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,
Debra came out of the study with the document and saw Ivan standing downstairs, looking lost."Ivan, you can start preparing lunch," she ordered. "But we always use fresh ingredients. You'll need to drive to the farmer's market three kilometers away for vegetables, then the seafood market 3.8 kilometers away, and finally the butcher five kilometers away for meat. Then come back and cook.""Oh, and after lunch, you'll have half an hour to clean up and do the dishes," she continued. "Then prepare our afternoon tea. At three, go buy ingredients for dinner. After dinner, you'll have an hour to clean up, prepare hot water for everyone, and heat the milk for bedtime. That should take you to around ten, which is when you'll need to start prepping for tomorrow's breakfast. The breakfast here consists of 12 dishes, so it might be a bit labor-intensive. You'll need to wake up at four to start preparing. I suggest you go to bed at ten."Ivan's brows furrowed. They had so many servants, but Deb
"You figured that out?" Juan asked."I overheard," Garland replied seriously. "Don't doubt a journalist's eavesdropping skills."Juan felt helpless. "What's the kid's name?""I think it's Ivan Trennery.""Got it."As Juan was about to hang up, Garland hurriedly added, "That's it? Aren't you even a little worried?" "Since Debra brought him back, she has suspected him and is trying to keep him under watch. With Marion by her side, she won't be in any danger.""You trust your rival so much.""Are you done?" "Yeah.""Bye."Garland stared at the screen and shook his head. He couldn't understand why Juan chose to fade into the backdrop and continue to help Debra, who was now his ex-wife. There was nothing to gain.Humming a song, Debra went back to her room.Marion was lounging against the headboard of the bed. "You seem in a good mood.""You noticed?""I heard everything. You're messing with that kid. Aren't you worried he'll just quit on you?" "He wants to spy on us,
The call ended abruptly, leaving Ivan to stew in his thoughts.He hadn't intended to waste time on Debra, but since it was an order from his boss, he decided to play along.By noon, Ivan had prepared a lavish lunch. The table was laden with exquisite dishes—a far cry from the simple meals Garland had grown accustomed to at the Eaton Mansion.He shook his head, marveling at the luxuries Drake enjoyed.Garland watched Ivan meticulously arrange the plates. The kid seemed clueless that Debra was toying with him.Debra descended the stairs, supporting Marion. In the meantime, Drake and Kale came down from the other side.Ivan stole a glance at Marion and quickly looked away.Debra, on the other hand, surveyed the table and commented, "Well done, Ivan.""Thank you, Mrs. Houston. I'll get back to work," Ivan replied, dutifully returning to the kitchen to clean up.Garland clicked his tongue. "Using a kid as a servant. That's a bit cruel."He sympathized with Ivan, who seemed to be a
Ivan grew anxious at the news.Debra took Marion's hand and said, "Let's go upstairs and order some takeout.""Sure." Marion followed her obediently.Garland thought Debra was exaggerating, but when he took a bite, a foul, fishy taste instantly filled his mouth. He could feel the fish scales dancing on his tongue."Actually, this is quite... gag... good. Keep it up... gag. I need to go upstairs for a second." He covered his mouth and rushed upstairs.The food looked good but tasted awful. Debra's earlier comments were actually mild."Wait." Liza dropped her fork and chased after him.With a poker face, Ivan walked over to the dishes he had prepared and dumped them into the trash.The time left for him was limited. He needed to speed up his plans.That afternoon, an invitation arrived at the Lowe Mansion.Kale handed it to Drake, who glanced at it briefly. "They think I'll go to every little gathering?""Boss, this invitation isn't for you," Kale reminded him.Drake frowned
With his guilt over Marion's injury, Drake would ensure Debra's safety.Marion smiled, "Yeah. You're right."Debra nestled against his chest. "When do you think we'll live a peaceful life?"Every day was a constant battle. It was exhausting. She could only find a moment of peace when she was with Marion.She added, "I've been thinking a lot lately. If we were just ordinary kids, with our parents still around, friends by our side, and no backstabbing or life-and-death struggles, life would be so much easier."Marion reassured her, "Trust me, it won't be far ahead."Debra gave a small smile. "But deep down, you know as well as I do. If the mastermind stays hidden in the shadows, we'll never get close enough to them. Even if we don't provoke him, they'll come after us."Her voice dropped lower. "And when that happens, none of us—Randy, Erica, Andrew, and Drake—will come out unscathed."Clearly, whoever was behind all this was powerful. They were the cause of Marion's and her paren
"Sure." Ivan caught the dress.Lara presented another box. "Mrs. Houston, there's one more.""Another one?" Debra opened the box to find a black chiffon gown."It's mine," Liza exclaimed, rushing over.Seeing the beautiful gown, she beamed with joy. "This dress is called Black Sand Star River. I should praise their good taste."She held the gown up to herself, admiring it. Debra realized that the invitation was extended to Liza as well.Drake emerged from his study and looked down from the second floor. "What? Feeling left out because someone else got a designer gown?""Not really. Mine is being ironed now," Debra replied.Drake frowned, glancing at Kale. "Why didn't you tell me she was going too?""I thought you didn't care, Boss."Drake seethed. "Don't you know the gala...""Mr. Houston agreed to her attending," Kale explained.Seeing Ivan was also there, Drake came down and said to Debra, "Come with me.""Why?""To take a walk in the garden."Liza, engrossed in her go
"No," Drake refused flatly.It was not like he owed her anything.He added, "If you want people, ask Marion. I don't have any."With that, he turned to leave. Until he reached the door, Debra didn't call after him."Is this how you ask others for a favor?" Drake grumbled under his breath.Then he stopped in his tracks and looked back at her. "Fine. I'll lend you the people."Debra gave a grateful smile. "Thank you."Drake had a nagging feeling he'd been tricked. Yet it also felt like his softness gave her the opening she needed.He watched sullenly as Debra happily headed toward the living room.Kale emerged from the shadows. "Boss..."The sudden voice startled Drake. "When did you get here?""I've been here the whole time.""Then go prepare the manpower for Debra. Also, find out which hotel is housing that banquet. Have our people keep a close eye on things and tell the manager not to let any suspicious people slip in.""I've investigated the venue, and there's a catch."
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