Chapter 885

Daniela didn't even blink. "Suit yourself," she said, voice ice-cold.

Once Hamilton had left, Nikolas slowly came to, blinking against the harsh light overhead.

A wave of regret washed over him as he turned to Daniela. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag you intoall this."

Carol gave a little laugh. "Let's eat! It seems the princess isn'tinterested in you. Is it about your appearance?"

Annoyance simmered in Nikolas as they exited the room. He leaned toward Carol, his tone barely above a whisper. "Are you positive everything's really fine?"

Carol gave him a pat on the back. "Relax. There's nothing to worry about. Let's go."

Daniela had pointed out-when everything's hidden behind layers of secrecy, sometimes the only way to expose the truth was by pushing your opponent to make a move.

And honestly, if Daniela was wary of Hamilton, he wouldn't be so eager to eliminate her.

In truth, Hamilton was scared of Daniela.

Still, Carol kept these thoughts to herself rather than explaining it all to Nikolas.

She'd rather wait and see how things played out.

Meanwhile, Hamilton, seething with anger, wasted no time. He called for a board meeting, determined to use economic pressure to back Daniela into a corner.

Inside the boardroom, the directors wasted no time airing their opinions.

"We should've taken care of Daniela ages ago. Maybe then she'd respect the weight of McCoy Group!"

"That's right! If we don't remind her who's in charge here, she'll start to forget her place in Oiscoll." "I don't agree. We discussed sanctions before, but now her company is gaining ground. Taking action now will harm our own interests!"

"What's the hold-up? She's only one woman. It's absurd to think we're afraid of her!"

"It's not about being afraid. What's the point of picking a fight with her when she hasn't even made a move against us? If we start a financial war and lose, we'll just make ourselves a joke. Even if we win, it hardly seems worth the risk."

Hamilton's expression hardened at that. He slammed his hand against the table. "Are you actually suggesting McCoy Group could lose? You call yourself a leader? We're a powerhouse, top of the international market. Are you really telling me we should be worried about Daniela? That's nonsense. Spread talk like that, and you're the one everyone will mock!"

The director faltered, voice barely above a whisper. "But you can't deny how fast her company is catching up."

A heavy silence settled over the conference room.

Hamilton shot the director a hard look. "Have you forgotten there is a blood feud between Daniela and every one of you? Do you honestly believe she'll just forgive and forget? Maybe you can dodge her now, but the moment she's strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with McCoy Group, she'll.come for every one of you."

The force behind Hamilton's words lingered, making everyone shift uneasily.

Some directors exchanged uneasy glances, uncertainty flickering in their eyes.

Just then, the office door creaked open.

Nikolas appeared in the doorway,eyes wide with confusion.

He fixed his gaze ón Hamilton. "Dad, what are you talking about? A blood feud? What is that? You told me it was all a misunderstanding. Are you telling me you had something to do with her mother's death?"

Hamilton's scowl deepened as his eyes landed on Nikolas. "This isn't your place, Nikolas. Who let you in here?Leave.Now." Undeterred, Nikolas brushed past the secretary and faced Hamilton head-on. "Dad, I need the truth. What is this history between Daniela and McCoy Group?"

Hamilton let out a harsh laugh. "You think you're entitled to answers? You're nothing to this company anymore. McCoy Group's affairs don't concern you. Get out of my sight!"

The secretary quickly motioned to security and leaned in close to Nikolas, her voice low. "Please go. You can speak with Mr. McCoy once the meeting's finished."

With security guiding him out, Nikolas was removed from the boardroom.

As soon as the door closed behind him, the directors' whispers filled the room.

"What was Nikolas doing, barging in here out of nowhere?"

"Word is he's been spending time with Daniela lately. If he overheard all that, there's a good chance he'll tell her everything."

"I'm not sure, but did you catch how shaken Nikolas was? He looked so rattled, you'd think he belonged to the Harper family instead."

"I heard Daniela stormed into the club last night to get Nikolas out. Looks like those two have been sticking together for some time now."

"Are you serious? If Daniela's already digging intó the past, it's only a matter of time before she uncovers everything. We need to act fast!"

"And what do you propose? Daniela's reach is growing by the day. McCoy Group might still be on top, but Daniela's company is gaining fast. Any sudden move from us could set off a financial disaster."

"We're out of options. So what exactly are we supposed to do now?"

A heavy quiet settled over the boardroom once more.

Someone finally spoke up. "If we try to go after her financially, we'll just end up hurting ourselves, too.Perhaps,we can find a scapegoat." That remark sparked a lively buzz around the table, unleashing a wave of fresh ideas.

"Exactly, a scapegoat."

"After all these years, could Daniela really dig up the truth?"

"If we hand over a scapegoat, Daniela might just let it go."

"Isn't that why Daniela even came to Oiscoll? Once she gets what she wants, she'll likely leave, and things can settle down again."

"Sounds fine to me."

"That makes sense."

Hamilton's irritation grew as he glanced around at the board members, all too intimidated by Daniela for his liking.

"Fine. Which one of you is volunteering to be the scapegoat?" he asked.