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,
Late at night, Barton brought Juan to Andrew's study.The mansion was quiet, with no one on guard. Andrew was seated there at ease, and Juan asked, "Aren't you worried about being found out?Erica, Randy, Garland, and Liza were all staying there. And if Debra and Marion came back, his meeting with Andrew would be exposed.Andrew casually replied, "Marion is in the hospital getting treated. They won't be back anytime soon.""What about Garland and Liza?""Isn't Garland your sidekick? You think he'll rat you out?"Andrew always seemed to have everything under control, and it was hard to read his mind.Barton invited Juan to sit down and poured him some tea.Andrew said, "Debra must hate you to the core because of your actions. With all this media attention, you would have to step down. Are you really fine with that?""I've wanted to quit for a long time," Juan replied. "I don't believe you don't want to retire."The burden of the Potter family would crush anyone else within thr
Garland jumped in fright and almost tumbled down the stairs.His jaw dropped when he saw Juan standing there. "You got caught too?"Barton glanced at them before sensibly stepping away to give them space. His actions further confirmed Garland's guess.He dragged Juan to a quiet corner and bombarded him with questions. "How did you walk into their trap? What do they plan to do with you? What's your situation now? Are they going to lock you up with me? Should we pretend we don't know each other?"Though he'd only been in this house for a few days, he had realized that every single resident was shrewd and cunning.Outmaneuvering them was just mission impossible.Juan said calmly, "No one can know I'm here, especially not Debra. Got it?""Why not? Didn't you come back for her? Why do something good and keep it a secret?" Garland leaned in and whispered, "And about that wife-killing thing... Is it true or false? It's all over the news. I don't want to believe it, but knowing your tem
Drake, sitting at the main table, had a mouthful of wine and frowned. "What's the relationship between Michael and Debra? Why is he acting like her family?""Probably just a boss-subordinate relationship," Kale replied.Drake put his glass down. "Well, that makes sense. The Frazier family has no one left. Can't exactly pull Ralph out of prison.""You're right, boss."The music in the venue was so loud it felt like the sound waves were going to shatter their eardrums."Who designed this wedding?""I'm not sure."Drake took a deep breath. If he were not bound by etiquette, he would have turned around and left by now."Mr. Houston, do you take Ms. Frazier to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love her for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, forsaking all others, and being faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?""I do.""Ms. Frazier, do you take Mr. Houston to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him for better or for worse, in
"It's time to walk in," Erica exclaimed, helping Debra to her feet.Liza suddenly looked flustered. "What am I supposed to do?""We just walk on either side of the bride. The flower kids will carry her train, so don't worry about it," Erica reassured her.Right then, two children pushed the door open. Their adorable looks melted Erica's heart."Whose little angels are these? Caleb did such a good job," she said.The flower children, a boy and a girl, looked like porcelain dolls. But just as Erica reached out to them, the girl protested, "Lady, you'll smudge my foundation.""Foundation?" Erica blinked, surprised that this little girl knew about cosmetics.Before she could respond, the boy chimed in, "Lady, please don't interrupt our work."The two kids walked over to Debra and carefully lifted her train.Erica felt slighted. "You..." Before she could finish, Liza tugged her arm. "The wedding is about to start. If you make them cry, who's going to carry the train?"Erica nod
If anyone had checked, they would've known the invitation wasn't meant for Drake.Luckily, the Houston family didn't want to make a scene and let them in.Outside the venue, the robbed guest sighed in the cold and left. He was late, giving Drake a chance to take his invitation.It was unbelievable that a famous man like Drake would stoop so low to rob others.Backstage, Debra sat as the artist touched up her makeup. Once it was done, Erica asked, "Have you memorized the ceremony flow? Want to go over the script again?"Debra saw her nervousness in the mirror and laughed, "Why are you even more nervous than me?""Because I've never been a bridesmaid before. What if I mess up on stage?" Erica worried."You won't. Bridesmaids don't even have to speak," Debra reassured her.Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Debra looked over and saw Garland and Liza coming in."What are you doing here instead of staying at the main table?" Erica asked."It's my brother. He said he couldn't ea
Caleb took a deep breath, thinking it was Marion's arrangement.But Drake was a troublemaker, not suitable for the happy occasion.Those around Caleb tried to soothe him."Mr. Houston Sr., today's a joyful day. Turning someone away who came to congratulate us would ruin the mood.""Exactly. Why not let Mr. Lowe come in and have a drink?"Caleb thought about it and tacitly approved. The guards surrounding Drake quickly dispersed."Mr. Lowe, this way," the butler said, stepping forward to guide him.Drake casually looked around, but the guests shrank back, uneasy with his presence.Ignoring their reactions, Drake pointed to the table where Caleb was seated."I want to sit there.""Mr. Lowe, that's the main table, reserved for family members only.""Michael counts as family? And what about Randy? Erica is just a distant relative, right? Then there are Fermin and Liza. Since when did they join the Houston family?"Drake was adamant about it. "Let me sit at that table, or my men
Randy's interest was piqued. "Count me in. I'll be there to bear witness to the gift."Garland echoed, "Me too."Liza raised her hand. "Same here."Erica smacked them on the head. "It's their wedding night. You want to cause a ruckus in their bridal chamber?"The three shrank back, not daring to say another word."Chop chop," Erica called for attention. "The guests will be taking their seats soon. Get ready for the big event."Together with Liza, she escorted Debra backstage. In the meantime, the guests began to take their seats.The Houston family had few members, and the Frazier family had no relatives left. So, at the main table, besides Caleb, there were only Andrew, Randy, Erica, Michael, Garland, and Liza to fill the seats.Liza looked around the grand hall and whispered, "Aren't castle weddings usually held in a church with a priest? Why does this feel hybrid?""Stumped me," Garland muttered, equally puzzled.The stage was so big, and he wondered if there would be a co
Debra smiled and stretched out her arms. Marion scooped her up and held her in his arms."The wedding dress!" Randy hurried behind them.The train of the wedding dress prepared by Caleb was such a hassle. It had to be held up the entire way."Wait." Erica lifted her skirt and dragged Liza down the stairs with her.Garland hurried to follow, while Michael shook his head helplessly. This pickup was really something.The wedding vehicle was a pumpkin carriage. Once Marion set her inside, Debra pointed at the two white horses at the front."Wow! Now this is flashy.""Grandpa prepared it.""This is a bit embarrassing."It was like something from a fairy tale. Who would've thought that Caleb, at his age, still had such a childlike heart?In a rickshaw, Erica marveled, "Wow, Caleb is a genius."Sitting beside her, Randy asked, "Do you like it?""It's nice and creative. I love it," Erica replied with a broad smile.Randy looked at her and asked, "How about we use this for our wedd
"Sure. What's the test?" Marion replied."Quick Q&A." Erica fired away, "What was your first impression of the bride?""She was so cute," Marion replied."What?" Randy was taken aback. "You thought she was cute the first time you saw her?"That didn't sound right. Randy remembered the first time Marion saw Debra. It was outside an auction, and Debra had an aura about her, a presence that made her seem like a queen ready to take down a rival.Cute? Not quite.Garland was equally puzzled. Debra was good-looking. But cute? That was a stretch.Erica scratched her chin, not entirely satisfied with the answer, but she figured love was blind.So, she moved on to the next question. "If your first love and your wife both fell into the water, who would you save?""Debra is my first love," Marion answered."That's too easy," Randy chimed in, frustrated. "Up the ante."Erica struggled. "I don't know what to ask. Should we move on to the next round?"She pulled out a set of bizarre food
"They're coming." Erica rushed to close the door.Liza was puzzled. "The groom is here to pick up the bride? Why are you closing the door?""You don't get it," Erica said, piling up everything she could find to block the door. "This is tradition.""What kind of tradition?" Liza asked."You wouldn't understand," Erica replied. "Just don't let those guys in easily.""But among them is your cousin.""True, but not today.""But if you don't let them in, how are they supposed to take the bride away? What if the wedding ceremony is delayed?"Erica paused. "Oh, right. When can I let Marion take you away?"Debra shook her head. This was her first time having a wedding. No one had taught her these customs before.Erica pulled out her phone and started searching online. "Dammit. Network lag."Just then, a beeping sound echoed outside, and the door opened.Randy poked his head in, cautiously checking for any traps. Then he entered the room and announced, "Marion's here to pick up the
Debra changed into her wedding dress.The stylist and makeup artist marveled, "Madam, you look stunning in this dress. Forget red-carpet celebrities. None of them can compare to you."Debra felt flattered, and Michael smiled, "This dress suits you perfectly.""Thank you."Michael glanced at the brightening sky outside. "It's about time. I'd like to play the role of your family and walk you out."There was hardly anyone else left in the Frazier family.Debra recalled all the ups and downs. Michael had always been the backbone of the company and her most reliable partner."In my mind, you're always my family," she said.Michael chuckled, "If you hadn't agreed to let me walk you out, I would've been upset."The bridal convoy pulled up outside. Erica saw it through the window and exclaimed, "Here they are. Go block the door."Debra blinked. "Block the door?"Erica quickly directed the stylist and makeup artist to barricade the door. Then, with lightning speed, she pulled Debra t