?Chapter 1481:


    Dani unlocked her phone, tapped quickly, and slid it across the table. Niks’ words trailed off as he nced down.


    “Besides, he told me to go home and…”


    But then he saw it: McCoy Group’s name right there on the bidding results. In that moment, Niks’ world seemed to tilt.


    As Niks fixed his eyes on the results, a wave of despair crashed over him. A heavy, sick lump formed in his throat. He stared at the screen, suddenly unable to swallow another bite.


    Without a word, he stood and stormed out, heading straight for his father’s.


    The moment he burst in, he showed the bidding results to Hamilton. His voice shook with hurt and fury as he demanded, “Dad, what is this supposed to mean? Didn’t you say McCoy Group had no interest in a small project like this? Yet you reviewed my cost estimate—and now your final bid is just one dor higher than mine. You’re not just humiliating yourself. You’re humiliating me!”


    Niks’ world shattered, leaving him numb with disappointment.


    He had pinned all his hopes on this one victory, desperate to prove himself, but in the end, the person he trusted most had betrayed him.


    Hamilton snorted, his tone dripping with arrogance.


    “This is what it means when people say all’s fair in love and war. You’re still so naive. How can you expect to survive in business? You need to learn to watch your back. Haven’t I taught you anything after all these years?”


    Niks returned, having gained nothing but a reprimand from Hamilton, feeling utterly defeated.


    Carol shot a pointed look at Dani and asked quietly, “He’s just been humiliated. Are you going to do something about it?”


    Dani’s gaze lingered on Niks, but she offered no response.


    Later that evening, Niks came to find Dani, who was watching TV in the living room.


    “This is all on me,” he said quietly.


    “I never saw iting. I let you down, and I wasted Cedric’s hard work. I’m sorry for letting everyone down.”


    He sounded utterly defeated, a shadow of the ambitious man he’d tried to be.


    Dani studied him.


    “You think you let us down?”


    Niks looked up, startled by her question.


    Dani continued, “You didn’t let us down—you let yourself down. You threw away all those hours of hard work. But if you can take this loss and turn it into a lesson, it won’t have been for nothing.”


    Niks had no answer. The weight of her words settled heavily on his heart, leaving him lost in thought.


    Dani shot him a cool look, chin tilted in mild annoyance. “Alright, go entertain yourself. You’re blocking my view.”


    Niks blinked, not sure what to make of her attitude.


    “That’s it? You’re just letting it go?”


    .


    .


    .