Chapter 938

When Brad, Jules, and Ethan stepped inside, unease gnawed at them.

They braced themselves, expecting Josh to lash out.

Instead, to their surprise, he sat there looking calm and almost indifferent.

Seeing this, the brothers relaxed and exchanged faint smiles.

Brad leaned forward. "Josh, let's be honest. The next head of this family won't come from your branch. So there's no need for you to meddle in this. It's strictly between us and Daniela,"

Jules nodded."Exactly, Hamilton talks big, but did he ever catch us doing anything? He didn't seea thing."

Ethan, wearing an icy look, added, "Josh, what makes Daniela think she deserves to call herself part of this family? And her child is definitely not one of us!"

Josh stirred his coffee and said mildly, "No matter what you think, we settled this ages ago. When Dad passed, he made it clear-no one harms the McCoy children. You all swore to that then."

His tone stayed calm as he spoke, and the brothers,seeing no anger from him, dropped the topic and switched back to sipping coffee and chatting.

When they got up to leave, their faces showed nothing but satisfaction.

Brad patted Josh's arm. "Josh, McCoy Group's issues are in your hands for now."

Jules added smoothly, "We trust you to manage things well."

Ethan agreed, "Josh has always looked out for us. No doubt about that."

They chuckled among themselves as they walked out Once clear of the house, they huddled together,faces turning dark. "Daniela must die," Brad hissed.

Jules frowned. "Timing's tight. Cedric and Hamilton watch her like hawks."

Ethan sneered, "In three months, the gender will show. If it's a boy, Hamilton won't blink. He'll guard her like treasure. We'll lose any chance by then."

Their breath hung in the cold air, eyes sharp beneath the moonlight.

Morning came. McCoy Group's stock kept its nose-dive steady.

In her office, Daniela flipped through report after report, noting how Josh had quietly shifted another big slice of company assets.

Carol, glancing at the figures, clicked her tongue."Josh is sly. When the other branches see this mess,he'll blame you for the poor data, concealing his asset transfers." Daniela let out a dry laugh and looked at Carol. "Did you set everything up?"

Carol narrowed her eyes and flashed a quick grin."Whenever you give an order, I deliver. Always."

That same day, Josh stepped into his bedroom and paused; brow creasing at the faint smell drifting through the air.

He called out, "Did you spray anything in here today?It reeks of jasmine."

The housekeeper shook her head quickly. "No, Mr.McCoy. I haven't stepped foot in your room."

Josh leaned closer to the bed and sniffed again.The flowery note lingered, just barely there.

The housekeeper asked carefully, "Maybe it clung to your clothes? No one's been inside today, sir."

Josh nodded but still prowled the room, peeking under the bed, checking corners, finding nothing.

He wondered if he was imagining it. After a shower, he cracked open the tall window.A stronger wave of the scent floated in.

The housekeeper spotted this and explained, "A new family moved into the villa across the road. The lady's crazy for jasmines. She filled her whole yard with them. Since your window faces that way, the breeze brings the scent in."

That flowers reminded Josh of Daniela, and he couldn't stand it.

He muttered, "Tomorrow, tell that family I'm allergic to jasmines. If they don't agree to remove the flowers, have my secretary buy the place outright.No jasmines near my house."

"Understood, sir." The housekeeper bobbed her head. But as she walked away, she grumbled under her breath, "Is that really necessary? Buying a house just becäuse he doesn't like the flowers? Rjch people really live in another world."

By the next morning, Josh's secretary had bought the entire villa across the street. Josh stood on his balcony, watching workers yank out the jasmines one by one Only then did he feel at ease.

That night, he slept like a rock.

When he came downstairs the following day, he asked,"Can you still smell anything floral in my room?"

The housekeeper barely looked up. "Really? I don't catch a whiff, sir. But even if there's a trace, that's normal. They just moved out. The smell will fade in a few days."