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
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
"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
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
"Hurry! Where's the dress for the toast?" Erica rushed to find the next set of clothes for Debra.Just as they reached the changing room, a staff member handed Erica a white dress. Without looking closely, Erica was about to pass it to Debra.The staff member quickly intervened, "Miss Mathis. That's not for the bride. It's for you.""For me? Do bridesmaids need to change clothes too?" Erica asked, surprised.Liza hurried over. "What about me?""I'm sorry, Miss Eaton, this one is for Miss Mathis," the staff member explained.Liza grumbled, "We're both bridesmaids. Why does Erica get to change and I don't? I don't care. I want to change too."The staff member looked troubled. If she couldn't complete the task Randy gave her, her career was over."Here, you can change into this one," Debra chimed in, handing Liza a white gown.The staff member was relieved, admiring Debra for her foresight.Debra added, "Come with me. This one is a bit tricky to put on.""I usually don't share
As the whiskey was brought over, Randy quickly downed it in one gulp.Drake saw it and snorted, "Coward.""What? Who are you calling a coward?" Randy spat, pointing at Drake. "Don't think just because you've known Marion longer, I won't dare to punch you. Let me tell you, I'm Marion's best friend.""Who cares about your friendship? You want to hit me? Go ahead and try."Just as Randy was about to make a move, Garland quickly checked him. "Calm down. You don't want to ruin Marion and Debra's big day.""You're right," Randy said, grimacing. "But how did Marion, a lone wolf, manage to get married? While I'm still stuck with nothing."Unsure how to comfort him, Garland patted him on the back, which caused him to retch.A strong smell of alcohol wafted through the air. Garland, who hated bad smells, immediately felt queasy and almost gagged from the stench."What the hell?" He shoved Randy away in disgust."Sorry." Randy wobbled.Drake couldn't help but roll his eyes. 'What kind o
"This is Mr. Lowe's territory," Debra said, glancing at Marion. "We should toast him for providing such a great venue for our wedding."Marion picked up his glass and clinked it against Drake's.Marion downed his glass first, and Drake followed suit.Debra smiled and looked around. Everyone was there except Andrew."Erica, where's Andrew?" she asked quietly.Erica looked around, but there were no signs of him. "He disappeared after entering the venue. Maybe he had something urgent to attend to and left early?"Garland chimed in, "He sent such an expensive gift but didn't even stay for a drink? Is this guy nuts?"Erica kicked him. "Watch your mouth. If his people hear you, you're finished.""You're beating me up before they even get the chance," Garland muttered.He was just speaking the truth. Who would just show their faces at the wedding and then leave?Debra said, "It's okay. Andrew is always busy. He's never left Seamar City in all these years. The fact that he came perso
Randy's voice was so loud it brought the entire room to silence.Erica froze, and so did Randy.He had only meant to ask her to be his girlfriend. But with the alcohol clouding his head, his true feelings had slipped out.Before he could backtrack, the crowd around them began to cheer, "Say yes."Erica was flustered, glancing at the ring and then the onlookers.She blushed and stammered, "This is Juan and Debra's wedding day. What are you doing? Get up.""I don't care. If you don't say yes, I'm not getting up," Randy insisted, playing the rogue.To stop the farce, she extended her hand and said, "Alright, I'll say yes. Just get up already."Randy lit up with joy, quickly slipping the ring onto her finger.Debra burst out laughing. "Randy, you've got it all wrong. She agreed to your proposal, but she didn't say she's ready to have the wedding right now."Randy's face turned crimson. He hurried to take the ring off, but Erica grabbed him and bolted from the stage. The crowd c
Debra's eyes narrowed at this guy she'd never heard of.Michael had kept it under wraps, proving he had never fully trusted her."Mrs. Houston," Jason said, "I'm here for Mr. Austin to negotiate. He called this shareholder vote in the name of the biggest stakeholder. He's got the right to kick it off. Any objections?"Debra plopped into the head chair. "Cut the polite crap. Everyone's here. Objections or not, this vote's happening, right? No way it's that simple.""Mrs. Houston," Jason said coolly, "today's vote's straightforward: who's better suited as the McKinney Group CEO, you or Mr. Austin? Everyone here sees what you both bring. In the past two years, you've barely shown up. Mr. Austin ran the show, held a key role, and raked in profits. He's the clear pick for CEO.""So, you're saying I suck as the boss?" Debra shot back.Michael didn't even show, sending this random assistant instead. That already pissed her off.Now this guy's veiled jabs annoyed her even more."I'm ju
Debra's heart sank.Back when she'd teamed up with Michael, she had nothing, offering him Frazier Entertainment shares to seal the deal. Later, Frazier Entertainment merged into the McKinney Group, and she handed it off to him.To keep her identity hidden, she'd tossed him more shares. With Frazier Entertainment, he'd racked up 30%.She'd thought he deserved it. For two years, he'd run the show plenty. She'd never seen this coming."Madam, you there?" Ben's voice shook.This was huge and should stay quiet. Otherwise, the company would fall into chaos.Debra's blood ran cold. She hadn't expected Michael to go so far."I'll be there soon," she said, hanging up.She turned to Marion. "Michael scooped up loose shares. He's gunning for a vote as top shareholder."Over 40% wasn't half, but it made him the biggest player. Calling a vote was his right.Debra only had 40%. If 10% of the rest sided with Michael, he could oust her."Don't sweat it," Marion said. "We'll hit it together.
That shut everyone up.If Jordan was right, Drake was gambling with his neck."That's too risky. I've gotta drag him back." Debra spun to leave.Erica grabbed her. "Jordan's guys are on it. They'll ping us if they find him. You can't go out like this and become their target.""I'm not their focus anymore," Debra said. "They'll zero in on Drake."She looked at Marion. "Get your people searching. We need his trail fast, or he's dead."Once the Illuminati squeezed the stone's location out of Drake, they'd kill him.Orkgate was now controlled by Lara. Drake had no other value for them."On it," Marion said.They split up. Erica and Randy tapped their networks."Debra, don't freak," Jordan said. "Drake is not dumb. Injured like that, he couldn't have gone far. As long as he keeps that secret, they won't kill him."Debra nodded. "Hope he doesn't do anything stupid."She should've seen it coming. A proud guy like Drake couldn't handle being down for so long.His injuries were bru
Outside their room, Drake froze mid-knock.His head was down, and his expression was hidden. Eventually, his hand dropped, and he sighed.He turned around and shuffled downstairs, leaning on the wall. He was a broken mess now, unwilling to drag them down....Debra woke up the next morning, reaching for Marion.He wasn't there. She bolted upright, threw off the covers, and ran barefoot downstairs, shouting, "Marion?"In the hall, Marion and Jordan turned as she stumbled in, still in her pajamas.Marion rushed up, slipping off his slippers for her. "What's with the panic?""I didn't see you." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thought you'd...""Any luck?" Jordan asked Kale, who'd just walked in.Kale shook his head. "Not yet.""What's up?" Debra asked, clocking everyone's grim faces."Drake's gone," Marion said. "No note, nothing. We're looking.""Did the cameras catch anything? Could it be the Illuminati...""Not them. He walked out himself.""Why the hell would he just up a
Debra jolted awake from a nightmare, her forehead slick with sweat."Still torn up about Michael?" Marion's voice came from beside her.She settled into his arms, finally feeling a little relieved. These past two months, they'd faced everything alone. She hadn't curled up with him like this in forever."It's my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't trusted Michael so much, the Eaton family wouldn't have been a mess. Mr. Eaton Sr. wouldn't have been in the hospital.""It's your fault," Marion said, patting her back. "Even without your trust, the Illuminati would've found a way in. That was their goal.""I just can't wrap my head around why Michael's one of them," she said.She'd spent all night recalling the past, from meeting Michael to building the McKinney Group with him. He was key to its success, but everything had been a lie."Maybe he was never with us," Marion said. "The Illuminati's everywhere. Didn't you check his background when you teamed up?""I..." Debra faltered.S
"We're all in it for ourselves." Michael shrugged. "Jeffery did his part for the Illuminati, so I'll cut you some slack.He pushed the teacup to Juan. "But I don't buy it that you're all-in. Following in Jeffery's footsteps sounds nice, but you killed him, which shows your ruthless nature. We need people like you. I don't care if you're Debra's mole or chasing your angle. Save your energy. It's pointless. Just do your job and back us up. I won't say a word about it.""Should I thank you for it?" Juan scoffed.He'd thought Michael was forced into it, but now he saw how naïve that was.Though young, Michael was already a core member, suggesting his connection to the Illuminati dates back a long time.Only intelligent and influential ones could enter the core circle. That meant he hadn't defected midway.Michael sat down across from him. "Don't look at me like that. We're not the same, and you know it.""When'd you turn on Debra?" Juan asked."Doesn't matter," Michael said, smilin
It was true they were both members of the Illuminati, but Fermin never signed up to be a lapdog.Back then, he'd teamed up with them for mutual gain. But the Illuminati wanted more than a partnership. They wanted the Eaton family on a leash.When Fermin didn't bite, Michael added, "I saw Miss Eaton crying her eyes out. We go way back. Should I cheer her..."Before he could finish, Fermin's knife flashed to his throat, nicking him. Blood trickled, but it was just a scratch."Stay away from her," Fermin growled. "Touch her, and I'll end you.""I'm just being nice here," Michael chuckled. "But if you're not cool with it, I'll drop it. But those terms? Think twice. We only help our own. If you keep playing your own game, that heart goes elsewhere. And trust me, you won't find another match."Fermin hated to admit it, but Michael was speaking the truth. Without the Illuminati's help, he couldn't find a match for Bert's heart.He lowered the knife. "Fine, it's a deal. Get your people
She only had Fermin and Bert left in this world.She had no mom and no real friends. She couldn't lose Bert or watch Fermin turn into this.She didn't want Debra's crew hurt either.Fermin pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry. Dad will be fine. I'll make sure of it."His promise unleashed her tears. The hospital hallway echoed with her cries.Once she calmed down, Fermin had someone take her away.A guard stepped up. "Mr. Eaton, our master is waiting ahead.""You've tailed me this whole way," Fermin said coldly. "Gonna keep it up? I don't like shadows."The guards stayed silent, just following orders. If their boss said stick to Fermin, they'd die before leaving his side."Loyal dogs to your master," Fermin scoffed, brushing past them.He walked into an empty ward. A tall figure in a white shirt stood by the window."You've really opened my eyes," he said, surprised."I'm flattered, Mr. Eaton," Michael said, turning around.His crisp white shirt had dried bloodstains. Notic
Liza rushed to the ICU upon receiving the news.A bodyguard stopped her. "Mr. Eaton said no one gets near the room and disturbs the patient's rest."Liza smacked him, and he bowed his head.Her eyes were red, her vibe darker than ever. "That's my dad in there. Why can't I go in? Move!""Mr. Eaton forbids it. Please, don't make things hard for us," the bodyguard said, stuck.No one there dared to defy her. They all knew how much Fermin doted on her."I don't care," she snapped. "Step aside, or I'll have my brother skin you alive. Let's see if you still block me."Her threat chilled him. She might be bluffing, but Fermin wouldn't."What's the ruckus?" Fermin's voice cut through."Mr. Eaton." The bodyguard bowed his head."Didn't I tell you no one gets near?" Fermin's tone dripped danger.Coming with him was a group of elite guards. The bodyguard was daunted by their aura.Liza stepped forward. "Dad is in a bad condition. Why wouldn't you let me see him? Does this have anythin