Chapter 996

No sooner had the housekeeper finished speaking than the guest room door swung open.

With a cheerful grin, Brad stepped into view, waggling his finger swaddled in bandages. "I owe the housekeeper an apology for all the trouble. Got a bit reckless with a knife, and this was the result."

Cedric barely acknowledged him, giving a dismissive sound before urging Daniela to go ahead and rest upstairs.

While Cedric set about making juice for Daniela, the housekeeper slipped quietly into the kitchen to tidy up.

Midway through loading oranges into the juicer, Cedric paused to ask, "Has anyone else been in here today?"

Pausing to recall, the housekeeper shook her head. "No one has come through the kitchen. After Mr. McCoy hurt himself, he went to lie down. I've been cleaning the living room ever since, and he hasn't left his room."

Taking that in stride, Cedric gave a nod, poured the juice, and set it aside. He reached into the fridge,grabbed a pomegranate, and began peeling it. Midway through the task, a strange sensation prickled the back of his neck-a pair of eyes seemed fixed on him.

He glanced back, but whatever had been watching quickly disappeared.

With the fruit in hand, Cedric climbed the stairs and noticed Brad and Hamilton stationed in the living room,watching television together.

Pleased with himself, Brad tracked Cedric's progress up the stairs, then turned to Hamilton, his grin wide."Hamilton, when our father named you to lead McCoy Group, it was the right call. I finally see how much you had to deal with."

After a brief pause, Brad added, "Seems Nikolas is causing quite a stir in the business world these days.Just recently, at a gathering, his name kept coming up. Would you believe it-the Rowe family, those big players in jewelry, even invited me out for coffee. But I suspect their real interest is meeting Nikolas." While Hamilton's attention stayed mostly on the flickering screen, he answered, "If they want to see Nikolas,let them."

His thoughts kept circling back to Daniela and the coming babies.

Out of nowhere, Brad leaned in and whispered, "Are you really that oblivious? The Rowe family practically sit on a mountain of jewels, and their only child is a daughter. Egan Rowe never hides the fact he wants a son-in-law to step up and lead. I'd bet he already has Nikolas in mind."

Hamilton sent him a sideways look. "I doubt that's the plan."

"Why wouldn't it be? Egan could easily reach Nikolas himself. What's the point in asking me for an introduction unless he's already sizing him up for the role? Trust me, the old man has his sights set."

That made Hamilton laugh. "Good for them. The Rowe family has plenty of influence."

"They're more than influential. That family is our main competitor for the number two spot in the rankings. If their daughter married Nikolas, the alliance would be nearly unstoppable. There's just one thing..." Brad trailed off,reluctant.

"What's bothering you?" Hamilton prompted him.

Dropping his voice, Brad replied, "Nikolas seems uninterested. I even tried bringing it up to him. He brushed it off. And just a couple of nights back, I caught him sneaking food to Carol out in the garden after midnight."

His finger jabbed toward Carol, who was busy with a game in the pavilion outside. "He couldn't take his eyes off her. I mean it, Hamilton. Out of everyone in our family, Nikolas has the most promise. We can't allow him to throw that away. Pairing him with the Rowe heiress would secure his future. You agree, right? Carol's wild streak isn't what he needs. Having Daniela here is enough excitement. If Carol joins the famly too, you'll never get a moment's peace as their father-in-law. We can handle a little chaos, but if Nikolas makes the wrong choice, it could ruin his life." After amoment, Brad fixed a serious gaze on him. "Hamilton, do you see where I'm coming from?"