?Chapter 1577:


    Frustration and embarrassment warred on their faces.


    Josh scowled, taking in Hamilton’s unbothered demeanor. In years past, Hamilton would have greeted them warmly, never letting the mood turn so sour.


    “Hamilton.” Josh finally broke the silence, sinking into a chair and signaling for the housekeeper to bring him a cup of Hamilton’s prized coffee. His voice was cold, almost using. “You’re not the same as before.”


    Brad nodded, echoing the sentiment.


    Jules chimed in, “You never used to shut us out like this, Hamilton.”


    Ethan spoke up as well. “This isn’t what you promised our father when he handed things over to you.”


    Hamilton felt a cold emptiness settle in his chest.


    A dry, mockingugh escaped him. “Funny how that works. When I bent over backwards for you, I was the family hero. Now that I’m sick and can’t keep up, suddenly I’m the viin. Your standards sure change fast.”


    Josh’s irritation spiked. He raised his voice, clearly losing patience. “Do you even know why we came? What’s with the attitude?”


    Hamilton’s tone was measured. “Remind me, Josh. Aren’t you here to check on your ailing brother? Or is that not really the reason?”


    Caught off guard, Josh stumbled for an answer. “Of course, that’s part of it. But there’s something else we need to discuss.”<fn8ff0> For original chapters go to f?ndnovel</fn8ff0>


    Hamilton nodded slowly. “So this visit is just a side errand, then?”


    Josh’s face flushed with anger. “There you go again, dripping with sarcasm. Did you learn that from Dani?”


    Hamilton just sipped his coffee, unbothered by the remark.


    ???????? ?????????????? ???? ??????????????????.??????


    Josh’s frown only deepened, tension lingering in the air.


    Noticing the strain in the room, Brad rushed to fill the silence. “Hamilton, you might not realize just how much trouble the McCoy family is in right now.”


    But before Brad could exin, Hamilton cut in, “Oh? Trouble, you say? Isn’t it the leader’s job to handle it? That’s how it worked when I ran things, wasn’t it? Now that I’ve stepped down, surely there’s no reason to bring the trouble to my door.”


    Josh had no answer for that. Neither did Brad, Jules, or Ethan.


    Brad scrambled for words. “No, that’s not it at all. It’s just that Dani won’t let up. She keepsing after us…”


    Hamilton stopped him with a dismissive wave. “Look, I’m not in charge anymore. It’s pointless to dump this on me. Back when I was in charge, none of you ever concerned yourselves with thepany’s affairs. Now, I’ll return the favor. I’m not well, so don’t expect me to y host.”


    Josh couldn’t muster a response. His brothers were just as speechless.


    Ethan scratched his head awkwardly. “It shouldn’t be like this, Hamilton. Whether you’re running things or not, we’re all part of the McCoy family. When our father passed, he wanted us to stick together. And honestly, it’s not outsiders stirring the pot. It’s your son and daughter-inw. If we step in, it’ll just look like we’re picking on the younger generation. People will talk. It really ought toe from you. Besides, we’ve always liked Cedric; he’s family. There’s no sense in airing our dirtyundry.”


    .


    .


    .