Facing their doubt, Ivan explained, "They sent me to kill you, but things were exposed. They showed up again the night you took me and threatened me with my parents' lives. They asked me to stay close to you and deliver information. I had no choice.""Sounds reasonable." Debra nodded, then asked, "But I need a reason to keep you alive. You haven't given me one.""I..." Ivan faltered, hanging his head. "I can't give you a reason."Randy laughed, "You blabbered on for so long, and in the end, you don't have any evidence to make us believe you?""If I wanted to kill Mrs. Houston, I wouldn't have hinted to Mr. Houston to save her," Ivan replied, looking at Debra. "I owe Mrs. Houston. If there's danger, I'm willing to sacrifice my life to save her.""That sounds touching," Debra said, "but empty promises mean nothing. If you want to stand on our side, you have to pledge loyalty. Here is your chance."Debra picked up the small computer and handed it to him. "Now, message your people an
Debra smiled, "Well, this is a chance to verify his statements."Erica was against it. "He may be telling a lie.""I'm always a gambler on fate," Debra replied casually.At those words, Andrew's expression suddenly relaxed.He shook his head and said, "Well then, let's do it your way. Just be careful.""Andrew, how could you agree?" Erica argued.But then, Marion also changed his mind. He said, "Let her go. I'll make sure nothing happens to her."Randy was stunned by the twists. He warned, "If anything happens, you'll be a widower.""Alright, stop talking," Erica said, nudging him.Debra turned to Ivan and said, "You can send the message now. I'll be leaving at eight tomorrow morning with the share transfer agreement."Ivan's mind raced. He didn't know what Debra was thinking, but this worked just fine. He'd be by her side tomorrow, and these people wouldn't be able to save her."I'll do it," he agreed, quickly typing on his computer."Alright, let's all rest early," Debra
Ivan and Debra got into the car.Randy and Erica stood at the door, looking worried.Marion took out his pistol and loaded it with bullets."Stop looking," he said. "The game is on.""Huh? What game?" Randy was confused.But before he could process it, Marion threw a set of clothes at him. "Put these on. We're getting ready to move."Randy had no idea what was going on....Debra's car was running steadily on the road."What should we do if there is an ambush? Should I help you or them?" Ivan asked."Depends on the situation," Debra replied, taking out a file.Ivan glanced at it, guessing it was the stock transfer agreement.Debra continued, "They're after this document, not my life, right?""It's hard to say," replied Ivan.Debra tried again, "If I give them this agreement, won't they let me go?""Not necessarily.""Why?""Your existence is a threat to them. They won't let you live."Suddenly, the driver slammed on the brakes.A bullet darted over and shattered the
"Damn!" Randy ripped off the broken mask from his face and yanked the voice changer off his neck. "Who the hell told you to shoot at me? Do you know how much my suit costs?"Ivan glanced down at the gun in his hand and then at the driver, who crawled out of the car.The whole thing was just an act.Debra stood up and dusted off her clothes. "Pardon us. We had to be cautious."Those masked men were disguised by the Potter family's bodyguards.Ivan furrowed his brow. "Why? Were you testing me?""You must be new to Seamar City," Debra said. "This road doesn't lead to the Nichols Group. It's the opposite. If you'd paid attention, you would've noticed it earlier.""So, last night, the message you made me send was also part of the test," Ivan said, realization dawning on him.Randy patted him on the shoulder. "Not just testing you. We're going to round up all those people. Congrats, kid. You passed the test."Ivan was stunned. Sure enough, Debra was as cunning as their boss had said
Debra took a detour and headed to the Nichols Group.Seemingly in a good mood, she hummed a tune in the car. Her easy air drew a glance from Ivan.He had reason to believe she was either careless or reckless. Even though Marion was sort of a legend, he couldn't just fend off those skilled fighters of their boss.It was a dead end, and yet Debra didn't look worried at all.In the passenger seat, Randy spoke up, "Don't worry, Ivan. Your family is now under Drake's protection. Even if you're exposed, nothing will happen to your family."Ivan didn't reply. He wasn't worried about his family at all. What worried him was the failure of this mission.If Debra succeeded in taking over the Nichols Group, they would be facing a serious problem....At the entrance to the Nichols Group Headquarters, Theda glanced at her watch.Joe reminded her, "Ms. Buchan, the meeting starts in ten minutes. Please head upstairs to prepare.""I'll just wait here," Theda replied.Joe tried again, "Mrs.
Theda took her seat and continued, "I didn't come right away because I was waiting for someone. As everyone knows, Mr. Nichols' shares are not in my hands. So, I was waiting for the share transfer agreement to be handed over to me. Only then can the ceremony be perfect, right?"Just then, someone knocked on the door.Theda said, "Come in."Robert entered and handed a folder to her."What took you so long?""Sorry.""Never mind."What mattered was that the agreement was now in her hands.She opened the folder, and inside was a thick stack of papers.The first page was blank. She frowned and flipped it over until she saw a big, glaring turtle drawn on it.Her face turned dark. She continued to flip through the papers quickly, surprised to find that the turtle had transformed into an animated gif. Then a fist appeared next to the turtle, and the middle finger was slowly raised toward it."What's this? Where did you get this file?" she huffed.Melody gave no heed to Theda's com
The shareholders exchanged uneasy glances.If it had been anyone else, they might have brushed it off.But this was Drake.They all thought back to the extravagant banquets he had hosted in Seamar City. Many of them had attended, leaving evidence in Drake's hands.If they offended him, he might leak those videos online. Their reputation would be ruined.Melody sneered, "Debra, have you lost your mind? He's just someone from Orkgate. How far could his influence reach? We have appointed Theda as the next CEO. What's your game to stir up trouble here?""That's just a decision. If everyone agrees, we can still revoke it. Isn't that right, everyone?" Debra argued, sweeping her gaze over the room.Those shareholders were as silent as the grave.Melody laughed sarcastically, "Debra, are you crazy? Theda's appointment has already been finalized. Why would we revoke it? Even if Drake holds 45% shares, so what? Without more than 50%, he has no right to remove the CEO.""Don't be so quic
"Well, that's thanks to you, Ms. Buchan," Debra grinned. "If you hadn't given me the agreement, things wouldn't have been so smooth.""What?" Melody caught the keyword and questioned Theda, "You gave her the share transfer agreement? What were you thinking?"She tried to hit Theda, but Robert rushed inside the room and blocked her.Theda looked her in the eye. "Melody, I still hold 10% shares. You better think twice before laying a hand on me.""Ingrate!" Melody spat. "If I hadn't transferred those shares to you, you wouldn't even be standing in this room. You traitor!"Theda was in no mood to argue with her. "Robert, escort Mrs. Nichols Sr. out. She no longer has a place in this company. Send her back to enjoy her retirement.""Yes, ma'am," Robert responded, dragging Melody out of the room.Theda turned to face Debra. "Mrs. Houston, that was a clever move, giving away your stocks just like that. You won, but don't celebrate too early. Trusting others like this isn't always a go
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