Chapter 12Only Juan would be deceived by Shelia.Juan liked Shelia, making it hard to see through her."Alright, it's not a big deal. Shelia still has class today. I'll take her to school."Juan gave Shelia a look, indicating she should leave.Shelia looked grateful."Debra and I are going shopping today. Since you're not busy, come along with us," Melody said."But Shelia...""Let Joe take her back. You're the CEO of Nichols Group. Don't do anything that tarnishes your status."Melody's words were final.Shelia bit her lip and said, "Mr. Nichols, it's fine if Joe takes me to school. Don't upset Mrs. Nichols."Shelia politely bowed to Melody.But Melody didn't appreciate it."I'll see you off," Juan said.Shelia nodded.As Juan escorted Shelia out, Melody turned to Debra. "Juan is young and easily deceived by these vixens. You should be more vigilant."Debra nodded outwardly but inwardly hoped these two would progress faster."I've noticed you've been putting less eff
Chapter 13Debra didn't expect Juan to believe her anyway.Quickly, Debra followed Juan into the car, and he pretended to be affectionate by holding her hand.Debra knew it was all an act in front of Melody.Juan's parents had passed away, and it was Melody who had raised him. He respected and obeyed her.Debra didn't expose the truth. Instead, she played along with Juan's act."What about that land? How do you plan to deal with it?" Melody suddenly asked.She was asking Juan.Juan, seated in the front, glanced at Debra through the rearview mirror and said, "That's bought by Debra, so she'll handle it herself."Melody looked at Debra and said, "Leave this matter to Juan. The most important thing for you is to be a good wife and mother.""Matters concerning the Nichols family are naturally handled by Juan, but this land was bought on behalf of the elders in my family. They will take care of the rest."Melody's tone softened. "In the future, stay out of such matters. Now that
Chapter 14Debra sensed Juan's stiffness and squeezed her way in.Inside, the lights were dim, and there was a candlelit dinner table in the living room.Debra was astounded.Obviously, it was Melody's idea. That explained why Melody insisted earlier that Juan take Debra home. This was her plan."Debra, you've got some nerve.""Not me."Debra wanted to explain, but Juan threw down the bags and left without looking back.But when he stepped, he found that the driver had driven away the car.Debra fully understood Melody's intention. If she and Juan didn't stay together tonight, Melody would not give up."Don't bother." Debra said, "You sleep in the living room, and I'll sleep in the bedroom."Juan gave Debra a cold look. "I warn you not to play tricks."With that, Juan walked into the house.Seeing the disgust in Juan's eyes, Debra could only laugh at herself.'This is what you get for liking Juan, Debra. Even if you once liked him so much, in Juan's mind, you're just a wo
Chapter 15Juan frowned, wondering why Debra was willing to give up the chance to be alone with him.In his impression, Debra would be angry if he went to see Shelia."Aren't you taking Shelia to the hospital?" she said.She hoped that Juan could leave as soon as possible.She was worried that Marion would go to bed and that Melody would play new tricks tomorrow."Enjoy your meal."Juan glanced at the neatly clean plates and felt a bit frustrated.She had gone to such great lengths to keep him at home, only to focus on eating.After Juan left, Debra took out her phone and dialed Marion's number."Hey, something's come up. I'm on my way.""No rush.""See you soon!"At the window of his office, Marion hung up his phone.On the sofa, Randy woke up and asked, "Where's Debra? It's late.""She's held up," Marion replied."For a whole day?" Randy stretched, suddenly realizing something. "Don't tell me you've been waiting here all this time."From this floor-to-ceiling window,
Chapter 16Debra was very serious.But her words were partly true. The Frazier family wasn't what it used to be, which was why Juan grew colder toward her in her last life.For Juan, their marriage was all about business. Once she lost her value, she meant nothing to him.When the Frazier family went broke, Juan abandoned her."You're going to manage your family business? Is this a joke?" Randy started, but Marion's glare cut him off.Randy quickly corrected himself, "It's not that I look down on you, but finance isn't your field. You haven't learned how to run a company. A lean camel is bigger than a horse. It's hard for a young lady like you to convince those old guys.""I know that," Debra replied."Then why do you..."Marion's warning glance made him falter. "It's just unrealistic for you to run the Frazier Group.""It's my grandfather's legacy. I must preserve it. Although I haven't formally studied, I have a plan.""What plan?""I'll go to school.""School?"Randy w
Chapter 17Juan stayed at the hospital with Shelia overnight. In the morning, he received a call from Joe. "What entrance exam?""The school office called today, saying that Mrs. Nichols's name was on the examinees' list. They wanted to ask if Mrs. Nichols had informed you."Debra was shopping with Melody last night. Juan wondered when she signed up for the exam."I see."Juan hung up, his expression tense.He didn't know what games Debra was playing again."Was it the school calling? Maybe I should go back to class."Shelia, lying on the hospital bed, woke up at some point."I've informed Joe and the school. You should rest in the hospital today. It's not about you anyway.""What is it about then?"Shelia looked at Juan in confusion.Juan only sponsored her at school."Debra." Juan rubbed his forehead. "I'll go back. Take a rest."Shelia nodded.After Juan left, she murmured, "Debra? What does she have to do with the school?"Debra was strolling around Arcane Academy.
Chapter 18Shelia bit her lip. Driven by vanity, she'd lied about Juan being her boyfriend, fearing ridicule from her roommates if exposed.Torn, she sent a message. [I see. Don't worry. I trust my boyfriend's character.]She got off the bed and said to the nurse outside, "Hello, I'm checking out."Outside Arcane Academy, Debra found herself in Juan's car."Explain yourself," Juan demanded."I want to study finance at Arcane Academy," she confessed."I won't allow it.""Why not?""Because I'm your husband," Juan said coldly. "Do you think I don't know your scheme?""What are you talking about?""You followed Shelia here, intending to harass her!""I'm not that petty.""You copied Shelia's style. It's okay, but this is too much. As I said, you are my wife. No one is going to replace you.""No one? Would you marry me if I wasn't from the Frazier family?"She stared, and he fell silent.They both knew the answer.If a woman with a higher social status and more suitable
Chapter 19"That woman is not simple, with her coquettish appearance, trying to steal your boyfriend. Shameless!" Carrie snorted."I think that woman is quite good-looking," Wendy said. "Shelia, you better watch out for your boyfriend. What if he gets stolen?""No way! Shelia's boyfriend loves her so much. He won't be stolen by that kind of woman," Carrie said."Thank you for your concern, guys. Don't worry. My boyfriend and I will be fine," Shelia smiled."I heard that woman is coming to our school to study finance. I guess she's coming after you," Wendy said."What?" Shelia was taken aback.She found it hard to believe."It's true. I asked some students from the admissions office. She was accompanied by the president and vice-president, obviously from a wealthy family. Probably trying to use connections," Wendy explained."What's her identity then? Our school has never lacked wealthy students," Carrie said."I don't know, but even if someone is wealthy, they haven't been re
Kale explained, "The only place open for delivery at this hour was a small joint, and the soup has gone cold in the chilly weather. Cold fish soup always turns fishy."Drake's face twisted in disgust. "Toss it. File a complaint.""Yes, boss." Kale picked up the fish soup and dumped it back into the bag.Drake stared at the documents on his desk, muttering, "A pampered lady knows how to make soup. What a surprise!"Then he suddenly remembered that Debra not only knew how to make soup but was also good at playing the piano, dancing, and manipulating people. It had been almost a year since they first met. He had kidnapped Debra multiple times but had never gained any advantage. Instead, he had lost a lot."She's my nemesis," he declared seriously.If Debra wasn't his nemesis, she couldn't have played him like a fool. Ever since she appeared in his life, he had been nothing but unlucky.His estate in Seamar City was burned down. One of his fiancées was dead, and the other publicly b
"What nursing?" Marion asked.Debra blinked at him. "You don't know?""Not really.""It means stimulating milk production for women after they've had a baby."Marion pondered. "Is it for men too?""Only for women.""Got it. If you ever want kids in the future...""You'll make soup for me?""I won't let you drink it.""Why not?""I've heard it's painful for mothers to breastfeed. I don't want you to go through that."Debra couldn't hold back her giggles. "So, if I don't breastfeed, what would our baby drink?""Formula," Marion replied matter-of-factly.Debra smirked, "Dummy, if the milk isn't expressed, it'll still hurt."Marion fell into thought. "Then let's not have kids. Just you and me, together for life. That sounds perfect. If you ever feel lonely, we can move to that house in the mountains and keep cats and dogs. Either way, I'll always be by your side. You'll never have to feel pain or loneliness."Debra's heart softened. "Okay."After they finished eating, Debra
Debra hung up the phone, determined to make Theda pay for hurting Marion."What are you doing sneaking around in the kitchen?"Drake's voice suddenly came from behind her. Startled, Debra turned around and sulked, "Do you always sneak up on people like that?""I just came to the kitchen to find something to eat. I didn't know you'd be here making calls," he replied, walking past her to grab some instant noodles from the fridge.Debra was puzzled. "Don't you have a chef?""At this hour? The chef is long gone," Drake snorted, tearing open the packet.Then he noticed a white clay pot simmering on the stove, giving off a delicious aroma."What's that?""What else? Soup for Marion.""There are servants in this house. You don't have to do it by yourself.""Marion doesn't like soup made by others."She lifted the lid to reveal a creamy soup. Drake wrinkled his nose."Isn't fish soup for nursing mothers? Is Marion on maternity leave or something?""Who told you that? It's savory a
At the Buchan Group Headquarters, Theda stood in front of a large shipping container, her hand resting on her chin. "What's inside?""We're not sure. The airline just delivered it this morning. They said it was shipped from Orkgate," the assistant replied."Orkgate?" Theda hesitated. "Open it."The assistant stepped forward and opened the container.As soon as the content was revealed, she freaked out, "Ma'am, it's Robert."Theda rushed over to check on him. Inside the container, Robert lay unconscious, his eyes tightly shut. His face was pale, drained of color."Robert!" Theda called out, patting his face.Then she noticed the blood starting to seep through the wound on his abdomen.She cried out, "Call a doctor."The assistant rushed out to fetch help. Meanwhile, Theda contacted the front desk."Find out who sent this.""It's Debra Houston."The news brought Theda a sense of foreboding. For the past few days, no one knew where Robert had been. She had searched everywhere
Drake didn't hear any noise downstairs."Haven't Debra and Marion come in?""They should have.""Then why hasn't anyone come to report me?""Boss, you said you weren't going to welcome them."Lately, Kale found it hard to figure out what Drake was thinking. One moment he was against something, and the next he was going along with it.The wedding was an example. At first, he said he wasn't going, but later, he did. Then it was this recent event. He didn't mean to hurt Marion, but he claimed that it was intentional.Now, he was doing it again, inviting them over but refusing to welcome them."Yeah. I don't care if they stay or leave," Drake said, standing up. "I'm hungry. Tell someone to make dinner."He came downstairs, but Debra was nowhere to be seen.He glanced at Lara, who was still cleaning. "Have they gone to their rooms?""Yes," Lara faltered, "but they went to the same room."Drake frowned. "I told you to prepare two rooms. Why are they sharing?""Mrs. Houston said
"I think it's fine," Debra said. "I don't believe he'd do anything to Marion."It was better to have Drake pay the bills than stay in the hospital.She turned to the bodyguard and said, "Okay. Tell your boss to send a car to pick us up.""The car's already waiting outside," replied the man. "He had prepared it, knowing you'd agree.""How thoughtful he is!""Yeah."Drake had suffered too many losses when dealing with Debra. He had drawn lessons from those failures.Debra helped Marion out of bed. The moment they stepped out of the room, Drake's subordinates hurried over to assist.They smiled flatteringly at Debra and said, "We're here to help."But Marion shot them a cold look before they could come near him. They smiled awkwardly and quickly pulled their hands back.Debra sighed and continued helping Marion out of the room."Why refuse free labor?""I don't like others touching me.""Alright, you don't like others touching you. How about I touch you?""Only you can touch
Erica felt helpless. "As long as you're happy."She just hoped Randy would not regret it later."Erica, I have a question," Debra said. "It's the trick you used on Robert. Did you learn that a long time ago?""Yeah," Erica replied. "It's not just me. Randy learned it too. When we were kids, Caleb liked to train us. You know how it is. People like us get kidnapped all the time, especially when we are younger. We were often targets for rivals or kidnappers who wanted ransom. Caleb always said boys and girls both needed to learn to protect themselves, so he made sure we learned it all.""Backstabbing like that is simple. The hardest part is showing weakness first," Randy chimed in. "It's what Caleb taught us. If you get captured, always show weakness to slacken their vigilance. Then you counterstrike with techniques like joint locks or over-the-shoulder slams. We learned all that, though I'm not as good as Erica. She was always into it and even learned boxing. Robert is stupid, messin
Erica nearly choked on the food when she heard that. "Bro, your left hand is injured. What's that got to do with your right hand?""That hand hurts too," Marion lied without batting an eyelid."Is it injured too? Let me see," Debra said, quickly checking his right hand.Stunned, Randy dropped his fork. "Come on. Can't you see he's faking it?""Faking it?" Debra examined Marion's hand and saw no injuries.Debra dropped his hand and said, "Then feed yourself.""I want you to feed me," Marion whined.Erica got goosebumps all over, unwilling to believe the man in front of her was really Marion.She put down her fork and knife. "Should we give you guys the room?"She winked at Randy, who immediately took the hint. "Right, we've got stuff to do. There's a mess in Seamar City we need to sort out. We should go."While feeding Marion, Debra sighed, "Stop messing with me.""We shouldn't interrupt your quality time," Erica explained.Right now, Marion only had eyes for Debra. She didn
Debra sighed in relief, "The doctor said you need to stay here for observation. During that time, I'll take care of you."She paused and corrected herself, "I mean, we will take care of you.""Huh?" Marion was baffled.Before Debra could explain, a knock came from the door. A group of caregivers shuffled in, looking like they wanted to be anywhere else.The air was thick with awkwardness before one of them finally broke the silence. "Sir, we're caregivers assigned to look after you during your recovery.""Oh, caregivers?" Debra arched a brow. "Funny, though. You all look kind of familiar. Haven't we met before?""No, ma'am. We've never met. We're just ordinary workers here," they insisted.Debra stood up and walked toward them, narrowing her eyes. "You mean to tell me I don't recognize the men who are always hovering around Drake?"The men panicked, their façade crumbling. "Ma'am, we're just following orders. If we mess this up, we'll be punished. Please, don't blow our cover."