?Chapter 1177:


    That was precisely the confirmation he had been waiting for. It proved what he had suspected all along—Dani would go to any lengths for Cedric.


    Dani wielded an empire of influence, razor-sharp business instincts, and a fortune vast enough to rival nations. A woman like that was the ideal sessor.


    As long as Cedric remained in Dani’s heart, the possibility of her joining the McCoy family was still on the table.


    From the very start, Hamilton’s sights had been set on Dani.


    Dani was no fool.


    She had drawn clear lines in the sand—Cedric was free to make his own choices, so long as he didn’t endanger himself.


    That alone won Hamilton’s silent respect.


    With a smile, Hamilton ended the call, his ipetent son standing there as if he’d vanished into thin air.


    Niks gawked at the dead phone, his mind reeling,pletely at a loss.


    “Did you just hang up on my father?” Niks stared at Dani, utterly stunned. “Thest person who dared to do that is dead now.”


    Dani shot him a knowing look. “You’re terrified of your father, aren’t you?”


    Niks nodded. “Obviously. He’s the richest man on the.”


    Dani’s lips curled into a smirk. “So what? I once held that title too. Do I scare you?”


    Niks instinctively wanted to say, “You’re scarier than my father!” But he swallowed the words back, unwilling to tempt fate.


    Atst, he spoke, his voice quieter than before. “So you’re saying you won’t meddle in Cedric’s choices? As long as he isn’t harmed, you’ll stand by whatever he decides?”


    Dani inclined her head. “Naturally.”


    M?г? ??????? ?? ??l????l?.???


    Niks let out a dry chuckle. “I figured you’d y the ‘for his own good’ card to keep him out of it.”


    Dani shook her head. “That was never my n. If he wants to fight, I’ll stand behind him. If he doesn’t, then that’s his choice to make.”


    For the first time since meeting her, Niks truly looked at Dani.


    He had seen plenty of high-born women, but Dani eclipsed them all. Yet it wasn’t just her beauty—there was something else, an enigmatic pull, impossible to ignore.


    In that instant, he felt an unfamiliar pang—envy for Cedric.


    Because Cedric had Dani—someone who stood by him, no strings attached, no conditions set.


    Bathed in the warm hues of the setting sun, Dani turned to Niks, her voice steady. “To me, he’s Cedric. No title, no name will ever change that.”


    A strange warmth flickered in Niks’ chest. Before he could stop himself, a question slipped past his lips.


    Niks froze, momentarily caught off guard by what had just slipped out of his mouth.


    He blurted out, “Think it’s toote to break my leg now?”


    .


    .


    .