Conrad realized his blunder and quickly corrected himself. "I really didn't know, I swear. I've been loyal to you for so many years.""Loyal?" Drake snorted. "Well, if you're so loyal, why don't you go down and keep your daughter company? Die for your cause.""What?" Conrad was shocked. "No matter what, I'm the head of the Sharp family. You can't do this to me. Aren't you afraid of me exposing your deeds?""You could try," Drake sneered, spreading his arms. "Go ahead and expose everything. Let's see if you're quicker than my bullet."Conrad hesitated, and Drake continued, "If you tell me who you've been working with, I might spare your life. The choice is yours. Think carefully before you answer."That was extra lenience. In the past, Conrad would have been dead even if he was willing to speak.Conrad gritted his teeth and raised his head. "There was no one else, just Miss Bernard."Drake's smile faded. "Is that so?""Now that I'm in your hands, do whatever you like. You're the
"I know you hate Conrad. If you ever get the chance to kill him, I hope you won't.""You've never been in my shoes. Don't preach to me about what's right. Do you think just because he's my father, I should spare him?""I'm not asking you to spare him. He's a beast, but you're human. Ruining your life for someone like him isn't worth it unless you think your life has lost all its meaning. If that's the case, killing him might bring you some relief. But I believe you still want to live. If you kill him on impulse, you'll regret it later.""What should I do then? Let him live as if nothing happened?""Who said staying alive is a blessing? Sometimes, living is the worst punishment."...Lara sneered at Conrad, who was eager to snatch the gun in her hand."Boss, I've made up my mind," she said. "I want him to live."Drake was surprised, but she continued, "I want him to live in hell."She then slashed Conrad's wrist with a knife, causing him to howl in pain."Hand over the Sharp f
"Does this have something to do with Debra?" Kale was puzzled.Drake turned to leave without answering. He simply ordered, "Clean up the scene. Lock them up and interrogate them. If they won't talk, just deal with them."...Outside the Jovial Hotel, Juan hobbled along, dragging his injured leg. Blood trailed behind him, leaving a winding path to the apartment building across the street.Inside the apartment, William had dozed off while waiting.A sudden noise from the door woke him up. He jumped off the couch and rushed over, only to see Juan collapse at the entrance."My God, how did you lose so much blood again?" he muttered, helping Juan up.Being a doctor wasn't easy. He had been flying all over the world to work at multiple sites. Treating the wealthy was highly remunerative, but it was exhausting."Let me check your wounds.""It's a knife wound."William lifted Juan's pants leg. His thigh was covered in blood, and the leg he used to walk on had a prosthetic. The area a
At the Lowe Mansion, Liza recounted the whole event to Garland."You have no idea how terrifying it was. Those people were after our lives. Several of them are missing. You need to talk to Dad and have him catch them all."Garland, who had been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, felt dizzy when Liza rambled on and on in his ear. The worst part was that her story was incoherent. He had no clue what was going on."Promise me," Liza demanded, shaking his arm.Garland had a headache coming on. "Wait. Stop for a moment. Can you at least tell me who these people are?"Liza finally explained, "The leader is Cathryn.""Cathryn? Where is she?""She's dead.""What about the others?""I don't know."Garland slumped back onto the sofa. As Liza tried to persuade him again, he said, "Do you think I'm some kind of miracle worker? If Marion and Drake can't find them, how can I?"Liza had overestimated his abilities. Even if Fermin were still alive, he probably wouldn't know who
"Marion?" Debra rubbed her sleepy eyes and glanced at the clock on the wall.It was already 12:30. The incident last night had drained her energy, causing her to sleep in.She pushed open the bedroom door and walked out. Downstairs, Marion was cooking in the kitchen.The others still seemed to be asleep. Debra spoke up. "Your injury hasn't healed yet, and you're already rushing to make me lunch?"Marion came out holding a pot. "Go rest a little longer. The other dish will be ready soon."Debra came down the stairs and flopped into his arms. Her exhaustion instantly melted away."I'm so tired. Get a drumstick for me," she murmured."Sure," Marion agreed, patting her head.Garland burst out of his room, sniffing the air. "Who's cooking chicken soup? It smells amazing."Then his gaze landed on the embracing couple. Feeling awkward, he looked up at the ceiling and whistled, "Uh, I'm going to check on the soup.""Mr. Houston, let me take care of the kitchen," said Ivan, who had be
"What happened?" Garland emerged from the kitchen with a drumstick in his mouth.Holding her phone, Liza said anxiously, "Dad isn't answering my calls."Garland rolled his eyes. "What's so surprising about that? He never answers my calls.""No," Liza said. "Dad loves me the most. He's never ignored my calls."Debra chimed in, "Could it be that he didn't see the calls?""No way. My dad always has his phone with him. He didn't pick up last night. By now, he should have called me back," Liza explained."Well, why not just call home?" Garland whipped out his phone and called home.The line soon went through."Hello, this is Eaton Mansion.""It's me. Put my dad on the phone.""Mr. Eaton? Is it really you?""Who else would it be? Just get my dad on the phone.""Your father, he...""What's going on? Did anything happen to him?""He is in the hospital.""What? Is he ill? Is it serious?""It's serious. The doctor is pessimistic about his condition.""We're coming home right now
Liza and Garland rushed to the airport.Debra couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Bert's sudden illness. The last time they met, he was in perfect health."Hey, stop poking at your food. It's becoming mushy," Drake grumbled across from her.Debra snapped back to reality, realizing she had poked several holes into her food.Marion picked up dishes for her and countered without looking up. "Just eat your food."Kale rushed in from outside and reported, "Boss, we found an underground passage at the Jovial Hotel. We followed it and found that it led to a church.""A church?""Yes, a big church on Hailstone Road. The priest there holds sermons during the day.""What kind of sermons?""I'm not sure."Debra frowned. "The atmosphere last night was creepy. Those people wore masks, and it felt like a cult. Like some kind of ritual, and we were the sacrifices."She recalled the events and continued, "Cathryn said she spent all her fortune on the setup. I don't think her m
Outside a church, Drake leaned against his car, lighting a cigarette.By the time he finished smoking, Kale had sealed off the church with his team."Anything?" Drake asked.Kale gestured for his men to bring over a few boxes. Inside lay black cloaks and white masks resembling those from European theater."Nothing else?""No."Drake picked up a mask and turned to Debra, who was sitting in the car. "Is this it?"Debra looked at it and nodded. "That's the one.""Pack them up and take them away.""Your one-swoop takedowns are pretty polished.""It's passable.""That wasn't a compliment."Drake had brought her there so early in the morning. She had thought there was some urgent matter, but it was just sealing off the church."If you shut the church down, how will we catch them in the net?""I've taken control of the Jovial Hotel. Do you think they'd still come back?""Makes sense. So, you do use your brain occasionally.""Of course.""Then what's the point of sealing this
"What? Mrs. Houston would never do something like this. Maybe the car hit a nail on the road," replied the guard."What are you waiting for?" Melody sulked. "Get a car to send us back."It was a scorching summer day. She wouldn't just walk home like that.The guard hesitated. "I'm sorry, Madam. Mr. Andrew Potter took all the cars out today. There's nothing available to send you back."Melody's face darkened. "Are you telling me the Nichols family doesn't have a few cars to spare?"She was already upset about giving all her savings to Debra, and this incident was the last straw.The guard explained, "Mr. Andrew Potter is thrifty. I'm sorry, but you might have to walk about two kilometers to the commercial street to catch a ride. Mr. Andrew Potter likes his quiet, so no cars are allowed in this area."Melody was furious. "You did it on purpose."Erica came out of the house. "What are you talking about? We've always been polite to our guests. Well, there is one vehicle available,
At the Potter Mansion, Melody laid everything she owned on the table."This is all my savings. When can I get that 10% share?" she asked.Debra was amazed by the dazzling collection of treasures. She clicked her tongue. "They say no one in Seamar City understands jewelry better than you. True that. Your lifetime's collection is breathtaking."Melody was not flattered at all. Her mood soured even further.Debra picked up a bracelet from the table. "Take this bracelet, for example. Its value must be millions. I have to say, an impeccable eye."Melody picked up the sarcasm in her tone. "Yes, these things are fine. But now, they're all yours."Debra set the bracelet down, her smile unwavering. "Well, business is business. I need some assurance before I can help you. Now that I've seen your collection, I feel much more at ease. Don't worry. You'll have your 10% share within seven days.""Why do I have to wait seven days?" Melody grumbled, dissatisfied.Debra sighed, "I don't want to
Melody was weak, her breaths shallow."Joe has been waiting outside," Sophie said. "I'll let him in now."Joe came in and stood by the bed. "Madam, what can I do for you?""I plan to use all my savings to buy back the 10% shares.""Madam..."Joe hesitated, knowing what they were facing. If Melody did that, she would have nothing left."I've made up my mind. Help me up first.""Yes, Madam."Joe assisted her to stand. Melody slowly walked to the safe and used her fingerprint to open it. Inside, there was only a set of keys and a card.Melody took them. "Wait for me downstairs. We'll go to the vault in half an hour."Joe was taken aback. The vault was a secure storage facility for the rich, housing anything from jewelry to property deeds. It was said to be as secure as a national treasury, impossible to breach."Madam, are you planning to give all your money to Debra?" he asked."What else can I do?" Melody replied bitterly. "I can't let the shares fall into outsiders' hands."
"Will you harm Debra?""Never.""Mark your words."Marion wrapped up the talk and left the room....Downstairs, Debra and Erica were chatting with Randy.When Marion came down, Randy muttered, "What took you so long? Drake's already gone."Marion hummed in response, uninterested in anything about Drake.Debra asked, "Did the conversation not go well?""Seriously?" Randy sighed. "Even you couldn't get Andrew to talk? That guy must have a mouth of steel.""Quit rambling nonsense." Erica gave him a light smack on the arm. "After all this chasing around, we still don't know what the treasure is.""At least we know one thing. Andrew knows the truth, right?" Debra chimed in, looking at Marion for confirmation.Marion sighed, "If he doesn't want to talk, no one can make it.""That's true," Randy muttered. "Honestly, who in this world has a tighter mouth than him? No wonder he works in intelligence. He could be the chief of the CIA.""Would you stop running your mouth?" Erica sc
"You mean the Buchan family might use this as an excuse to remove Theda?" Erica asked."Their business wasn't big to begin with. It was Theda's skills that gave them status in Wrastow City. I heard Theda likes to go it alone and has offended many people. Those veterans aren't fond of her. Now that she's caused the Buchan family such losses and lost the Nichols family's support, the elders will want her out. To keep them quiet, she needs leverage," explained Debra.Erica stroked her chin. "So, Theda must repay the company's losses, or those veterans will use this as an excuse to remove her."Debra nodded. "Theda holds a 10% stake in the Nichols Group, but it's her personal asset. It doesn't benefit the Buchans. If she can't sell these shares to fill the deficit, the shareholders won't let it go. So, I'm sure when the news of the Nichols Group selling Buchan Entertainment at a low price reaches Wrastow City, the shareholders will demand Theda to pay for the losses.""Brillant! Let's
"What do you mean?" Debra was confused.She turned to Randy and asked, "Didn't I tell you to pick them up? What's the 250 bucks?""He despised my car and called for a luxury ride. My car was right there in front of him, and the dispatch went to me," Randy explained.Erica grabbed his ear and asked, "When did you start picking up fares behind my back?""Ow, it hurts!" Randy yelped. "I'm just making a little extra money. I've helped Marion run errands a lot. Picking up someone along the way is nothing unusual.""Including girls?" she asked.Randy smiled obsequiously, "Well, it's the system dispatching. Sometimes I don't even know if it's a guy or a girl, but my front seat is reserved only for you."Erica let go of him. "That's more like it."Drake had no time for their banter."When can I take office?""Just wait a little longer.""Wait?""In 24 hours, I'll make sure you take office of the Nichols Group."Erica whispered to Randy, "I've never seen anyone so eager to start wo
"Forget it," Marion chimed in. "I'll ask him when we get back."Among them, he knew Andrew best.Debra's phone suddenly rang, attracting everyone's attention.She held it up and said, "It's probably a scam call."Marion pressed the Answer button, and Drake's voice came through."Debra? Tell Marion to send someone to pick me up at Seamar City Airport."Randy almost slammed on the brakes. "Wasn't this supposed to be a scam call? Why is this guy here?""Randy?" Drake sneered over the phone. "Let this guy pick me up."He hung up, and Debra gaped at the screen. "Did he change his number?""No, you just never saved it," Marion replied....An hour later, at Seamar City Airport, Drake and Kale were still waiting."Boss, do you think Mrs. Houston is not coming?" Kale asked tentatively.Drake checked his watch. "Marion burned down my house. I haven't settled that score yet. Picking me up is the least he can do.""You're right, boss," Kale agreed.Soon, a black Cadillac pulled up
Caleb asked, "What was recorded in those accounts? Do you remember?"Debra replied, "The accounts showed some strange discrepancies. The income and expenses for the Fraizer, Osborne, and Houston families didn't match up. There were big differences in food and goods records, with a combined loss of 1.2 million. Meanwhile, the Potter family gained the same amount that same year. Marion and I believed the three families were subsidizing the Potter family.""Subsidizing the Potter family," Caleb muttered in thought. "Let me think this over."Randy blurted, "What's there to think about? It's obvious. The Potter family's leader was obsessed with intelligence gathering and clueless about everything else. In the end, we had to cover for them."Erica smacked the back of his head. "Do you ever think before you speak? Look at Andrew now. Does he look like someone who doesn't know how to make money?""It doesn't mean his dad or ancestors were good at it," Randy retorted.While they were bick
"I know my dad. If there was a family heirloom, he might have stacked it away," Randy said thoughtfully."Why?" Debra was puzzled.Randy shook his head. "Not everyone is like Marion's parents. They were true love to each other."Debra didn't get his meaning. Erica leaned in and whispered, "Randy's parents had an arranged marriage. They both had someone they liked.""I see," Debra murmured.It was just surprising that Randy turned out so carefree despite the situation in his family.Randy added, "I'll go home and ask my dad. If we find it, then we can confirm that the Nichols family took the gem from the Frazier family."Everyone nodded in agreement.Debra turned to Caleb. "Grandpa, you said these four rings are the symbols of the Four Great Families. What's the secret behind them? Is it the treasure of Seamar City?"Caleb sat down, recalling the past. "The treasure of Seamar City is just a legend. My father came here during the wars of the last century. The four families each