Chapter 680

Daniela cast a fleeting glance at Nikolas, who had just stepped in, his face as pale as a sheet of paper.

Her eyes remained indifferent. "I thought you'd already run off."

Nikolas pressed his lips into a thin line,resentment and frustration tangled on his face.

Just then, a secretary arrived and called Cedric away for a discussion, leaving Daniela and Nikolas alone in the office.

Nikolas swallowed nervously,realizing how unbearable it felt to share the same room with Daniela.

A cold, deep-rooted fear clung to him, robbing him of the courage to meet her gaze.

"Why did you dislocate my arm?" he asked, trying to sound cold, but the lack of strength behind his words betrayed him-a sharp contrast to the cocky man who had just come from Oiscoll.

Daniela remained unmoved, not offering so much as a flicker of emotion in reply. Feeling dejected. Nikolas muttered under his breath,"So rude."

Daniela slowly lifted her eyelids, and the simple action made Nikolas instinctively take a step back.

A faint smirk curved her lips. "Relax. So long as you don't act foolishly, I won't even touch you."

Nikolas was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when Daniela added, "But if you dare feed Cedric lies again,like you did this afternoon, leaving him all alone, I'll make sure you regret it."

Nikolas was left speechless.

Daniela went on, "I don't care about your family's petty drama. Plot all you want-it means nothing to me. But I have one rule. Don't let him get hurt. If he does, whether it's you or Hamilton McCoy, I won't spare either of you."

Nikolas was stunned. "How could you call my father like that? He's your father-in-law!"

Daniela's expression didn't even flinch. "If Cedric accepts him as his father, sure, Hamilton's my father-in-law. If not,you two are just dust I can sweep away whenever I please."

Nikolas stood frozen, frustration swelling inside him,yet utterly powerless. Daniela leaned back slightly, her tone razor-sharp "And letting Ghost poke his nose into our business?That's hardly the move of a responsible father-in-law."

Nikolas bristled, quick to defend. "My father had nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, really?" Daniela arched a brow,her sneer cutting deep. "Then how exactly did Ghost show up here?"

"I called him myself!" Nikolas shot back without hesitation.

Daniela's smirk deepened, dripping with mockery "You? Nikolas, you have brothers, don't you? Here's some free advice-drop the dream of leading the McCoy family. With that brain of yours, you're better off watchingfrom the sidelines."

Nikolas flared up. "What the hell do you mean by that?Are you calling me stupid? Saying I don't measure up?Ghost follows my orders, got that? He came because I told him to! He knows I'm the rightful heir!"

Daniela let out a dry chuckle. "Why don't you go ahead and ask your dad? See if Ghost showed up because of your orders or his."

Nikolas fumed, his jaw tightening. "Fine! I'll ask him right now!"

Without wasting a second, he dialed a long-distance "Hello." Hamilton's voice came through, impossibly neutral-giving no hint of whether he was pleased or pissed.

"Dad, I just need to confirm something. Did you send Ghost to me?" Nikolas asked,shooting a smug glance at Daniela,already convinced he had the upper hand.

Silence stretched on the other end.

Nikolas frowned, wondering if the call had disconnected. "Hello?" he asked,confused.

A few seconds later, Hamilton finally spoke, but his voice was eerily gentle-so unfamiliar that Nikolas stiffened. "Hello, Ms. Harper. It seems my son has embarrassed himself in front of you. Or would you prefer I call you Clarinda?"