"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
"No," Joe replied.What was done was done. The shareholders had unanimously voted out Theda. The company was now under Drake's control."Good," Debra said, turning to Ivan. "Let's go."Ivan followed behind her, still in disbelief. With just a few words, she had swayed the shareholders.Now the Nichols Group was firmly in Drake's hands.Randy was lounging in the car, lazily yawning. When he saw Debra and Ivan approach, he quipped, "Took you long enough. All sorted?""Yes.""Wonderful!""Yeah. And I've figured out who was threatening Ivan with his family."Ivan jerked up his head, skeptical about it."You know who it was?""I don't know who's pulling the strings, but the one who told you to act must be Robert."Ivan's brows knitted together. He didn't expect her to suspect Robert."What's wrong? You don't think so?""I don't know.""Your expression says you know something about the mastermind. Don't tell me you're still hiding things from us?"Ivan lowered his head. "I re
"Let's get ready and head to Seamar City," Drake said."Now?" Kale hesitated. "But what about here?"There were moles among them. If they left now, those lurking in the shadows might attack the Lowe Group."A few days won't matter," Drake replied, adjusting his tie. "I have to show up as the new president of the Nichols Group."He had been waiting for a chance like this for years. Finally, he got a hold of a force in Seamar City that could rival Marion.Kale nodded. "I'll book the flights then.""Oh, and make sure to have reporters meet us at the airport," Drake added. "I want everyone in Seamar City to know that I am now a force to be reckoned with.""Got it," Kale replied, puzzled by his enthusiasm.After all, this position was bought with money. There was nothing to be bragged about....Debra and Randy returned to the Potter Mansion.Several captives were tied up in the living room. At that point, Erica's high heel was pressing against one of them.She demanded, "Who se
"Just let them go like that? That's too lenient." Randy shook his head as he watched the group walk away.Debra replied, "They're just workers taking orders. They didn't complete their mission, so there was no money for them. And they got beaten up. Keeping them here is meaningless.""Fair point." Randy nodded.Debra turned to Marion. "Are you hurt?""Not at all." Marion spread his arms wide for her to check. "They couldn't even reach me."Randy mimicked their interaction as he turned to Erica."Are you hurt? Let me check.""What do you think? Just a bunch of weaklings.""Aren't you invincible?""That's right."Barton entered the room and said, "Mrs. Houston, Joe is here."Joe stepped inside. "Mrs. Houston.""What's the matter?" Debra asked, unsure of the situation.She had just left the office, and Joe came to see her. It couldn't be anything good."Mrs. Nichols Sr. would like to see you," Joe replied.Erica stepped forward. "Debra is part of the Houston family now. We
"This way, please." Barton gestured.Joe conceded, "Okay. I'll negotiate with Mrs. Nichols Sr."...In the Nichols Mansion, Melody received the call."What? Marion is coming too?" she spluttered.Marion had always been at odds with them. Then he married Debra, making the Nichols family a laughingstock.She'd never let him set foot in her house."Madam, please bear with it," Joe said.If they didn't let Marion in, the talk with Debra was out of the question.Melody took a deep breath. "Fine! Let him in."A little humiliation was nothing if she could regain control of the Nichols Group.Sophie came up to pour a cup of tea for her."Take it easy, Madam. Anyway, Mrs. Houston is better than an outsider.""Theda took my shares and defied me. If only I had another grandson, things wouldn't have been like this."Theda took her shares, and Debra dismissed Theda. It was a double blow.Sophie sighed, "If she hadn't divorced Mr. Nichols back then..."Melody snorted, "You think we s
"What do you mean?" Debra said."I don't want those things anymore. They're all yours," Melody explained. "But you must return those shares.""Are you sure you understand the situation?" Debra asked. "My shares are worth far more than a hundred chests like yours. You're letting greed cloud your judgment.""I..." Melody faltered.She certainly knew the worth of the shares, but this was already her best offer."Those shares were given to you by Juan. Don't you care about his feelings?" Melody argued, glancing at Marion.He met her gaze, and she quickly looked away. "You didn't spend a single dime on the shares. My jewelry should be enough for your appetite.""You see, Juan willingly transferred the shares to me. I didn't force him," Debra reasoned. "It's a done deal. As for your treasures, I've kept them long enough. You're welcome to redeem them anytime.""I..." Melody's face darkened.With Juan absent, she didn't have enough money to reclaim those items. Worse still, the share
Marion was not happy to hear that."Thanks for your offer," Debra said, holding Marion's hand. "I already have a husband, so why would I want to be part of your family? For your reputation, I remarried Juan. But make no mistake. That was the last time."Melody pointed at her, unable to form a response.Debra concluded, "I'll give you one day to consider my offer. Think it over. This may be your last chance."With that, she led Marion to leave.Melody shouted after her, "How are you going to explain this to Juan?"Debra stopped in her tracks. "I've always been fair to him, and I owe you nothing."Melody fainted out of anger.Joe rushed over. "Quick, call the doctor."The maids scrambled around the room, while Debra and Marion took their leave.Once, this manor seemed out of reach to Debra. She always wanted to earn Juan and his family's recognition. Now those things no longer bound her.She had gotten Marion by her side. Holding his hand, she said, "I never want to come back
At the Potter Mansion, Randy and Erica hauled a large chest downstairs.Erica put her hands on her hips, panting. "Melody Nichols sure knows how to hoard stuff. What even is this? It's so heavy.""We've seen it," Randy replied. "It's all jewelry. Oh, and 50 kilograms of gold bars."Erica rolled her eyes. "50 kilos? Thought it'd be some crazy amount.""That's still worth 20 million dollars, you know," Randy said, opening the chest.They had checked out the contents with Debra before, though they hadn't gone through it carefully.Now they had to find anything similar to that sapphire ring. Digging through all this jewelry was going to be a massive job."The collection is no joke. Some of these pieces are decades old.""Maybe it's part of her dowry. Dowries are worth a fortune."Erica's eyes sparkled, but Debra shrugged. "Not sure, but it's worth at least 200 million.""What do you think of this necklace?" Erica said, draping a necklace around her neck. "Pretty nice, huh? Easily
"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