"Who Did It?" Juan asked."It's said that after the incident, the Inspection Team came to the school once. It was a girl named Carrie, and she happens to be Miss Miles' friend," Joe replied.Juan frowned deeply.Joe probed, "Maybe this matter is related to Miss Miles. Should we continue investigating?"Juan rubbed his temples.Debra was slandered and bullied, but she hadn't told him anything.He wondered if he was so insignificant to her."Since the Inspection Team has already investigated, there's no need for further inquiry," Juan said blandly. "Tell Shelia to stay away from those people. Don't let them influence her negatively."Joe wanted to say something, but seeing Juan's expression, he could only agree. "Will do."...Debra led Erica into Building #2. Erica hadn't expected Juan to eavesdrop, causing such a stir. "He defended Shelia so blatantly in front of you. It's infuriating!"Erica was angry but more concerned about Debra's situation. "You just had a falling out w
Melody learned about last night's incident and made a scene at home.The Frazier family was also restless. Rosalie had long wanted to see Debra embarrassed. News of Juan leaving with another woman at the banquet had spread throughout their circle.Ralph bombarded her with phone calls, but Debra didn't answer.When Joe took Debra back to the Nichols family's house, Melody was smashing water glass against the wall.Juan was silent, but his clothes were disheveled. Marks of violence were on his body, and his face was pale."Debra, you knew, right? And you let them do as they pleased?" Melody's chest heaved with anger."Juan likes her. There's nothing I can do," Debra replied calmly, showing a detached attitude.She had already prepared for the worst-case scenario.If Juan exposed her enrollment at Arcane Academy, she would just divorce him."I don't get it. What's so good about a college girl? Debra is prettier and more capable. Are you blind? How did I raise such a grandson?" Me
"I thought you wouldn't feel it," Debra chuckled bitterly. "Ever thought about how much worse words could hurt me?"After a moment of silence, Juan said, "I'll handle it.""No need." Debra turned to leave."Why didn't you tell me about the rumors at school?" Juan asked.Debra paused and sounded amused. "Tell you?"Juan felt uneasy with her tone. "If you had told me, I would have...""If I told you it was Shelia spreading the rumors, would you believe me?" Debra interrupted.Juan was taken aback. "I asked her. It wasn't her.""So, there's nothing to discuss," Debra scoffed.Simply put, Juan trusted Shelia.As Debra turned to leave, Juan grabbed her arm and asked sullenly, "Are you implying I'm biased toward Shelia?""You know the answer," Debra retorted."How do you know I haven't investigated this? Why are you so sure it was Shelia?" Juan pressed, showing no intention of letting her go."Let go!" Debra shook off his arm.The disgust in her eyes stung his heart."Admit it
Rosalie's smile vanished instantly. She stood up abruptly from her chair, her voice rising several octaves. "What? Divorce?""Why are you so surprised?" Debra said."How could you divorce? That's Juan," Rosalie said incredulously.Debra used to be head over heels for Juan, going to great lengths to marry him.It was hard to believe that she wanted to divorce Juan. They had been married only for a couple of months.Ralph pondered for a moment and asked, "Is this Juan's decision?""No, it's mine.""Have you thought this through?"Debra nodded firmly. "Yes, I have."Upon hearing Debra's resolve, Ralph seemed equally determined. "Alright then, let's proceed with the divorce.""What? No!" Rosalie pushed Ralph aside and shouted at Debra, "You're not taking marriage seriously at all. If you divorce Juan, what will become of our family? Do you want to let Ralph down?"Debra looked on coldly. Ralph took a stand and pulled Rosalie aside. "Shut up! You have no say here.""Ralph! Do yo
"Uncle Ralph, thank you," Debra whispered.She knew divorcing Juan now would make life tough for the Frazier family, but she swore it wouldn't last long.Debra stayed at the house. After sending away the peripheral branches of the family, Ralph called her to the study.Ralph seemed much older these years, his face filled with concern. "Debra, is Juan really not good to you?""Not that he's bad. He just doesn't like me.""And you?"Debra fell silent.She once loved Juan deeply, but now she had let go.Ralph looked at her expression and patted her shoulder, sighing. "Debra, I'm sorry for what you've been through."Debra shook her head. "Actually, I want to discuss something with you.""About you and Juan?""No, I want to take over the Frazier Group for a while."Ralph looked puzzled, then said, "I know you've learned a lot at Arcane Academy these days. If you want experience, I can give you a few smaller companies. If you take over the Frazier Group, I'm worried...""I under
Debra slapped him across the face, leaving half of his face red.Stanley was stunned and looked incredulously at her. "You hit me?""As I said, if you dare disrespect me, I'll teach you a lesson," Debra said coldly.Stanley's temper flared up. "Damn you!"Before Stanley could finish his sentence, Debra slapped him again, this time with full force, instantly swelling his face."Watch your mouth! I didn't wrestle with you only for Ralph's sake. Don't think I'm a pushover. Cross me again, and I will show you no mercy," she snapped.Before she married Juan, she had been living here with them. Stanley was still young, but under Rosalie's instigation, he often secretly hindered her.He had ruined her schoolwork or stolen her things. She had never made a fuss about it.But now, she had no reason to indulge him anymore.Stanley trembled with anger, ready to fight back. Debra shouted at those downstairs, "Are you all just loafing around? Bring your young master back!"At her command,
"Sorry to disturb you. I'll talk things through with Debra," said Juan.His gaze stayed fixed on Debra, trying to read her emotions, but since he entered, Debra hadn't spared him a glance."Debra..." Ralph started.Debra knew what he wanted to say. "Uncle Ralph, I'll go now."Ralph held his breath. "Safe trip."Debra nodded and then followed Juan out of the house."You go head. I'll drive my own car."Debra headed towards the garage. Juan grabbed her hand, frowning. "Are you still mad?"Debra remained silent.Juan spoke softly, "I was wrong to lose control.""That's not the issue at all." Debra withdrew her hand. "Let's talk about it when we get home."Debra turned and entered the garage. Juan watched her back, lost in thought.The two cars drove on, one behind the other. Knowing Debra was upset, he didn't speed up, just silently following.The streets were empty and eerily quiet. Debra played soft music, contemplating how to discuss divorce with Juan later.The traffic l
Debra opened the car door and struggled to climb out. Choked by the smoke, she coughed incessantly.She got out of the car and went to check on Juan. In the driver's seat, he was already unconscious. His forehead was bleeding, and his body was cut."Juan!" Debra exclaimed, rushing to open the car door to pull Juan out."Juan, wake up! "Looking around, Debra saw no one nearby, just the two collided cars. She noticed Juan's car was leaking oil from the rear, a sense of dread filling her. She shook Juan's shoulders urgently. "Juan! You have to wake up!"Juan furrowed his brow and struggled to open his eyes. Debra's worried face was in front of him.His mind was cloudy, but he felt like he had seen this face somewhere before.It was just too distant for him to remember."Juan!"Debra's voice was intermittently near and far. "Can you move? Come out! The car is about to explode!"There was already a flame at the rear of the car. Seeing Juan unable to say a word, she gathered her s
Drake's logic was persuasive, almost hypnotic.Cathryn found herself wavering. "But Liza... ""She's your friend, right? She'll understand. Besides, this is just a business arrangement, not a real marriage. It's just to create some tension for Marion."Cathryn was convinced. "Alright, I'll prepare the gala. But you must explain everything to Liza afterward.""Okay," Drake replied.But his smile faded as soon as Cathryn left.Kale asked, "Boss, are you really going to explain this to Miss Eaton?""Explain my ass," Drake snorted. "Once I get engaged to her, I'll gain control of the Bernard family's resources. Then I'll have enough power to take on Marion. Who cares about her petty little scandals?"Kale mused, "So, you were fooling her?"Drake explained, "She's the only one left in her family. If it weren't for those resources, do you think I'd even consider an engagement with her? She's clueless. Once she hosts the gala and announces the news to the media, do you think she can
Drake sneezed in his study.Kale came in and reported, "Miss Bernard is here."Drake waved his hand. "Let her in."Kale opened the door to reveal Cathryn standing hesitantly outside. She had come upon learning that Marion had taken Debra away.Drake glanced at her and read her mind. "She was rescued. Helping you cost me a lot."Cathryn stammered, "Don't make it sound so noble. You did it for yourself.""What now? We're in this together. Marion has learned you collaborated with me to kidnap Debra." Drake rested his cheek on his hand. "But it's not a bad thing. At least, Marion can't ignore you anymore."Cathryn bit her lip, stepping forward. "I know you have other plans. We can't let her stay with Marion. You gotta help me for my father's sake."But the mention of the past only served to annoy Drake.Cathryn quickly added, "If it weren't for my father, you wouldn't have made it to Orkgate or become the Lowe family's adopted son. You owe me."Drake snorted, "You're right. I owe
She had known for a while that Melody was coming after her. That wasn't a well-kept secret. But seeing it plastered online and climbing the trending charts? That was a whole new level of absurdity."Let me see." Marion emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair.He leaned over, glanced at the phone, and nodded approvingly. "That's catchy.""I'm going to find out which genius published this." Debra's fingers flew over her phone, tracing the story back to its source. When the name of New Age popped up on her screen, she froze."New Age?" she murmured, remembering that it was Garland's news agency."Something wrong?" Marion asked.Debra blinked. "I spent 50 million dollars to buy that newspaper. So..." Her own company had just broken a report on her. That was the next level....In the study room, Garland was livid, yelling into his phone, "What were you thinking? Are you people brain-dead? Who let you publish that story? And then you dumped ad money into it too? Did you want t
"Those things aside, you need to explain something to me. What's going on with your post?" Juan placed his phone in front of Garland.He had only just seen it while walking from the study to the hallway. Garland had managed to edit and post it in that short period. The post read: [Shocking: Ex-husband's Grandmother Travels Thousands of Miles to Kill Me.]Garland was lost for words. He had forgotten to set it private.Juan demanded, "Are you going to delete it, or should I?""I'll do it." Garland grabbed his phone and logged into his alternative account.He clicked open the post, only to find that it had garnered over 99 likes.He hesitated. "How about we don't delete it?"With so many likes, the news must have spread like wildfire among his gossip-hungry peers.He added, "No one knows who I'm talking about anyway."But as soon as his voice died away, several comments popped up under the post.Love2Fly: [Bro, are you referring to Melody Nichols as the grandmother?]JusticeS
Suppressing the swirl of emotions brewing inside, he asked, "You mean, Juan's ex-wife?""Yes, it's her. She has brought nothing but misfortune to my family, and I won't allow her to keep deceiving Juan and ruining everything," she said, her voice rising with agitation.Seeing her get so worked up, Garland advised her, "Take it easy, Mrs. Nichols Sr. This matter is tricky, and we need to think carefully.""I know," Melody sighed. "Marion has been a thorn in your side. He even sent Liza back by force. The grudges run deep between you and him. If you were to get rid of Debra, it would be justice for all the grief they've caused us."Garland nearly rolled his eyes. 'Justice? Easy for you to say.'He didn't know where she got the idea of a feud between Marion and them.He believed some brainless reporters had spun the story. Now he was more convinced that the media needed an overhaul.With that thought, he replied, "That will take time and careful planning. But if it's Juan you want
Juan replied, "Just don't go too far."Garland straightened up. "Alright, let me handle this old..."Juan glanced at him, and he corrected himself. "I mean, Mrs. Nichols Sr."Turning to the mirror, he started to adjust his clothes.He put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, ensuring he looked perfect before smoothing his hair.Dropping his usual playful smile, he said, "Verna, to the study.""Yes, sir." Verna led Garland out.In the study, Garland sat behind the desk, trying out several poses before settling on a more relaxed one. Verna announced, "Sir, Mrs. Nichols Sr. is here.""Alright," Garland acknowledged. "Show her in."Verna opened the door, and Melody entered in a white dress. She carried herself with the grace of a noblewoman from a bygone era.Garland looked her over, impressed that she had maintained her appearance so well at her age.'Bert has good taste, though she doesn't look like my mother at all,' he thought. 'But why did rumors have it that my mother was her
The maid hesitated. "Mr. Fermin Eaton is often busy with company matters, so he's rarely home.""Is he home today?""Uh...""What? Don't tell me no one is at home."The maid stammered, "Mr. Fermin Eaton is home, but he's busy with work. He might not be able to see you right now."Melody insisted, "Is this how you treat your guests? Go tell Mr. Fermin Eaton that if he doesn't come to see me, I'll pack my things and leave immediately."Her tone left no room for negotiation. The maid could only nod and leave to deliver the message.In the bedroom, Garland was upside-down, reciting lines from economic textbooks.The maid opened the door and froze at the sight. "Mr. Fermin Eaton, you're doing this again."Garland's pained voice broke through. "Verna, perfect timing. A little help here."But not far off, Juan cut him off. "Ten more minutes. Hold it.""I can't. I'm about to collapse.""If you collapse, get back up and keep going.""This is brutal."Verna interjected, "Mr. Nichol
The cleaners were devastated, and Lara turned even paler.Drake sat on the sofa and said, "Why are you back here? What are you up to?""Boss, I'm sorry I messed up, but I swear, I didn't say anything," Lara pleaded."Is that so?" Drake scoffed. "I'd be a fool to believe you.""I'm telling the truth," Lara said. "They brought me back to get rid of me. You can't fall for their trap."Drake pondered her words. "Whose idea was it to send you back? Debra's or Marion's?""It was Mrs. Houston's idea," Lara replied.Drake nodded. "Well then, you can stay."The quick change in his attitude took Lara aback."Boss, isn't this a bit hasty?" Kale interjected."Do you think so?""Yes.""Then go to my office and print out a new contract for her. Sign it, stamp it, and then it won't be hasty anymore.""Boss...""Do it.""Yes, boss."Lara watched Kale leave, still in disbelief."Go upstairs. You don't need to clean.""Then what should I do?""Whatever you want. Can you order takeout?
Debra pulled Marion's hand away. "Alright, no more talk like that."Outside, the night deepened. Lara stood at the gates of the Lowe Mansion, hesitating to enter.The security guards spotted her. "Lara?"Lara froze in place. Her first instinct was to run away, but a glance toward the shadows revealed Marion's men watching her intently.Caught between flight and surrender, she noticed a black car slowly emerging from the gates. Her gaze drifted to the figure in the back seat, and she stopped cold.'Juan? What is he doing here?'Before she could make sense of it, Kale, who was escorting Juan out, noticed her presence.He demanded, "What are you doing back here?"Lara was startled and instinctively took a step back. Her face went pale as she stammered, "Mr. Mclean, it's Marion and Debra. They sent me back.""Sent you back?" Kale was skeptical. "Come inside.""Okay." Lara paused and explained urgently, "I didn't tell them anything. They brought me back and left."Kale didn't eve