Chapter 862

The next day. at McCoy Restaurant, Hamiltonsat alone at a table, eyes fixed on the entrance. The moment Daniela appeared, unaccompanied, he felt a surprising wave of relief.

Only then did he realize Cedric's presence actually unnerved him-a truth that left him briefly speechless

By the time he collected himself, Daniela had already taken the seat across from him.

"Your secretary said you've been hoping to see me. Is there something you need, Mr. McCoy?" Daniela asked as she lifted a hand to summon the waiter

Hamilton bristled at her nonchalance. "You act as if you own the place."

Daniela flashed him a breezy smile, not missing a beat "Since Cedric isn't here to police my diet, I finally get to treat myself. Today's all about indulging in guilty pleasures-junk food and all."

Her effortless banter always got under Hamilton's skin.With just a few words, she managed to flaunt her connection to Cedric while tossing a subtle jab at McCoy Restaurant Before Hamilton could retort, Daniela glanced at him expectantly. "Aren't you having anything?"

Hamilton opened his mouth to speak, but Daniela cut him off with a breezy smile. "Oh, that's right-you must be used to greasy junk food by now."

She turned to the hovering waiter. "Just bring him whatever he usually gets. Let's not mess with his habits."

With that, she settled back, her presence so commanding she might as well have owned the place.

Hamilton's hand twitched, a split second from flipping the table, but he forced himself to sit still, jaw clenched and knuckles whitening

Daniela seemed entirely unbothered,swirling her juice,trading idle remarks with Carol about the view from the window. It was as if, after that brief jab, she'd forgotten Hamilton even existed.

Hamilton finally snapped, "Daniela, I'm not here to waste time. Let's skip the theatrics-I've come with a straightforward proposal."

Daniela glanced up, one eyebrow arched in mock interest.

"The princess of Loglil has her sights set on Cedric.I want him to marry into the royal family. For his sake -and your own-I advise you to step aside. Do the sensible thing and divorce him."

Before Daniela could say a word, Carol scoffed,"What a bunch of bullshit! When did Cedric supposedly catch the eye of this so-called princess?He barely has time for sleep, let alone flirtations.What, did she fall in love with him through a security feed?"

Hamilton's lips curled with smug amusement. "Young people-always letting their tempers get the best of them."

Then,turning his full attention to Daniela, he added with deliberate calm, "I actually met with Cedric in private. Didn't he mention it? It happened right here,in this restaurant. The king and princess were dining upstairs that day. When they spotted Cedric,they were struck by his poise and presence. Later, they approached me, hoping Cedric could marry the princess."

He leaned forward, eyes glinting with calculated persuasion. "Daniela, you have to see the bigger picture. The royal family wields real power-not just money, but true status and influence. That's something you can never give Cedric, no matter how wealthy you are. There's more to life than cash. A man needs dignity,prestige-the chance to move in circles that will open up the world." With a sweeping glance, Hamilton looked Carol up and down, his voice dripping with contempt. "He deserves better than to be surrounded by brash.unrefined company-people who can't keep their voices down or behave with the slightest grace. Look at her. Is that really the world Cedric should belong to?I respect you, Daniela You've always put Cedric's interests first. So just think about it. Wouldn't he be better off as a member of the royal family, rather than just your husband?"

Daniela's eyes locked onto Hamilton with icy disdain.

Hamilton let his words hang in the air before delivering the final blow, voice low and coaxing. "The princess even said she's willng to compensate you. Whatever you want in exchange for a clean break-just say the word.We'll make sure you're satisfied."

He watched Daniela's impassive face, searching for a flicker of reaction.

After a long beat, he pushed a little further, his tone turning transactional. "Well? What's your answer?How much is it going to take? Name your price, and I'll see what I can do."

Carol, shaking with fury at Hamilton's arrogance,started to rise-her hand twitching as if ready to strike him. Daniela, perfectly composed, reached out and gently caught Carol's wrist, holding her back "Does Cedric actually know about all this?"

Hamilton's confidence faltered. He cleared his throat,trying to recover his composure. "There's no reason for him to know right now. He'll understand eventually I'm his father. Do you really think I'd ever hurt him?Look, let's not drag this out. Tell me-how much will it take for you to leave Cedric?"

Ignoring his demand, Daniela sampled a bite of her meal. The food tasted bland-nothing like Cedric's warm, thoughtful cooking She lost any interest in eating.

She looked up, cool and steady. "Before I answer you,I'd like you to answer something for me."

Hamilton, thinking he was finally getting somewhere,nodded impatiently. "Fine. Ask."

"Before my mother died, she traveled to Oiscoll and met with the McCoy family. The person she met there -was that you?"

The question caught Hamilton completely off guard.His expression went stiff, eyes widening in shock

Daniela watched him carefully, her voice low and certain. "So it was you. What exactly did you say to her? Why did she come home so shaken? She was always careful. Yet after she returned, someone pushed her to the edge. She was set up, and she died Did you say something that made her drop her guard,something that allowed them to get to her?"

Daniela's gaze hardened, her suspicion crystal clear "And tell me-who was the one behind Hackett? Who was orchestrating things in the background,pulling strings and sending people to drug my mother in her own country?"