Debra glanced at the business card in her hand before pulling her limited-edition sports car over to the side of the street.The pink car stood out like a sore thumb on this otherwise understated road.Debra was dressed to the nines, drawing everyone's attention the second she stepped out.The staff of Victoria's Beauty were impressed by her beauty.The manager approached and sized her up. "Miss, are you a new customer? What can we do for you?"Debra removed her sunglasses, revealing a pair of mesmerizing, smoky eyes. The manager was amazed."My friend recommended this place. I heard you've got some excellent beauty programs, so I thought I'd give it a try," Debra said lazily, settling onto the sofa and picking up a brochure.The massive diamond ring on her finger caught everyone's eye. To top it off, her wrist flaunted a luxury watch worth seven figures.The manager gasped in shock.Noticing their stares, Debra raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?""Oh, nothing. It's just
Debra felt the machine start working on her face. After a while, she asked, "This machine is pretty good. I haven't seen anything like it elsewhere.""It's developed by our company and air-freighted here," the manager replied."Which company is that? I might know them.""We're a subsidiary of the Lowe Group. It's all legit, safe, and medically certified.""I have a friend in this business who wants to buy some of these machines. Is that possible?""Well, our machines are provided by the company and aren't for external sale.""That's a shame. My friend is willing to pay a high price for the right machine. I thought this one was good, but oh well...""How many machines does your friend want to buy?""We're opening a chain store, so that will be at least 50 machines per store and around 500 in total. We also want some other instruments, so it will be around a thousand machines."Debra had calculated the cost—over ten million. Such a large order was rare in this industry.The man
Drake froze mid-bite of his apple. Pointing to himself, he asked, "Debra wants me to foot the bill? I'm not her husband. She must've made a mistake."Kale explained, "Well, she sent a message saying that the machine only heats up and does nothing else. She's already being kind by not reporting it to the authorities."Across town at the Potter Mansion, Erica examined Debra's face."Doesn't look any different to me. Is this the effect of a five-figure beauty program?""Lowe brand—sold on name alone."The Lowe Group was infamous for its shady dealings in gambling, drugs, and other vices. It would take a miracle for them to develop legitimate beauty products.The company existed to scam gullible customers, pushing overpriced luxury beauty brands with celebrity endorsements and flashy ads while delivering next to no real results.Erica clicked her tongue. "If it were me, I'd smash their store to pieces.""Why didn't you bring me along?" Liza grumbled, descending the stairs.Being c
Debra shook her head and said, "I'm not sure, but keeping them around doesn't hurt. They have their freedom as long as things are under control."Randy came downstairs. "Chatting alone is not fun. Let's watch some TV."He grabbed the remote and switched on the television.A news report blared from the screen: "The Nichols Group CEO is suspected of killing his wife and is currently missing. The police are investigating, and the case is under further review."Erica and Randy both turned to look at Debra.Randy threw up his hands. "It wasn't intentional. I just selected a random channel.""Chill." Erica smacked him on the arm. "It's just fake news. Someone like Juan wouldn't get his hands dirty to kill someone."Debra frowned and headed upstairs. The door to the study was closed, with Barton standing guard outside."I need to see Andrew.""Mr. Andrew Potter is unwell and not taking visitors.""Who are you kidding?"Debra shoved past him and opened the door.Inside, Andrew was
Debra drove to the outskirts of the city to meet Juan at their agreed spot.He was standing in the middle of a deserted lane surrounded by rundown houses."Why did you call me here? What do you want to talk about?" Debra asked.Juan looked her up and down. "Drake vowed to take you out within three months, but here you are, still standing. You're tougher than I thought."Debra scoffed, "You don't seem too happy about that.""Enough for chitchat. Did you leak those news stories?" Juan demanded.Rumors about him killing Shelia were everywhere, and the police had started investigating. Juan's disappearance only added to the suspicion."You think I did that?" Debra laughed. "Am I that despicable to you? We're done with each other. I wouldn't go out of my way to cause you trouble. If that's why you called me here, you're wasting your time. It wasn't me."She turned to leave, but Juan stopped her. "Wait!"Debra turned back. "What now?""I killed her," he admitted.Debra froze. "Why
The knife sank deep into Marion's right abdomen, blood seeping through his clothes."Freeze!" A group of police officers stormed in from behind, quickly surrounding Juan in a tight circle.Juan raised his hands in surrender, but his gaze locked onto Debra, who was nervously tending to Marion.Debra glared at him. "Juan, are you out of your mind?"She had imagined a thousand ways he might come after her, but she never thought he'd resort to such a crude and desperate attempt to kill her.Juan sneered, "Shame I didn't kill you. But at least I've settled the score with Marion for the stab he gave me.""Take him away!" The police hauled Juan off to a waiting squad car.Paramedics rushed up quickly. Marion glanced at Debra, who was worried sick. He reached up to ruffle her hair and managed a weak smile. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch.""The knife was in your gut. Why did you follow me, you idiot?"Debra smacked him on the shoulder. Marion's strength faltered, and he dropped to one
"Watch your mouth. This is Mrs. Nichols Sr.," Joe chided, standing beside Melody.The officers recognized him and fell silent."Where are you keeping Juan? Release him now!" Melody demanded, disregarding her manners.Pedro appeared, smiling nervously. "Mrs. Nichols Sr., what brings you here so late?""Juan was taken by your people. Why do you think I'm here?""Well, this is tricky. He injured Mr. Houston, which should be handled through legal procedures. He is in our interrogation room. If you want to see him, I can arrange that.""Mr. Houston? Since when does he rule Seamar City? Juan would never do anything illegal. It must be a setup."It was known to all that Marion used to be an outlaw. Framing someone was easy for him.Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind her."A setup? Marion is injured by him. Juan tried to attack me. If Marion hadn't saved me, I'd be the one in the hospital," Debra accused.Melody turned to look at her. "It was you. I knew it. Juan did so much for
Once they were gone, Debra asked, "Is Juan in the interrogation room?""Yes, he's being questioned right now," Pedro replied. "It's not a good time for visitors."Debra fell silent. She had rushed from the hospital to find out why Juan had acted like that.He wasn't the type to lose control or try to kill someone so recklessly. Something was not right."Then I'll wait here until he's done," she said, sitting down in a nearby chair.Pedro faltered, "Well, the interrogation could take all night, and I heard Mr. Houston is injured. Shouldn't you take care of him? I'll let you know the results first thing tomorrow morning."Debra was indeed worried about Marion's injuries. If the police station weren't so close to the hospital, she wouldn't have taken the time to come here.Now that waiting seemed pointless, she stood up and said, "Alright, please keep me posted. I'll be next door at the hospital.""Of course, I'll send someone to handle that," Pedro replied.Once Debra was gone,
"Bullshit!" Randy spat.In his mind, Juan was nothing but a backstabber.Debra had let Juan off the hook before, but he didn't appreciate it. Now he was working with their enemies against them.Jordan spoke up. "Miss Eaton is only staying with us for a few days. She'll be fine. Everyone, go home. If you don't, we may as well have a little competition and see who has more say in Seamar City.""I'd like to see about that," Debra's voice came from outside the hall.Then she came in with a group of people. Jordan recognized their uniforms and frowned."You have Andrew's seal?""We're not done yet."Debra raised her hand, and a new group of bodyguards armed with batons stormed into the hall. Wearing the Houston family emblem on their chests, they quickly spread out."If you're not convinced, we can fight it out," she declared. "Juan, the Nichols family has gone through three transitions. You must be pretty drained, right? Jordan, how are you handling the resources of the Lowe famil
On the second floor, Jordan received the news. "Fermin?""Yes, it's definitely him," replied the guard, handing over the watch.Jordan examined the watch. It was one of a kind, custom-made exclusively for the Eaton family.In their world, watches symbolized status, and this one undoubtedly belonged to Fermin.To this day, no one had ever dared challenge the authority of the Eaton family head."I'll go take a look," Jordan said, signaling for a group of bodyguards to follow him downstairs.Fermin was already standing in the center of the lobby.When Jordan arrived with his men, Fermin didn't flinch. Just standing there, he exuded an oppressive aura that made it hard for others to breathe."Mr. Eaton," Jordan greeted him. "What brings you here at this hour?""I don't waste time with pleasantries," Fermin replied curtly, extending his hand. "Where's my sister?"Unfazed, Jordan stepped forward and placed the watch in Fermin's hand. "Miss Eaton found the place entertaining, so I i
Iwan frowned instinctively when he spotted the man."Fermin?" he muttered to himself.Debra, on the other hand, was impressed by the change in Garland's demeanor. The clothes did make the man.She stepped forward and extended a hand. "Mr. Eaton."Fermin glanced at her without taking her hand. His voice was cold, carrying an air of natural authority."Where's my sister?" he asked.Debra was surprised at how convincing Garland's performance was.She replied, "She's been captured by the Lowe Group's new president. I knew you'd come tonight, so I'll take you to her."Not far away, Iwan listened to their exchange, his frown deepening. According to their intelligence, Fermin was already dead. Yet there he was in Seamar City.Iwan suspected that Garland was passing himself as Fermin again.After Debra left with Fermin, Iwan hesitated at the bottom of the stairs before going up.In the car, Debra patted Fermin on the shoulder. "Not bad. You're pulling this off."She took out an ear
"No, I can't do this," Garland refused, running away from Debra.He hid behind a sofa and stammered, "I didn't even have this kind of confidence when I was home, not to mention here.""Do you want to save Liza or not?" Debra furrowed her brows. "You won't need to talk. I'll give you an earpiece.""I've used it before. It's too easy to get caught," Garland blurted, then covered his mouth. "I need a little mental preparation.""We're running out of time." Debra threw the suit jacket at him. "Change into this. In ten minutes, jump out of the window from the second floor.""Jump out of the window?" Garland gasped.Debra walked up to him. "You know we have spies in the house, right? We need to make Ivan believe you're Fermin."Garland glanced at the suit jacket and thought about Liza. His resolve hardened. "Alright. I'll wear it."As Debra came out of the room, Erica asked, "How did it go?"Debra nodded. With Marion gone, they had to rely on themselves.Jordan was now in control o
Barton shook his head."Why would Jordan betray us? It doesn't make sense," Debra pressed. "Isn't this part of your plan? With Liza captured, we're in a tight spot. Just tell me the truth.""I really don't know," Barton replied with an innocent look.Debra panicked. She couldn't tell the truth from lies anymore or if this was part of some scheme. She wasn't sure if Jordan really betrayed them or if Andrew was really sick.These questions swirled in her mind and drove her crazy."Where's Marion?" she finally asked.If Andrew was gravely ill, Marion wouldn't leave his side.Barton replied, "Mr. Houston has been tied up with matters at home. He hasn't returned since he left in the morning.""He's gone all day?" Debra's eyes narrowed.That didn't add up. With Marion's efficiency, there was no way he'd take so long to handle family issues.While Debra was struggling to make sense of it all, Garland burst in, looking frantic."What do you mean Jordan is a traitor? And Liza's been
"Hey, don't touch me!" Liza shouted, struggling as the bodyguards grabbed her arms.Jordan came down the stairs and asked with a frown, "Where are Debra and Erica?""Sir, they escaped," one of the guards reported.Jordan slapped him and spat, "Useless!"The guard bowed his head and stepped back.Liza glared at Jordan. "Traitor! You're even worse than Drake. You sneaky backstabber!"Her string of insults didn't faze him one bit.She continued, "Let me remind you, I am Liza Eaton. If you dare lay a finger on me, my dad won't let you off the hook."The guards all had a headache coming on. She had repeated it so many times, but they couldn't deny the power of her family.One of the guards ventured, "Sir, what should we do? Let her go?"Jordan glanced at Liza. "Take her away and lock her up.""What?" Liza shouted, "You have the nerve to lock me up? Just so you know, if I get even a scratch, my dad will chop you into pieces.""Gag her.""Yes, sir."The guards gagged Liza and dr
"No need to chase further," Jordan said."Why not?" demanded a figure coming out of the corner.He was cloaked in a black robe, his face hidden behind a white mask. His voice was deep, altered by a voice changer."Messing with the Eaton family is not a wise decision," Jordan replied blandly."So what if I mess with them? They're nothing," said the masked man, raising his hand.At the signal, a bunch of bodyguards rushed downstairs.The guests at the party had no idea what was happening, and the cameras were soon shut off."What's going on?" the reporters protested as they were driven out of the hotel.The remaining ones in the hall were shocked. Given their experiences, they knew something big was about to happen. The only thing they could do was stay quiet."Back off. You don't want to hurt Miss Eaton," Erica shouted.But Debra heard hurried footsteps coming from inside the hall. Alerted, she said, "Something is not right. We need to run.""Relax. I dare them to lay a finge
Debra's voice turned icy. "Did you have something to do with Andrew's worsening condition?""I don't have time to waste talking to you," Jordan replied, turning to the guards. "Escort Mrs. Houston out.""Yes, sir." The guards moved toward Debra.She sensed their malice and stepped back.Erica's shouting came. "Run."She grabbed Debra's hand, and the two of them bolted down the stairs.Unsure of the situation, Liza trusted her instincts and followed them."After them!" The guards gave chase.Liza suddenly had an idea. She stopped in her tracks and stood boldly in front of the guards. The unexpected move forced them to screech to a halt.She declared, "I am the daughter of the Eaton family. If you dare lay a hand on me, my dad will make sure you regret it."Debra and Erica, who had reached the exit, heard her words and felt helpless. At such a time, no one would care about her status anymore.The guards ignored the threat, ready to act, when Jordan suddenly called out from the
Erica rushed forward and said, "Barton, you're here just in time. I need to ask you something."Barton cut her off. "Mr. Andrew Potter's condition has suddenly worsened. It's very serious right now. Please come back with me immediately.""What?" Debra exclaimed. "He was fine yesterday."An image of the previous day suddenly popped into her mind. Jordan had gone into Andrew's room right after she left."Do you know about this?" Debra asked. "Jordan is the new president of the Lowe Group?"Barton, as Andrew's trusted aide, was supposed to know if this was part of Andrew's plan."What?" Barton was puzzled. "Mr. Jordan Potter?"Debra decided to go upstairs to confront Jordan. Erica quickly reached out to stop her."Where are you going? Didn't you just say we can't go up there earlier?""I have to go and ask him. What is he doing? Betraying the family?""Betrayal it is," Liza chimed in. "I'm going with you."She grabbed Debra's arm and rushed up the stairs.The guards immediatel