?Chapter 1267:


    Dani didn’t look up as she responded casually, “The shrimp today is quite delightful. Could you peel one for me?”


    With a beaming smile, Cedric dly obliged, plucking a shrimp from the tter for her. Across the table, Hamilton watched the exchange, his eyes narrowing with pure disdain.


    It was crystal clear to him—Danimanded the household, wielding an effortless authority, while Cedric yed the part of a decorative spouse, seemingly content in his subservient role.


    Hamilton, whose reunion with Cedric was marked more by obligation than affection, had harbored no illusions of a heartfelt wee. Still, Cedric’s stark indifference to his presence and his wealth struck a bitter chord.


    The lunch, a scene of veiled tensions, was proving intolerable for Hamilton.


    Amidst the strained conversation, Charles found himself the target of several sharp-tongued jabs.


    After a few more ufortable moments, Hamilton’s patience wore thin. “I’ve lost my appetite,” he dered icily, pushing his chair back with a scrape.


    He strode away from the table, his steps heavy. As he paused and nced back, he noted with growing irritation that neither Dani nor Cedric showed any sign of concern. His expression darkened further.


    Quick to sense the mounting tension, Charles rose swiftly and approached Dani, bending slightly to murmur in a hushed tone, “My father’s furious. So who’s stepping up to calm him down?”


    Without missing a beat, Dani shed Charles a thumbs-up.


    Charles’ expression morphed into one of bewildered confusion. “What?”


    “I always knew the McCoy brothers were tightly reined in when it came to power and money, but witnessing it firsthand today—it’s not just restraint; it’s as if you’ve relinquished every ounce of your individuality!”


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    Charles’ face twisted into a grimace, like he’d just bitten into something sour.


    Undeterred, Dani pressed on. “You aren’t just fulfilling the role of sons; you’re groveling like servants.”


    Their exchange carried across the room, just loud enough for Hamilton to overhear.


    The secretary’s jaw hung open in utter astonishment.


    Charles, flustered to the core, nearly bolted toward Dani to silence her, only stopping when Cedric’s icy stare pinned him back like a butterfly in a disy case.


    Regaining someposure, Charles remarked, “Dani, your audacity knows no bounds. I bet it’s been years since anyone dared to speak of my father in such a brazen manner.”


    Dani’s smile was sly, a hint of mischief ying at the corners of her lips. “Perhaps if you weren’t so preupied with waiting for his fortune, you could speak your mind too, even right to his face. Charles, is this inheritance truly worth the price of your dignity?”


    Meanwhile, Hamilton, who had been lingering just a few paces away, absorbed every word of Dani’s incitement for rebellion against paternal authority.


    With a heavy sigh of frustration, his patience snapped. His eyes shut in a moment of weary resignation before he called out sharply, “Dani! Come here. I need to speak with you.”


    Dani rose from her chair. Cedric stood as well, instinctively mirroring her.


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