Chapter 830

A soft golden glow filled the living room, wrapping the space in a quiet, familiar warmth.

No one spoke.

Nikolas once again felt jealous of Cedric. To have someone like Daniela in his life, all the hardships of Cedric's earlier years were worth it.

Across the room, Daniela kept her attention on the laptop screen. Her fingers moved with precision as she executed the final command to breach McCoy Group's internal network.

Next to her, Carol lounged comfortably, lazily chewing on slices of fruit. "Wanna play something?Honestly,their system's a total bore. You poke around in there all the time, and it's always locked up tight. You really think they'd leave something lying around? Hamilton's no fool."

Another cherry disappeared into Carol's mouth as she spoke, her tone half-teasing,half-serious.

However,Daniela stayed completely still, eyes fixed on the screen.

Carol's hand twitched, and the remote nearly slipped from her grip.

"Wait-hold on!" she gasped, twisting toward Daniela. "No way. Are they seriously that careless?"

Her jaw went slack as the answer glared back at her.

"They are. Unbelievable."

。

With deliberate calm, Daniela closed the laptop and set it aside.′′|t′Ss confirmed. The McCoy family was linked to my mother's death and the explosion. This also explains why they kept Cedric away from the explosion."

After all, Cedric was Hamilton's son.

That theory had always lingered in the background, whispered but unproven. But seeing the truth spelled out in data stirred up a rage that neither of them could swallow.

Stillness returned to the room, heavier this time.

Carol sighed, looking at Cedric, who was in the yard, looking into the phone number.

"Cedric doesn't have anything to do with this," said Carol quietly, though her voice trembled just a litle.

Even as the words left her lips, she didn't quite believe them.

She didn't know how to persuade herself to make Cedric choose between the McCoy family and Daniela.

And maybe for Cedric, there'd never been a choice to make. Maybe he'd already made it.

The entire world could've been offered to Cedric, and he still would've chosen Daniela every single time.

But Daniela was never going to ask him to make that choice.

Not when she knew she couldn't bear the weight of it either.

A soft sigh slipped from Carol's lips.

Cedric was still studying the number, while Daniela went upstairs to sleep. He was very uneasy, searching al night, but he only got one answer-the person only used this number to send one message to Daniela and hadn't contacted anyone else.

All night,Cedric worked.

Some part of him feared it was bait-a trap waiting to be sprung.

By morning, Cedric still hadn't moved. When Daniela came downstairs and caught sight of him hunched over,her chest tightened.

She stepped into the yard, arms crossed. "It's enough. Get some rest, Cedric."

He didn't even look up. "I'm fine. I'll make breakfast.".

"You won't. The maid's on it. Take a break. That's an order." But Cedric wasn't the type to back off so easily. Ever since the explosion, he hadn't been able to shake the dread that something might happen again. He insisted on handling everything related to Daniela.

After Cedric made the breakfast, Daniela sat at the table, flipping through Nikolas' budget proposal as she ate.

Everything came out exactly as Daniela expected.

Eighty million.

Nikolas leaned forward, his voice hopeful. "So? What's your verdict?"

A small nod was all she gave him. "Looks solid. But I don't do loans."

Nikolas' face fell like he'd been hit with cold water. "Seriously? You asked for my calculations just to back out?"

Without looking up, she replied, "I'm not giving you a loan. I'm offering an investment."

The words hit him like a slap and a hug at the same time."What?"

"I've gone through your plan," said Daniela, calmly turning another page. "There's potential. I'll put in a hundred million. Get it moving. If it works, Cedric gets a cut of the profits."

Nikolas sat frozen, trying to process what she'd just said. This wasn't just an offer. It was a game-changer."And if I screw it up?" he asked cautiously.

"I'Il eat the loss," she said without hesitation.

That response left Nikolas speechless.

。

A hundred million. And she just agreed.

Daniela finished eating and stood up. "If you're fine with the terms, go draft the contract. Once Carol signs off, the funds will be released."

By the time Nikolas looked up, she was already gone. He remained in the middle of the living room,completely dazed. Had that really just happened? Had Daniela seriously invested that much in him?

Was this real life?

A hundred million, with no strings attached if it failed?

Back in the McCoy family, anything over ten million had to go through his father, followed by endless meetings and layers of approvals.

Now here he was, holding a deal ten times that size. And Daniela had made the call on her own. No hesitation. No backup plan.

When signing the contract, Nikolas still felt that he was dreaming. "Why? I don't get it."

"She didn't ask you to," said Carol, her voice even. "Just remember this-if you make money, half of it goes to Cedric. Daniela doesn't lose. Don't give her a reason to start now."

Excitement surged through Nikolas like a bolt of lightning. "I won't let her down. I swear I'll make this work."

With thecontract stamped and tucked away, Carol looked up."Daniela also said if you ever need support,come to me."

Nikolas' breath caught again.

This wasn't just money. It was open access.

It was the kind of trust he'd never received from anyone, especially not without a cost.

"I won't let her lose a single cent," he said, chest tight with resolve.

Nikolas turned and left without another word, his steps heavier with purpose.

Behind him, Carol exhaled quietly.

Daniela didn't hand out favors. She never gave money, let alone opened every door within her companyfor someone else's business.

So,who was this really for? It wasn't about Nikolas.

This was Daniela making sure that no matter what happened down the road, Cedric would have something to fall back on. She wasn't investing in a company.

Daniela was securing a future for him.