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 laughed with amusement, and Jordan laughed along."Alright, I can't stay long. Congrats on the wedding. Remember to open the gift when you get back.""Got it."He put on his helmet, and she saw him off with a smile."What are you doing there alone?" Erica rushed over, holding up her dress.Debra looked at her still-flushed face. "Did the confession go well?"Erica blushed even more. "Did you know about it all along?""Of course," Debra grinned.Erica pouted. "How could you let Randy do something so crazy? Who proposes at someone else's wedding?""He's not an outsider," Debra said, smiling. "Besides, we're all happy for you two."Just then, Liza came up and said, "What are you guys doing here? The bride needs to change clothes."Debra's smile faltered, and Erica teased her, "You've got 12 outfits to get through tonight. No slacking off."She then dragged Debra to the dressing room.In the hall, everyone was full and tipsy by the time Debra emerged in her 12th outfit.
Debra didn't expect Erica to be so eager to open the gifts."How about you open them for me?""No way. That's something you have to do yourself. You never know, you might open a gift and find the price of an entire building inside."Debra couldn't help but laugh. She knew all the guests were wealthy and wouldn't be stingy with their gifts. But finding the price of a building in a gift? That seemed a little crazy.Just then, an attendant knocked on the door."Come in.""Madam, Mr. Houston said he's waiting for you in the lobby.""Got it. I'll be right there."Debra had changed into a more comfortable black dress. As she walked toward the lobby, an arm suddenly draped around her neck and pulled her into a corner.In reflex, she bit down on the arm, and Drake cried out in pain.When Debra realized it was him, she quickly released her bite."What are you doing?""What are you doing?""Sorry. I've had a bit of a reflex from being kidnapped before. I'll be gentler next time."D
"What the heck?" Debra felt the envelope and found a key hidden inside.She held the key in her hand and looked at the address again."A house?" she muttered incredulously.By the time Debra walked out of the hotel, Drake was nowhere to be seen. Only a car was parked by the entrance.Marion stepped out of the car, wearing nothing but a black shirt. He walked up and took her into his arms.He was reeking of alcohol, and she muttered, "Stop messing around. People are watching.""Let them watch," Marion chuckled. "They don't have a wife as good as mine.""Knock it off," Debra said, feeling the driver's gaze on them.Just as she pushed Marion away, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground."Hey! Are you drunk and acting crazy?""Who says I'm drunk? I just like you so much."He then carried Debra into the car. The driver cleared his throat and pretended not to see anything.Back at the wedding venue, Garland and Liza couldn't find the bride and groom any
Erica stepped forward and started opening the gifts. "There are so many gifts. My hands are going to be sore from opening all these."Marion interjected, "Open them somewhere else. Don't interrupt our wedding night.""No way. The biggest event on a wedding night is opening the gifts," Randy chimed in. "You can go to sleep once we're done."Marion wanted to kick them out, but Debra spoke eagerly. "It sounds fun. Let's do it, Marion."Marion couldn't reject her proposal. "Alright."The five of them sat on the bed, with Marion helping Debra collect the opened envelopes."This one is from the postal bank. This one is from the commercial bank, and that one is from the agricultural bank," Erica muttered, sorting them.Debra was surprised to see so many bank cards."Wow, someone sent cash," Liza laughed, holding up an envelope. "Which idiot did this? 500 dollars? That's a lack of respect.""That idiot is me." Garland snatched the money, stuffing it into his pocket. "Who knew these bi
Debra remembered the ring she had taken from Melody's hidden stash. At the time, she had noticed the ring was valuable but hadn't thought much deeper about it. Now there might be a connection to it. Erica said, "That gemstone is valuable. It could be an heirloom of the Potter family. You should ask Jordan about it. Find out where it came from."Debra shook her head. "I want to, but all of Jordan's accounts have been deactivated. No one can get in touch with him now."'Except for Andrew.' The thought of him made her feel regretful. He hadn't stayed to celebrate the wedding."By the way, where is Andrew's gift?" Erica asked, looking at Randy and Garland.They had been receiving gifts that day.Garland pointed to a folder nearby. "These are gifts, right? I thought it was just a list of dowry items.""What? You looked through them?""No. But the stack of papers was thick. I could tell just by touching it."Garland grabbed the folder and handed it to Debra.Debra felt the con
Debra didn't understand why Andrew gave her such valuable gifts. They were too much as wedding gifts.The next morning, they were sprawled out on the bed in different positions. Garland and Randy were sound asleep on the nearby sofa.The first light of dawn shone on Debra's eyes. She woke up groggily and saw the bed covered in opened gifts. Erica and Liza were lying next to her.She remembered that they had spent the night opening gifts and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion."Marion?" She looked around but only saw Marion's jacket draped over her.An attendant knocked on the door, the noise waking up the others in the room.Randy jumped up from the sofa. "I'm done opening gifts. No more."Erica rubbed her eyes and got up from the bed. "What are you shouting for early in the morning?"Debra spoke toward the door. "Come in."The attendant entered, followed by a staff member pushing a food cart."Madam, we're bringing you breakfast per Mr. Houston's orders.""Breakfast? Wh
Marion glanced at his trembling arm, wracked with pain. The blood trickling from his wound had turned black."Marion, tell your woman to behave herself," Robert said, his tone eerily calm. "If she keeps going against Theda, I'll kill her."The poison began to paralyze Marion's nerves."Or," Robert continued, "I could deal with you now, then take care of her and her friends. It'd save me a lot of trouble."Marion's eyes darkened. He tried to push himself off the ground, but the venom coursing through him forced a mouthful of blood to spill from his lips.Robert strode toward him, the blade in his hand glinting coldly."Hold it!" Drake called out. "You told me you wanted to talk to Marion. I gave you the chance. But killing him here? That's a mess I don't need.""That's your problem," Robert replied flatly. "I'm here to kill, not worry about your headaches."He glanced down at Marion, who was barely holding himself up. "Don't worry. Your friends and your woman will be joining you
Grover chimed in. "Well, Ivan has always been lazy and uneducated. He probably won't be capable of the job. Maybe..."Debra interrupted smoothly, "I'm asking for Ivan's opinion.""Alright," Ivan agreed quickly.Debra smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't agree so quickly. I do have some conditions.""Conditions?""Well, I value loyalty above all else. Unless you can pass my test, I won't hire you.""I'm willing to take any tests."Debra saw his determination and nodded. "Recently, I needed a cook. The food at the Lowe Mansion doesn't suit my taste. If you can cook meals to my liking, you'll be an employee of the McKinney Group. I will never treat you unfairly.""Got it.""Alright, shall we go? I need a reliable driver too."Grover was dumbfounded. He had never seen anything like that before.Ivan followed Debra out without hesitation, even opening the car door for her with an air of professionalism.Inside the car, the driver was baffled.Back at the Lowe Mansion,
Grover panicked. "Did my son offend you, Mrs. Houston?""Why don't we go inside and talk?" Debra suggested.Grover nodded eagerly and ushered Debra and her entourage into the house.Following behind Debra, Grover explained anxiously, "Ivan is young and ignorant. If he has offended you in any way, I hope you can forgive him.""It's not a big deal," Debra said casually. "He just cut my brake lines, punctured my gas tank, threw a lighter into it, and almost blew me up. That's all.""What?" Grover stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.That was a near-fatal offense."Get that brat down here," he barked, his voice shaking with anger and fear.The maid hurried upstairs to fetch Ivan. Moments later, he reluctantly came out, fidgeting at the sight of Debra."Get over here." Grover dragged him to stand in front of Debra.Debra rested her chin on her hand. "The car he messed with doesn't belong to me; it belongs to Mr. Lowe. He has a bit of a cleanliness obsession and doesn't like his
"Alright, sweet-talker." Debra looked up at Marion. "So, what do you think I should do next?""They want your life," Marion replied seriously. "This time they failed, but they'll likely try to get closer to you and seek another chance.""I feel the same way," Debra murmured, her brow furrowing. "They've been going around in circles only for the share transfer agreement. Theda was fine when she had it, but they won't let me have it.""It seems like they're afraid of our momentum," Marion said."Hopefully, through the visit, I can figure out who is behind the Trennery family.""Good luck.""Thanks."Debra left the Lowe Mansion and spotted a car outside.The driver got out and approached her with a polite smile. "Mr. Lowe arranged a car for you, Mrs. Houston. I'm here to take you to the Trennery Mansion."Debra glanced at the car and the bodyguards surrounding it.She raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been standing here?""Not long, just about an hour.""An hour?""Mr. Lo
Drake chewed over her words and nodded."Alright. Can I go back to sleep now?" Debra said."Go ahead." Drake waved her off but soon called out, "Hold on.""What else?""Did Theda give you the share transfer agreement?""Yes, she did.""I'm buying those shares."...After leaving the Lowe Mansion, Ivan got into a black sedan. His previously meek demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold, disdainful expression. "Debra isn't so hard to fool after all."The driver pulled his cap low, cautioning, "Our boss said not to underestimate her. She's cunning and might already suspect you."Ivan scoffed, "If she suspected me, would she have let me go? She's not that clever. Without Marion protecting her, she wouldn't have gotten this far.""You're young and inexperienced," the driver insisted. "You can't judge a book by its cover. Do your best to gain her trust and be our eyes and ears."Ivan bristled, "Don't talk to me like a senior. You're my underling here.""I'm just looking out for you
Debra straightened up. "You said you got the wrong car. Which car were you originally after?""I..." Ivan hesitated.Drake was eager to kick him. "Answer the question.""It was my stepmother's car. I'm sorry.""That's attempted murder. Don't you know?" Debra said."I didn't think that much.""So, no one put you up to this?"Ivan shook his head. "I'm willing to pay for the damage.""Alright," Debra said coolly. "I'll be coming to collect that money."Ivan swallowed nervously but agreed.Debra paused as something occurred to her. "Oh, the gas tank and the lighter too.""No, that wasn't me," Ivan replied in a shaky voice.Debra nodded. "That's all. Take him away.""Wait," Drake interjected. "We finally caught the guy, and you're just going to let him go? My gut tells me he's lying. He stays until I get the truth out of him.""I'm the victim here. I'm letting him go," Debra said, winking at him.Knowing that look too well, Drake ordered his men to take Ivan away.Holding ba
The sudden sound of heavy footsteps outside interrupted the sweet moment.Debra frowned. "What is Drake doing in the middle of the night?"She gently pushed him onto the bed. "Stay here and rest. I'll go check it out.""Alright," Marion agreed, taking her hand. "Come back soon.""I will," Debra promised, slipping out of the room.Outside, Drake's men streamed in, carrying files in their arms.Debra figured they were probably the people Drake had sent to gather information on the local businesses, but the sheer volume surprised her.A bodyguard passed through the long line and rushed upstairs."Boss! We caught the person who tampered with the car."Drake emerged from his room. "Bring them to me.""They're right outside," the guard replied.Debra was impressed by the efficiency of Drake's team. But as the person was dragged up front, she frowned skeptically.It was a teenager dressed in an ordinary black hoodie. Immaturity and nervousness adorned his face."You were the one
"Ugh!" Drake stormed upstairs with frustration.The confrontation ended as abruptly as it had begun.Liza shook her head, totally disappointed. "I thought we were going to see an epic showdown. All that buildup was for nothing. We still don't know who's stronger.""Obviously, it's Marion," Garland declared.Suddenly, a shoe came flying down from upstairs, hitting him squarely on the head."Ow!" he yelped, turning around. "Who did that?"Drake stood at the top of the stairs, feigning an apology. "Sorry. My hand slipped."Garland's anger vanished when he saw who it was. He laughed dryly, "No big deal. Just be more careful."Drake walked away, heading to his room.Garland punched the air with his fist, muttering under his breath, "You're nothing compared to Marion. You deserve to be stuck in Orkgate."Then something occurred to him. It was from a document Juan had forced him to read.It wrote that Drake wasn't related to the former head of the Lowe family by blood. He was just
By the time Debra returned to the Lowe Manion, it was already well past midnight.The living room was chaotic. Garland was anxiously holding back Marion.He said, "Mrs. Houston will be fine. Mr. Lowe has gone to find her."Liza echoed, "Yes. They will be fine."Marion's sharp gaze daunted her, but she would not step aside, especially since Garland was doing his best to stop Marion from leaving."Move!" Marion demanded, dressed in nothing but a white shirt.His sleeves were rolled up, and his face was pale. He was about to shake them off when Debra's voice came over. "Marion."The anger in Marion's eyes vanished instantly, while Garland and Liza both heaved a sigh of relief.Finally, Debra was back. Otherwise, they might have lost control of the situation.Despite his injury, Marion was as strong as a horse. He had dominated overseas for a reason.Garland was exhausted and wiped his sweat."What happened? Are you all right?" Marion asked, hurrying over to check on her.Debra
With her plan exposed, Debra lost the patience to keep sparring with Drake."You're right. It's getting late. I should head back."Before Drake could protest, she added, "You shouldn't be out right after a shower. Why don't you have me sent back and stay here for the night?""Since when do you make decisions for me?" Drake stood up, turning to Kale. "Go get the car.""Boss, are you sure you want to go out dressed like that?" Kale pointed out.Drake looked down at his robe before irritably ripping the towel from around his neck and throwing it at Debra. "Get out."Debra caught the towel and tossed it back, turning to leave the suite without a backward glance.Kale hurried after her. Anyone else would have been in serious trouble for defying Drake like that.Leaning against the wall outside, Debra sighed, "Does Mr. Lowe always take this long to get ready?"Kale didn't respond, his face stoic.Debra pressed on, "Who did he meet with today?"Kale remained silent.Debra knew she