetic, Cedric remained indifferent, but Daniela's expression instantly turned cold.

"And who exactly are you calling pathetic?" she spat.

There wasn't a trace of warmth in her tone.

Nikolas' pride was crushed in an instant by her question.

"You either do as told, or get out. That clear enough for you?" Daniela rarely lost her temper, but when she did, her stern demeanor was downright intimidating, Even the housekeeper froze where she stood.

She had worked there for a while now and had never once seen Daniela truly lose her temper-until now. In her eyes, Daniela had always been calm and friendly.

Now she understood-Daniela's patience didn't extend to anything that involved Cedric.

The housekeeper said nothing, but the moment settled into her memory like a warning.

Nikolas clenched his jaw, frustration all over his face.Cedric looked between the two of them, then walked over to Daniela. "Why not let him stay? He does look kind of pathetic."

Daniela's company was finally gaining momentum,and having Nikolas loitering at their doorstep was inappropriate.

Daniela shrugged. "If it works for you, keep him. If not, toss him out. Do whatever you think is best."

Nikolas, already fuming, didn't take that well."Seriously, Daniela? That's unfair! I just said something casually just now, and you act like you're ready to kill me. But Cedric? He can do whatever he wants?"

"So what? Am I not allowed to be unfair? I'm a human being, after all," she retorted.

He threw his hands up. "Are you two just teaming up to mess with me now? Have you forgotten why I had to cut ties with my family in the first place? Do you think I'd be here, taking this, if I had another option?"

Daniela's eyes narrowed. "And why exactly are you in this situation? Go ahead,tell us."

Her words made Cedric shift his gaze, fixing it on Nikolas with a stare that cut straight through.

Nikolas stiffened. If he told the truth-that he'd walked away from his family because he wanted to steal Daniela from Cedric, Cedric would beat him to a pulp and toss him out.

Nikolas swallowed, his voice uneven. "Why else? It's the inheritance. My dad made it clear I wasn't getting a thing, so l decided to develop my career on my own." Carol stood nearby, eyeing Nikolas from head to toe."Are you serious? Do you even have a thousand dollars right now?"

The jab was brutal. She didn't need to say the rest.If he had money, maybe the arrogance would've made sense.

But without it? He should know where he stood.

Nikolas gritted his teeth. "I already walked away from the McCoy family. What else was I supposed to do?My father froze everything-my cards, my contacts.I'm done explaining." He scanned the group around him. None of them looked easy to deal with.

Out of options, he turned to the one person who couldn't talk back. "Show me to my room," he told the housekeeper.

She looked to Daniela for approval. A slight nod was all she needed.

"This way," the housekeeper said.

Trailing behind, Nikolas grumbled, "I want a bigger room. One no one's ever stayed in."

The housekeeper answered politely, "Of course. We have plenty. I'll help you choose."

His mood improved slightly, but not for long. "Make sure it has sunlight, a private bath, and a tub. Also, I want a fresh set of cotton pajamas. I'm allergic to anything else. And I'll need red wine before bed-unopened bottle only."

She nodded to everything-until the wine. Then she hesitated. "We don't keep red wine in the house."

Nikolas blinked like she'd just spoken a foreign language. "No wine? In a house this size?"

Lowering her voice, the housekeeper said, "Should I ask Ms. Harper about it?"

The thought alone was enough to kill his temper. He waved her off. "Forget it. I wasn't that thirsty anyway."

From outside, Carol let out a laugh. "This one's fun to watch. He's terrified of you, Daniela." Daniela didn't even glance his way. If he weren't Cedric's brother, she wouldn't have given him the time of day.

The housekeeper came back a moment later, clicking her tongue. "He wants to soak in milk. Should I go out and buy some?"

Daniela's face darkened instantly.

Cedric let out a sigh. "I'll talk to him. Just don't get upset." He headed toward the guest room before things got worse.

Nikolas had picked one with massive windows.When Cedric knocked, he called out, "You're not even staying that long. Do you really need all this?"

Nikolas, half-dressed, strolled out of the bathroom like it was nothing.

Cedric spun around, rolling his eyes.

"We're both guys," Nikolas said casually, toweling his hair. "Why act like it's a big deal? Hey, check if the housekeeper's gone to buy the milk." Cedric's face said it all. "If you're trying to end your life early, keep asking for nonsense."

Nikolas looked confused. "I didn't ask Daniela to get it. I told the housekeeper. I'll borrow the cash from you.Chill."

He pulled out a promissory note and handed it over like it was pocket change.

Cedric raised a brow. "Half a million? For one night?"

"That's not for a night," Nikolas scoffed. "I'm staying the whole month."

Cedric blinked. "You're really testing my wife's limits."

Nikolas rolled his eyes. "I'm your brother. I'm paying rent. Do you still need her permission for such a trivial thing?"

Cedric let out a tired sigh. "Yeah."