Wendy suspiciously said, "Why didn't you mention the party when you left the dorm today? Usually, if your boyfriend takes you to a banquet, you'd be eager to let us know.""It happened suddenly, and you didn't tell me either," Shelia said with a forced smile. "How come you guys are here?""What, only your boyfriend can attend such occasions, but my parents can't?" Carrie sneered.Their family backgrounds far exceeded Shelia's.Shelia bit her lip. "That's not what I meant."Carrie pressed, "Well then, you've been wanting to introduce your boyfriend to us, right? Since we're all here, why not let us meet him?"Wendy echoed, "Yeah, isn't your boyfriend in business too? He looks like a bigshot. I can ask my parents to invest in his company."Shelia looked troubled. "My boyfriend never lets me get involved in his business.""Come on, your boyfriend sponsors your education, right? And he wants to send you abroad for studies. Every time he goes to a banquet, he takes you along. How co
"Sir, Mrs. Nichols is here," whispered Joe to Juan.Juan wrinkled his brow, having noticed Debra the moment she walked in. Marion was trailing behind, a sight that annoyed him.Debra and Erica walked hand in hand, chatting and laughing. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Shelia and the others.Her face bore a playful smile.Jordan had waited inside for a long time. His eyes lit up the moment Debra approached. He abandoned his wine and strode swiftly towards her."What took you so long?" His tone held some impatience but more joy.Debra said, "Allow me introduce my friend, Erica."Jordan froze, while Erica teased, "Well well, the kid from the Potter family has grown up."She moved as if to pinch Jordan's ear, but he quickly blocked her hand. "I'm not a kid anymore."Debra hadn't expected they would know each other.Erica explained, "When we were little, the Potter and Houston families had business dealings. I was the oldest, and Randy was my sidekick. Jordan was t
Shelia just wanted to leave as soon as possible. Carrie grabbed her hand and said teasingly, "What's the rush? Isn't that your boyfriend? He's flirting with another woman right in front of you. As your friends, we'll stand up for you.""Carrie's right. Let's go over there and demand an explanation."Wendy and Carrie exchanged glances, eager to witness the drama between the wife and the mistress.Shelia shook her head desperately.Not far away, the air went oppressive with Juan's approaching. Debra, however, seemed oblivious. "Oh, isn't that Shelia? Why aren't you with Miss Miles? She doesn't look well."Juan's face darkened.He couldn't believe she wanted him to care about Shelia on such an occasion.Erica was full of hostility, and Jordan scoffed, "Just now, Mr. Nichols came in holding another woman's hand. I thought the Nichols family had a new hostess. Mrs. Nichols, why are you here all alone?"His casual words were full of sarcasm.Debra smiled, having no intention of givi
Jordan was hot-tempered. When he heard this, he exploded, "What the hell did you say?"His fierce expression daunted Carrie, who quickly tried to reason with him, "Mr. Jordan Potter, this is for your good. Do you know this woman tried to seduce Shelia's boyfriend? She even went to school to pursue him. Why are you still speaking up for her?"Erica chuckled, "Shelia's boyfriend? Where did she get a boyfriend?"Carrie scoffed, "You're no better, just another escort like this woman. You're not qualified to question me!""Damn!" Erica was infuriated.But before she could take any action, Randy cut in sharply, "Who are you calling an escort?"His loud voice caught the attention of Carrie's parents.When they realized it was Randy speaking and standing beside their daughter, they informed Wendy's parents and hurried over."What's going on?" Carrie's father assumed an elder's posture, clearly protective of his daughter."Dad! They're bullying me!" Carrie complained.Her father sized
Carrie was daunted, hiding behind her father.It was the first time he had seen his daughter so aggrieved. He immediately spoke up, "Mr. Jordan Potter! Carrie is just a kid. Can't you just accommodate yourself to her a little? How could you..."Jordan cut him off, sneering, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"Everyone around wore expressions of anticipation.They all knew Jordan's character.Since he was born, only Andrew could manage him. No one else had dared to lecture him.Carrie's father was displeased. "Regardless, I am a senior.""Oh really?" Jordan snorted with disdain.In this circle, seniority always deferred to those more powerful. Carrie's father was just a minor business owner. Without Debra's invitation, he wouldn't have even been able to set foot here."Mr. Jordan Potter, this woman is just an escort. How can you humiliate my father and me for her? At least we run a business, while she has nothing," Carrie said tearfully.Jordan's gaze became sharper. "Say
"Will do." Jordan then shouted at those people. "Why aren't you leaving yet?"Carrie's expression changed slightly. "Mr. Andrew Potter, the invitation was sent by your family. We've just arrived. Why are you asking us to leave? Is this how you treat your guests?"Debra had to say this girl was quite blunt.No one had dared to be so bold in front of Andrew."Would you like to experience the hospitality of the Potter family?" Andrew raised his eyes, his gaze deep and unfathomable.He had a faint smile on his face, yet his words sent shivers down everyone's spine.Suddenly, several black-clad bodyguards stepped forward, grabbing the arms of these people and dragging them out.Carrie's high heels fell to the ground as she struggled. "Let go! What are you doing? Let go!"In a short while, the hall fell silent, as if this commotion had never occurred."Sorry for the disturbance." Andrew resumed his gentleness.Debra couldn't help but size up Andrew.In her past life, she hadn't ha
"Mrs. Nichols didn't say a word from start to finish, but Miss Mathis seemed very angry." Joe paused and added, "Among those present were our people. He mentioned that Miss Miles' classmates stood up for her because of rumors that Mrs. Nichols had seduced Miss Miles' boyfriend."Juan pressed his lips together.Shelia had limited interaction at school, and he had never heard of her having a boyfriend."Go and investigate this matter thoroughly, and also check with the school," he instructed.He didn't usually inquire much about Debra's affairs at Arcane Academy, and Debra had always kept a low profile, so much so that Melody hadn't learned anything. However, the rumor of her being involved in compensated dating didn't seem baseless."Yes, sir." Joe quickly left.Juan pushed open the door to the hospital room and saw that Shelia had already woken up at some point. She looked exhausted as she gazed at Juan, apologizing, "I'm sorry for the trouble.""The doctor said you have low blo
Debra stared at Andrew. Despite his poor health, he managed the Potter family so well, which was quite daunting."Sir, we've brought her over," a bodyguard announced, leading a seductive woman forward.Debra watched from the sidelines, pretending to sip her drink and expecting some drama.The woman blushed coyly, her eyes showing a hint of seduction.Debra recalled seeing this woman downstairs earlier. She had been trying to get close to Jordan but got rejected."Mr. Andrew Potter, did you summon me for something?" The woman's voice was low and captivating.Debra couldn't help but sneak a few glances. The woman was practically clinging to Andrew, who remained composed with a cold smile."What are you doing? Let go of me!"The woman's arms were tightly held, and she was pinned to the ground. Her earlier allure was all gone."Tell the person behind you. If they think they can gather the Potter family's secrets through women, they're mistaken," Andrew said, his voice devoid of wa
It was late at night.Inside the church, soft light filtered through the colored glass, casting a shadow that stretched long and unnerving.Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the vast space. A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask entered."Didn't get the job done, and you're still here to face me?" The bishop's voice was low and ominous.The young man was unfazed. "Debra and Marion are keeping Drake well protected. We had no chance to move. The Potter family guards escorted him the whole way from the airport. We couldn't act."The bishop paused, his fingers tightening around the ring in his hand."The Potter family?" he muttered, "Without Andrew leading them, they're just a bunch of misfits.""It's not so easy to remove Andrew," replied the young man. "Rumor has it that he was crippled in a kidnapping incident, but he's still walking. And another rumor said he was dying, but he's still kicking and alive.""The Four Great Families only have one person like that.
Fermin's men aimed their rifles at Bert.Fermin led Liza downstairs and casually said, "Be careful. Don't let anything go off by accident. The old man's too frail for this.""Fermin..." Liza's face went pale.She knew Fermin wouldn't harm their father, but at that moment, her heart still twisted with worry.Outside, a luxury car pulled up. Fermin raised his hand and ordered, "Fall back."His men quickly withdrew from the property.Bert stood there, barely able to keep himself upright. The butler immediately stepped forward to support him. "Sir, stay strong.""That bastard pointed a gun at me." Bert's words were cut off by a sudden surge of something in his throat.The next second, blood gushed from his mouth.The butler was alarmed. "Sir!"Outside, Liza looked back at the house, worried about Bert.He was too old to handle such a shock.Fermin brushed it off. "Don't worry about him. Get in the car."Liza reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.She'd try to talk to Fermin w
Bert's face darkened as a loud noise echoed from outside the basement.A group of masked men had blown open the basement door.Fermin's shackles were quickly removed, and then he vanished from the surveillance footage.On the second floor, Bert had instructed that Liza be kept under guard to stop her from running around.Sitting on the bed, Liza was worried about Fermin when a sudden loud noise came from outside."Who's there?" She turned pale from fear.When she got up to check, she saw Fermin standing at the door.He had changed into a black shirt, and his face was no longer the mess it had been the day before. Even his stubble had been neatly groomed.He opened his arms with a smile, "Come here.""Fermin." Liza rushed into his arms, hugging him. "Did Dad let you out?"Fermin playfully ruffled her hair. "He didn't let you out, but you still managed to sneak down to the basement. Weren't you afraid of his punishment?""I was worried about you," Liza replied, but her express
Late into the night, Debra leaned against the head of the bed, waiting for Marion to come back after washing his hands.But then, the showering sound echoed from the bathroom.After a while, he walked out. His hair was still damp, and the bathrobe hung loosely on him, revealing his toned muscles and perfect V-shaped lines.The dim light from the bedside lamp reminded Debra of the banquet earlier.Her face flushed. She instinctively reached for the light switch to break the mood, but Marion grabbed her wrist.His palm was warm, and under the soft light, there was a glint of desire in his deep eyes."I'm clean," he croaked, having washed off the scent of blood.In fact, before leaving the castle, he had already changed into a new jacket, worried that Debra might catch the disgusting smell of blood."Alright," she said shyly, a bit overwhelmed by his strong desire.Marion smelled faintly fresh. Different from his usual tobacco, this scent was clean and pure."Don't hurt yourself
"See you around," Michael said, smiling at Marion.His action got under Marion's skin. Taking a deep breath, Marion turned off the stove and took the eggs out.Debra glanced at him. "You seem hostile to Michael.""He's not worth my time," Marion replied flatly, peeling the eggs.Then he walked over to her and gently pressed the egg against her injured spot."This will help reduce the swelling. You went too hard on yourself. It's gonna hurt tomorrow.""Michael was just messing around. Don't be fooled by his innocent look. He's got a mischievous side. I think he just wanted to see if you cared about me. He wasn't trying to provoke you."Marion hummed in response, seemingly unbothered by it.He looked down at the bruise and sighed, "He wasn't wrong about one thing.""What is it?""I failed to take good care of you.""That was my doing. It wasn't your fault.""My job is to protect you. I can't let you get hurt even in the slightest." Marion pinched her nose. "I'll carry you to
When Debra and Marion came back, Michael quickly ended the call."You didn't check in with Hannah before leaving?" Debra asked."This trip is for work," Michael replied, closing his laptop. "Hannah was just briefing me on tomorrow's schedule."He noticed her disheveled appearance. "You guys came back so early. Guess the investigation didn't go as smoothly?""Let's just say it was a bit intense. Marion can tell you about the details," Debra said, sitting down on the couch.Marion habitually warmed up some milk for her and grabbed some pre-sliced cake from the fridge.He didn't stick around in the living room but went straight to the kitchen to boil eggs.Michael raised an eyebrow. "Feels like he doesn't quite like me."Marion heard it, his grip tightening around an egg. Then there was a cracking sound.Michael added, "My visit seems untimely. Should I move out?"But he made no move to get up.Debra took a sip of milk. "No way. I can't let you leave, especially since you're th
God knew how panicked Marion was when that guard raised his gun at Debra."I..." Debra murmured, "I couldn't find you.""That's not an excuse." Marion frowned. "Do you not trust me, or are you just used to handling everything yourself? Even if you stood there doing nothing, I could find you in a second. You shouldn't have rushed it like that.""The doors were closing, and I was worried that the guy would get away, so..." she explained."I don't care about the Illuminati. I care about you." Marion cupped her face, his tone serious. "You can't go solo like that again.""What if I do that again?" Debra looked at him.Marion pinched her cheek and muttered, "I'll break your legs so that you can't run off again."Debra slapped his hand away. "It was a special case today. I won't do it again.""Remember what you said. Don't make me worry," Marion relented, pinching her nose."By the way, what's the situation now?""I've handled it.""How?"He fell silent, but she didn't press furt
The man trembled and spilled every bit of information he knew about the Illuminati."Sounds like you're not so useful," Marion said, watching the man shiver in fear. "Everyone here is guilty. To redeem yourselves, your souls will stay in this castle."Before anyone could process his words, gunshots erupted around them. Screams filled the air. In just moments, the castle was thick with the smell of blood."You're out of your mind!" shouted the man, rushing toward the exit.But before he could get close, he was shot dead."Sir, we'll take care of the rest," said a guard."Make sure to clear all the traces," Marion ordered before leaving the castle alone.His eyes reflected the cold light of the moon. The air around him was chilling.Since the day he arrived overseas, everyone was nothing more than a dead man to him....Debra had a dream of her coming-of-age ceremony.Everyone was smiling, and everything was perfect.Suddenly, a gunshot shattered everything. The world went bl
For a moment, the castle fell silent after the gunshot. Then, more shots rang out, each one chipping away at the crowd's composure.A man, trembling, slowly raised his hands and stood up. "I'm a member of the Illuminati."Others scrambled to follow. "Me too."Within moments, nearly 70 to 80 percent of the people in the room were on their feet.The ones who stayed seated were mostly the "merchandise"—people the Illuminati had prepared. They quickly stood as well."Mr. Houston, have mercy," one of them begged. "We were just hired. We don't even know who's in charge."The men and women, who had been laughing and flirting with the wealthy elites, were now shaking in fear.Barely covered, they huddled together, terrified that Marion would kill them.Marion leaned back in his chair, glancing at the crowd. "Words don't count. Prove it."His men raised their rifles, aiming at the heads of the so-called members."I have proof," said one of them, pulling out a badge. "Here. Look. This