Chapter 966

The moment Brad and Ethan wrapped up their conversation, a sleek limousine tore up the driveway,its polished hood glinting under the sun and instantly drawing Brad's attention.

The car rolled to a smooth stop in front of them before Brad even turned to ask Ethan who it belonged to.

Josh stepped out, his presence as icy as a winter storm.Brad blinked, caught off guard. "Josh? What are you doing back here? You realize assaulting a pregnant woman could land you in prison, right?"

Josh didn't even glance their way. He cut straight between his two younger brothers, barely slowing his pace, and strode into the building with an intensity that made it clear he was out for blood.

Brad's pulse skipped. Without missing a beat; he grabbed his phone and dialed Hamilton. "Hamilton,we've got a serious situation. Josh just showed up-he Looks like he's on a warpath. Helikely hung back until we were gone, then circled around to trap Daniela.Oh my god! Where are you now? Get back here, quick-your grandkids' lives are on the line!"

Hamilton's heart hammered in his chest. He snapped at the driver to spin the car around and barrel back toward Daniela's company.

The moment they pulled up, Hamilton barely let the car stop before flinging the door open and nearly stumbling out.

"What happened, Brad? Didn't Josh already leave?Why's he back?"

"How should I know? The guy's too damn sly-he's playing us. If anything happens to Daniela,we're finished. That's all my investment money up in smoke."Brad's complexion drained of all color, horror flickering across his face.

Ethan's legs nearly buckled beneath him,and he struggled to keep his voice steady, shame burning in his cheeks.

How did he end up crossing Josh, of all people? If only he had managed to stay on his good side, things wouldn't have spiraled like this. All at once,their world felt utterly undone.

Ethan's words tumbled out, voice quivering as he pushed past the others. "Let's not stand around-just go in and see what's happening. I wasn't even surprised. How could Daniela ever hope to outmatch Josh? She never stood a chance." As he paced along,he sighed quietly, haunted by the vision of Josh clashing violently with Daniela. He shook his head silently, berating himself. "Lara,you've gotten me into a real mess."

Hamilton surged forward, anxiety knotting his gut at the thought of losing his unborn grandkids.

Outside Daniela's office, the entire group lingered,each of them sucking in sharp, bracing breaths-then another, as if trying to steady their nerves for whatever chaos might lie ahead.

Suddenly, a voice floated out from behind the closed door.

"We're not sworn enemies, are we? Daniela, I'm honestly here in good faith. Look, I even brought the money here. Would you be so kind as to accept it?"

Hamilton stared at his brothers, disbelief flickering across his face.

Brad seemed equally dumbfounded, his mouth working soundlessly as Ethan just shook his head,speechless.

Unable to wait a moment longer, Hamilton shoved open the office door, heart thundering in his chest.

Daniela lounged on the sofa, languidly plucking slices of fruit from a silver platter, her gaze calm and unreadable. Cedric stood nearby, arms crossed, his face as impassive as stone.

Across from them, Josh wore a fawning grin, leaning in toward Daniela as he pleaded, "We're all family here.Why let a little misunderstanding blow up into something ugly? If you could just let this go, l'd owe you for life. Really."

Hearing movement by the door, Josh glanced over and momentarily faltered, his expression slipping before he recovered with another bright smnile."Oh,Ethan! Don't just stand there, come in."

Ethan hesitated, taken aback by Josh's sudden friendliness,instinctively shrinking back a step.

Josh chuckled, crossing the room with disarming warmth. He reached out and clasped Ethan's hand in both of his, his tone cloying."What's with that look?I'm your big brother. Here is your money. I'm giving it all back. We're brothers, right? Let's not let money get between us."

Ethan stared at the card in disbelief, the whole moment feeling strangely unreal. "You're telling me this has all the money I sent to you?"

Josh's eyes twinkled with a sly warmth. "That's right.The 28.5 billion you transferred over is all there-and I even added interest for the days I kept it. Not bad,huh?" In that instant, Ethan felt luck strike him dumb,leaving him reeling and frozen. "You're really giving it all back?"

Josh flashed another easy smile. "Of course. The card's password? It's your birthday. I never forget."

Ethan stared at the sleek black card in his palm, hands shaking as he frantically had someone check the balance. When the numbers confirmed it, shock washed over him. He looked up, still in disbelief."But...why? Why the sudden change?"

Earlier, every line on his face screamed that he'd return the cash over his cold, dead body.

Now he was acting like the world's most generous big brother.

Josh just laughed, draping an arm around Ethan's shoulders. "Don't be silly. I'm your brother-of course I'm looking out for you. Who else will?"

Hamilton and Brad stood frozen in disbelief, still processing the abrupt turn of events.

Josh shot a quíck look at Daniela, then sauntered over with a broad, ingratiating smile. "Daniela, I've returned Ethan's money, just as promised. Maybe you could show a little goodwill and accept my sincerity?"

From where Hamilton stood, Josh's sudden show of enthusiasm came off as almost desperate-eager to the point of absurdity. Yet there was something oddly gratifying about it.

A slow, satisfied grin spread across his face.

This was exactly what he'd expected. His daughter-in -law was no easy mark.

Just look at her-handling the situation with poise and steel.

That was the kind of strength you couldn't fake.