Chapter 979

Josh never settled for less; greed shimmered in his eyes as he planted himself at the gates of McCoy Group,brandishing a megaphone.

"Listen up-this is the kind of shot at wealth that only comes once in a lifetime! Have you ever been crushed by poverty? Have you ever tasted humiliation just because your pockets were empty? Did you ever lose someone precious, all because you couldn't scrape together enough cash? Have you had to swallow your pride and dignity just to survive? Then come find me!I'm giving you a shot to rewrite your story. You've all heard how the McCoy family sits on a mountain of money,haven't you? Maybe you've looked at my kids and thought, 'They were born lucky, born rich.' Well,here's your moment. Take a risk-invest today, and maybe you'll be the one everyone envies next. Maybe you'll be the next to touch the heights of fortune."

His speech blazed with charisma, words sharp as hooks.The crowd swelled, eyes gleaming with hope and greed, hanging on every syllable.

When the McCoy brothers finally pushed through the throng, the registration desk was already mobbed-hundreds scrambling to throw their money into Josh's promised dream.

Ethan eyed Josh warily, unconvinced by his grand promises and slick talk.

In contrast, Brad practically buzzed with excitement,his eagerness impossible to miss.

As Josh paused to take a drink, Brad sidled up, his tone unusually warm."Josh."

Josh barely spared him a glance, his lips curling into a smirk. "What are you doing here?"

The more condescending Josh was, the more convinced Brad was that this was the real deal.He let out a low chuckle. "If there's money to be made,don't forget your brothers. Let's keep it in the family,yeah? No reason to let outsiders cash in."

Josh shot a cold, fleeting look at Hamilton and Ethan,then huffed, "Didn't you all used to trail after Daniela for every penny you made? What changed? You bored of her already? She stop impressing you?"

Hamilton's expression soured, a sharp crease cutting across his forehead. "We're here to talk business, not drag my daughter-in-law into it."

Josh leaned back, a mocking glint in his eyes. "Touchy,are we? Since when are you so chummy with Daniela?Weren't you always the first to put her down? Now you're acting like her knight in shining armor. If you're so determined to defend her, what are you doing here with us? Go make a fortune with her instead."

Hamilton's temper flared at once. "She's my daughter -in-law. Naturally,I'll defend her. Forget it-it's just a lousy investment. I'm out."

He spun on his heel, ready to storm off.

Brad caught his arm, forcing a conciliatory smile."Come on, Hamilton, don't be like that. We're all family. No need to get worked up-let's just talk investments, not Daniela. Josh, enough with the digs.Tell us about this project."

Josh downed the rest of his water in one go,lips curling into a confident grin. He launched into a vivid pitch.

"This project's massive. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be sharing the chance to make a killing. People are already crowding to register. Honestly, you might've shown up too late. No promises you'll even snag a spot."

Brad's eyes widened in alarm. "Wait, that's not fair!How can you leave your brothers out of a golden opportunity? Make a call-get us on the list."

Josh shot him a smug look. "Are you all in,then?" Brad nodded emphatically. "Absolutely!"

Josh shot Ethan a sharp look, catching the flicker of interest in his eyes.

Noticing Ethan's uncertainty, Josh curled his lip in disdain. "Don't even count Ethan in-he'll just whine later and accuse me of scamming him. What about you,Hamilton? Are you in or not?"

Hamilton, still simmering over Josh's earlier digs at Daniela,bristled with silent resentment.

Protectiveness radiated from him, every muscle tensed.

At Josh's prodding, he snapped, his voice flat, "No.Not interested."

Josh groaned and rolled his eyes theatrically."Unbelievable! You're really that sensitive? All because I brought up Daniela a few times? Seriously? What is she, a saint no one's allowed to mention? Come on.She's just pregnant with twins-it's not some kind of miracle. For all you know, those babies could be girls."

Brad tugged insistently at Josh's sleeve, his voice low but certain. "You've got it wrong, Josh. The doctor already confirmed-Daniela's having twin boys."

Josh's face went rigid, the news landing like a punch to the gut. "What did you say? The doctor told you that?"

Brad nodded with a grin. "Yeah. They checked a few days ago. She's carrying two boys."

Josh threw a sharp look at Hamilton, who merely lifted his chin with smug satisfaction.

A surge of envy burned through Josh's chest.

Damn it!

After all these years without a single boy, the McCoy family was suddenly getting two at once, and Hamilton, of all people, would be the one to claim the glory.

With a bitter ache, he saw that comparison had crushed the spirit of joy.

"Cut the small talk. Are you investing or not?"Annoyance colored Josh's voice as he glared at his brothers. "If you're just here to chat, don't waste my time."

Brad stepped in, his tone placating. "Alright, alright, no need to blow up. I'll invest-and Ethan's in too."

Glancing at Hamilton, he went on, "Hamilton, you realize what's on your shoulders now, don't you? Two grandsons on the way-nothing but the best will do.The whole family is counting on you. Even with Daniela running the show, if you don't step up, aren't you going to feel a little embarrassed? Imagine facing Daniela if you fall short. Think about it."

Hamilton mulled over Brad's words, caught between pride and pressure.

Brad broke the tension with a brisk laughn. "Come on,what's there to think about? Josh, count Hamilton in -he's investing,too."

Josh grinned, clearly amused by how easily things had fallen into place.

Lounging back,he radiated smug self-assurance."Fine,but let's get something straight-don't bother showing up with pocket change. The buy-in starts here."

He flashed a number with his fingers, leaving no room for negotiation.

Brad stared at him, stunned. "That much? Are you serious?"

Josh folded his arms, eyes glinting. "Look, I told you -this is as close to a sure thing as it gets. There's a line of people waiting to get in. If you're not investing real money,why even bother? How much do you think you'll make with scraps? I spelled it all out in the plan:give it a month, and you'll double your money.You'll have enough to spoil every grandkid rotten."

Hamilton's brow furrowed in doubt. "Just one month?" Josh nodded, his tone turning almost patronizing."Absolutely. You've seen the numbers. This project is rock-solid."

Hamilton studied the documents again, searching for any hidden pitfalls.

But as far as he could tell, everything checked out-a mining venture, massive profits on paper.

Still, something in his gut wouldn't settle, even as Logic left him with no grounds to object.