"Miss Eaton, our events are held in high-end venues, with a strong focus on privacy. That's why all the ladies must wear blindfolds when getting into the car," the driver explained.Liza didn't buy it. "Are you kidding me? What if it ruins my makeup? What's going through the organizer's head? I don't care. I'm not wearing one of those. It's not like we could remember the route."The driver forced a smile. "We understand, Miss Eaton. Since you're invited, you must be a well-known lady in the circle. If you don't wish to wear a blindfold, we'll just block out the windows in the car.""That's more like it," Liza hummed, dragging Debra into the car.It was then that Debra noticed something odd. The car's windows were specially tinted, not just from the outside but also from the inside. They couldn't see outside, and nobody could see in.The organizer was very thoughtful.Debra had planned to see if Drake's men were following them, but this arrangement made it impossible.She wasn't
"They say this banquet happens every three years. Only real socialites who pass a rigorous screening can attend. You know, this international brand is super famous in our circles. It's luxury at its finest. Ladies invited to this event must be between 18 and 25 years old. If you're over 25, you can't enter. And there are strict rules about height, weight, and figure," Liza introduced.She was always eager to attend these kinds of banquets.But Debra's attention was on the crowd. She noticed everyone else was wearing black dresses, making her stand out in her white dress."Are you listening? I'm giving you a crash course here.""Yeah. Keep going."Debra glanced around the venue, trying to spot Drake's men. Sure enough, she saw several men in black patrolling outside. The Lowe family crest on their uniforms reassured her.But soon, a wave of worry crept in because this hotel was owned by the Sharp family. Conrad was a profit-driven opportunist who would switch sides if it benefitte
The hotel manager was just a lackey of the Sharp family.Normally, Drake would never tolerate such actions."Debra is there. If we make a scene, she might blame me for ruining her plan," Drake replied, glancing at his watch.It was eight o'clock. At the latest, the party would end by 11.He ordered, "Keep your people on watch. If anything happens inside, have them rush in immediately. If anyone suspicious enters, send them in. If no one's out by 11, smash the hotel.""Yes, boss."...At the hotel, the socialites walked the red carpet, attracting reporters to snap pictures.Such parties always made it to newspapers and magazines and might even show up on international news.Debra, in her mermaid gown, was the center of attention. Liza realized that everyone else was wearing black gowns, while only Debra stood out.Liza whispered, "You're the lucky dog, the star among us.""Star? I don't think so," Debra replied."Anyway, lucky you. You're the woman of the hour," Liza muttere
The atmosphere felt like a cult ritual. It was creepy and unnerving. "Where are the organizers? Get them out here.""Yeah. You invited us to the banquet, and now there's nothing? What's going on?""Do you even know who we are? If you mess with us, even Sunshine won't save you. We won't let this slide."The voices of the socialites kept rising until a sudden beam of light illuminated a spot on the second floor. There weren't any seats, just a large door.A woman in a black gown stepped through. When everyone saw her, they froze.Among them, Liza was the most shocked because the woman was none other than Cathryn.In just a few days, Cathryn had changed so much. Her complexion looked healthier, and her eyes were colder. She looked down at everyone with contempt."I thought it was someone important. Isn't this Ms. Bernard?""After all that scandal, how dare she show her face here?""Don't tell me you're the designer. If I had known you designed these ugly clothes, I would've rat
"She has lost her mind," murmured the socialites.Ever since Cathryn betrayed her and tried to kill Debra, Liza had thought she was insane.But Liza hadn't foreseen the craziness of such intensity. Cathryn intended to kill everyone present.Liza shouted, "I was blind enough to make friends with someone like you.""Shut up!" Cathryn growled. "You never saw me as a friend. In your mind, I was just your lapdog. Just because you're the daughter of the Eaton family, my father forced me to tolerate you in everything. I had to tag along when you wanted to go shopping. You told me to jump, and I asked how high. You don't deserve to talk to me like that."Liza was rendered speechless.Cathryn ignored her and turned to look at her mortal enemy, Debra."Debra, my ultimate prey. I've drained my fortune to trap you here. This is where it ends between us. You stole the man I love, so I'll make sure he loses you forever," she said, her eyes burning with hatred.She had been waiting for this d
If Debra hadn't retreated early, the consequences would have been unthinkable."How did you know Cathryn was targeting you?" asked Liza."My white dress said it all," Debra whispered, leading her to hide further. "This place isn't safe. Sooner or later, they'll find us. You need to do exactly what I say.""Do what?" Liza was scared.Debra quickly laid out her plan. "First, take off your high heels to save energy. Second, the second floor is safer. Head up there and hide. Those so-called hunters won't dare come too close. Third, if you're spotted by other socialites, join forces with them and say you want to help catch me.""How can I do that?" Liza was worried."If you're the only one who doesn't want to catch me, they'll treat you like a traitor. They'll sell you out to the hunters, and you'll be done for." Debra organized her thoughts. "Cathryn is desperate, not planning to leave alive. Her promise is a lie. She won't spare anyone. This is a deadly game. What we need to do isn'
The socialites panicked and frantically chased after Debra. Her white dress was too conspicuous, attracting those hunters too.Liza seized the moment and took the elevator to the second floor. In the seating area, those masked figures were still watching the game unfold.Liza steadied her breathing and hid in the corner. Everyone's attention was focused downstairs, so no one noticed her."Help!" screamed one of the socialites as she was dragged away by the hunters.Liza's heart was in her throat until Debra ran out of sight.The socialites had no idea that once Debra was caught, the game would end early, and everyone would die.Soon, Liza noticed that Cathryn was gone. Before she could look more closely, another scream echoed from the hall. "Help! I don't want to die."Liza clenched the hem of her dress, her breathing becoming shaky.In the meantime, two socialites cornered Debra."We don't want this, but there are no other choices," they said, lunging at her.These socialite
"Be careful. If necessary, I'll step in," Frederic said."But most of the time, you can't, right?" Debra replied.There were too many hunters here. If Frederic's identity was exposed, it would only complicate things further."Don't worry. I can take care of myself," she said, glancing at her secret weapon.It was a watch given by Juan. It had a built-in emergency alert system but required a signal to work. Now the entire venue was under a signal block.Earlier, she had been running around the second floor not just to buy Liza time, but also to search for a signal and track down Cathryn.Now that she knew Cathryn was on the fifth floor, there was no need to linger on the second."Thanks. I owe you one," Debra said.Frederic tossed her a small folding knife. "Just remember that."Then he hoisted one of the fainted socialites onto his shoulder.Debra frowned. "What about them?""Relax," he said. "I'm just putting on a show. I'll leave them somewhere safe.""Alright." Debra kic
Juan unconsciously twisted the ring on his finger."Found it!" Randy shouted.Everyone moved toward where he was pointing. There was an old iron chain. Below the chain was something indiscernible, but it looked creepy."Try your might," Garland said, stepping forward.Together with Randy, he tugged at the iron chain. The chain grew tauter, and the ground in front of them began to shift, revealing a hole about three square meters in size.Liza hid behind Debra, unsure of what was lying ahead. "What is that?"The place seemed untouched for ages and smelled ancient."Isn't it obvious? It's a pit," Erica said. "It's normal to have pits when digging mountains, but the Potter family isn't building a subway down there, so why this pit?"Debra said, "Let's go down and see.""Behind me," Marion said, taking her hand.He pulled out a flashlight and led the group to descend the old stairs. Debra noticed the stairs on both sides and a slide in the middle, with faint wheel tracks still vi
"It's fine. You just need to find the location of Fire."Garland asked, "What is that?""In the human body, the heart symbolizes fire," Debra explained. "This place is surrounded by mountains and water, making it an ideal location."Erica bent down to examine the diagram on the ground. "Is it here?"She pointed to the south, where the mountain range was gone, replaced by a clear, unobstructed mountain path.Evidently, the mountain moved by the Potter family was the Fire position."But that doesn't make sense," Liza muttered, feeling a chill run down her spine. "There's nothing but barren land. Could it really be underground?"The ground was in ruins. It was unlikely anything could be beneath it.Marion thought for a moment. "Let's go down and take a look.""How?" Randy shivered, afraid they'd ask him to go down first.Erica chimed in, "I don't think the Potters would be foolish enough to leave the treasure unguarded. There's no way they'd let us walk right in without resistan
"Sounded like mystical gibberish," Erica echoed.Debra strode to a nearby patch of grass, picked up a stone, and began drawing symbols on the ground.She explained, "Three solid lines represent Heaven, and three broken lines represent Earth."Immediately, two opposing symbols appeared on the ground.She continued to draw. "This solid line is the positive pole, and this broken line is the negative pole." "Is this a trigram?" Randy asked."Thunder rises like a bowl. Mountain inverts are like a cup. The lake is broken above, and the wind is broken below," Debra said as she drew the remaining trigrams.Marion quickly figured it out. "That's our true heiress of the Frazier family."The Frazier family was known for their scholarly wisdom and military strategy. A century ago, they were legendary figures.Debra looked at the trigrams and said, "When I was little, I had to learn everything. I wasn't an expert in ancient texts, but I had a basic understanding of them. The trigrams are
After half an hour of driving into the mountains, everyone was exhausted."Damn!" Randy yelped, his voice jolting everyone awake.The car made a sharp turn and came to a halt. Everyone screamed, and it took a while for them to calm down.Liza grumbled, "Can you even drive? If not, let me take over.""Did the tire blow out?" Erica wondered aloud.She opened the door and got out, followed by Randy and the others.Erica inspected the tires and frowned. "The car can't go any further. There's a huge rock. Quite dangerous."Randy grumbled, "Looks like Andrew doesn't even bother to maintain his property."Erica rolled her eyes. "Well, there is an iron gate. Only the Potter family members are allowed in. According to Andrew, no one has been here for years. Who would bother clearing the road?""True." Randy walked to the side and saw that the road ahead was covered in loose stones, probably fallen from the surrounding mountains."I thought they had leveled the mountains. Clearly, not
The journey into the mountains was unlikely to be peaceful.Marion sensed her unease and took her hand in his. "Don't worry. I'll bring enough people to ensure everyone's safety.""Alright." Debra nodded.Precaution was indeed necessary.That night, she knocked on Andrew's door."Come in," came his calm voice from inside.She pushed the door open and saw Andrew playing chess under the dim glow of a single lamp."Andrew," she started."I know." Andrew lifted his gaze and said, "You're eager to find out who's behind all this."Debra paused. "Is the treasure really hidden in that mountain?""I don't know.""You don't?""That mountain was leveled by my ancestors decades ago. They spent five years on the project, but after that, the land was left untended and eventually became overgrown. Now, it's nothing more than an ordinary mountain trail. I've sent people to search for it before, but they found nothing.""So, you suspected all along that this mountain might be hiding someth
Debra noticed everyone's eyes had settled on her.She asked, "Remember those ledgers?""Yeah. The ledgers only contained numbers alongside regular inventory records," Erica replied.Debra mused, "If those four ledgers truly hide a treasure map, could those numbers represent geographical coordinates?"Erica shook her head. "But there are so many numbers. How could it be..."Marion cut in, "It's possible."Randy tilted his head. "How so?"Marion explained, "31°N and 120°E mark Seamar City's position relative to the equator, but Seamar City has more precise coordinates."Debra said smoothly, "Seamar City spans from 120°52' to 122°12' east longitude and 30°40' to 31°53' north latitude. Don't the numbers 30 and 120 seem familiar?"Erica clapped her hands. "Those numbers appeared repeatedly in the ledgers. They were highlighted in red.""What if they correspond to coordinates centered around Seamar City's downtown?" Debra said."30... 120..." Erica murmured, her finger tracing the
While the others might not know Debra's uniqueness, Andrew certainly did."Sir, shouldn't we thank Mr. Nichols?" Barton said."It's best not to contact him at this time." Andrew shook his head. "The mastermind wants to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. Why not grant his wish and find the treasure?""But if we do that, won't Seamar City fall into chaos?""Seamar City is already in chaos. I'll set off another fire."...Debra and the others returned to the Potter Mansion.Barton greeted them, holding old scrolls covered in dust."Where are you going with all that?" Erica asked wonderingly.Barton glanced at the scrolls in his hand and said, "These are maps of the old city area from decades ago. Mr. Andrew Potter said they need to be aired out to remove the musty smell, so I took them out, planning to air them tomorrow morning.""Maps of the old city area?" Garland curiously remarked. "Can I take a look?""Come on. They're so dirty," Liza chimed in."You don't unders
In the office of Donaldson Corporation, Vickie was fuming.She complained, "Juan never intended to help me. He was just pretending to switch sides. Boss, this mess was all because of him."She pointed at Juan, who frowned with displeasure.Across from her was a man sitting behind the desk. His posture was straight in a sharp suit, but his face was covered with a white mask, making it impossible to read his emotions.He croaked, "Is that so?"Juan sneered, "Such a petty scheme was never going to shake Debra's standing. She has Marion and Andrew by her side. As long as those two are alive, the McKinney Group will remain untouchable, standing strong against us."He turned his gaze toward Vickie and added, "No offense, but she's useless. Aside from bearing a slight resemblance to Debra, she has nothing of value."Vickie glared at Juan, seething with rage. She wanted to lash out but dared not go out of line in front of the masked man."I think you're just hung up on Debra," she snor
On the big screen, a comparison of Vickie's before-and-after photos appeared. The details were thorough with her initial consultation, follow-up appointments, and the final results of her plastic surgery.It also included information about Vickie's so-called adoptive father. This proof was solid.A reporter stood up and asked, "A recent article from New Age has been accused of containing false information. Mrs. Houston, was this article published under your instruction?"Garland tried to get up and clarify, but Debra beat him to it.She replied calmly, "That article was written by a friend of mine. He was too eager to clear my name to verify the content. It was provided by a third party and later proved to be a trap. If anyone wishes to know the details, you may approach me after this press conference. I will provide you a copy and let you see their filthy tricks."Another journalist followed up, "Mrs. Houston, how can you prove that you are the real heiress?""Vickie claimed to