Chapter 663

The mnan with a scar across his face shut his eyes. His voice came out flat. "Of course. We've accepted the order. Backing out now would ruin everything we've built."

The guy next to him glanced over at Daniela, who lounged inside the villa, tapping away at a game.

Quietly, he hoped the Cealmaur leader wasn't as terrifying as people said.

That night, the rain poured hard. Thunder rolled in the distance like war drums pounding.

The garden looked like a storm had torn through it.Petals and leaves were scattered everywhere.

By midnight, the downpour grew heavier.

Joyce climbed out of bed to shut the windows.Outside was nothing but a gray wall of fog. She couldn't see a thing.

She shut the window and returned to bed, falling asleep instantly.

The sun came up, and Joyce slowly blinked awake. Her thoughts turned to what she'd noticed the night before.It had looked like a huge crowd outside. She flung the blanket off and walked to the window.

Outside,everything was still. Not a single bird made a sound.

The garden below looked like it had been painted over. Flowers stretched across the beds in full bloom.Daniela wandered through them like nothing unusual had ever happened.

Jack wasn't far behind. He fired off questions while grinning from ear to ear. Daniela's face showed little emotion, but she answered patiently.

It was as if nothing had happened last night.

Cedric lay in the bed, feeling out of it. His head was heavy. He grabbed his phone and saw a screen full of voice messages from Mose.

Every one of them was longer than a minute.

He hit play and listened while brushing his teeth.

Mose's voice came through, practically buzzing with energy.

"Boss, you won't believe it. It was unreal. Completely blewN my mind!" "Clarinda is the real deal. I mean it. Do you even know how amazing they are? Get this. They fought off every attacker by themselves. Not one of them stood a chance. Those mercenaries? They couldn't touch Clarinda."

"And listen, boss, this next part? It's insane. Clarinda took down over fifty people. No weapons. Just their hands. And it only took them fifteen minutes.Fifteen!"

"But I had the wrong image of Clarinda. I thought they'd be huge, all muscle and grit. Turns out I was wrong. Maybe five-five, slim, wearing all black,and hiding their face with a cap. Clarinda looked more like a girl than a man."

"Still, Clarinda moves like lightning. Fast. Sharp.Untouchable. World-class, no doubt about it. Boss,I've got to ask. Is Cealmaur looking for people?Because if they are, I'll quit Lone Wolf today. That's how hyped I am! Wow. I can't even help it."

At some point, Cedric stopped listening. Mose's yelling had turned into background noise.

He then called Mose. Mose picked up, still laughing like a fool. "Are you really that thrilled?" said Cedric."It's done. Get in touch with Clarinda. Set up a time for the asset transfer."

Mose said, "I checked this morning. They told me they're swamped and will handle the paperwork later.Boss, don't you think they're being a little too trusting with us? Then again, with someone like Clarinda around, no one's foolish enough to try anything shady.But still, now that you're broke, how are you going to break this to your wife?"

Cedric remembered what Daniela had warned him about the night before. He rubbed his temples and let out a long sigh.

Even though it felt like a mountain on his chest, he knew he had to come clean.

After breakfast, Cedric gathered his nerve and sat beside Daniela.

She was still reading from her laptop when she turned and glanced at him. He looked uneasy,like a kid who got caught sneaking out. "I need to tell you something."

Daniela paused, leaned back into the couch, and met his eyes. "Go on."

"Yesterday,I went bankrupt."

Caiden and Joyce stepped out at that moment. The shock hit them right away.

Caiden blinked. "Wait, bankrupt? Did I hear that right?"

Joyce laughed. "Cedric, that doesn't make sense.Your company was supposed to be the next big thing. How could this happen?"

In the business world, Cedric had a reputation for bouncing back from anything.

If someone said Alexander had gone bankrupt, they might believe it. But not Cedric.

Daniela's expression didn't change.

Cedric sat still, glancing at her, unsure of what she was thinking. "It really happened. Just yesterday."

Caiden stepped closer. "Are you in debt?"

Cedric shook his head. "No. I'm not."

Joyce let out a breath and gave him a soft smile."That's a relief." Something about his bankruptcy made him feel less untouchable. She tilted her head."So,Cedric,what now?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he nudged Caiden aside and leaned in toward Daniela. "There's something else."He lowered his voice. "Along with going bankrupt, I have to manage someone else's company for ten years."

His gaze shifted to her. She still looked calm.

His chest tightened. He could barely breathe.

Cedric swallowed. "For the next ten years, I won't be able to start my own business."

Caiden and Joyce gasped at the same time.

Joyce's eyes softened. She gave him a look that carried both pity and disbelief.

The man who used to call the shots now looked like he'd been knocked to the bottom of the ladder.

She leaned down, voice gentle. "Are you doing okay with all of this?"

Caiden clicked his tongue. "You're basically in the same boat as me now."

Cedric didn't care much about their comments. He kept his eyes on Daniela, looking for something in her expression.

"I still have a salary, so I won't be poor. Daniela, could you say something?"

She stared at him,silent.

She had no intention of helping him manage his company. She understood he needed to let go of everything for survival.

But deep down, she resented how easily he gave up ten years of his life like it meant nothing.