Verna felt a pang of guilt.Garland continued to play the emotional card. "If you don't let me out, I'll spill about when you wet the bed at 12. And when you were 13, you wrote a farewell letter during your first period. I still remember every word. I...""Stop." Verna's face darkened. "Be a gentleman, okay? If you dare say these things, you're dead.""Verna, please, I really need to get out. I'm not Fermin. I want to live for myself. Debra and the others treat me like a friend. I can't just hide here knowing they're in danger. You understand me and will agree, right?""I..." Verna hesitated.Just then, Bert stepped out of the room. Seeing his stern face, Garland tensed up."I was bored in my room. Just chatting with Verna.""You think I don't know what you're planning? You want to go out? Not a chance."Before Garland could argue, he added, "But I do have a task for you."Garland scoffed, "You won't let me out, and now you want me to work for you? Dream on."Bert's face dark
Liza darted off like a rocket."You little brat, I didn't let you go with him," Bert shouted.The butler advised him, "Sir, it may not be a bad thing for Miss Eaton to see more of the world.""She brings nothing but trouble to me," Bert sighed. "Seamar City is dangerous. What if something happens to her?"He banged his cane on the floor and ordered, "Send more people to keep an eye on her. Ensure her safety at all costs.""Yes, sir," the butler replied.But before he could leave to carry out the orders, Bert called him back."Wait.""Anything else, sir?""Pull back everyone watching them.""But that would put them in danger.""They can't grow without trials."Bert felt he had spoiled the two children too much.In contrast, Juan was raised with an elite education. He had endured unimaginable hardships to forge the determination and success he had today.Then there was Marion, who had wandered overseas since childhood and built his empire with bare hands, becoming a living
There were fewer people than Marion had expected.In the courtyard, a man backed away in fear, but Marion's knife was already flying towards him. The knife hit the wall before the man could escape, making him break out in a cold sweat.Marion darted over and kicked the man to the ground."I'll count to three," Marion said, pressing his foot on the man's chest. "Call Robert out.""One...""Two...""No need to bother him."A deep voice came over.Marion looked up and saw Robert standing there.Robert liked solitude and had many enemies, so Marion had spread the word that Robert was in Seamar City, drawing them over.Then it was easy to find Robert's hideout by looking for areas suddenly crowded with outsiders.Marion sat on the sofa, his voice low. "I helped you take care of your enemies. Won't you return the favor?""Favor? You spread the news in the first place," Robert scoffed. "If you want Theda to hand over that 10% stake, I can't help you.""I never said I wanted share
Robert didn't dodge, but the bullet didn't hit him.It grazed past his ear, drawing blood.But through that action, Robert figured out something. "You didn't tell her, did you? You're such a coward. If Debra found out that your love for her isn't what she imagines, would she still love you?"With every word Robert uttered, Marion's gaze grew colder.Unfazed, Robert pressed on, "I heard Mrs. Houston is picky when it comes to relationships. If she knew that the love between you two over the past year was nothing but a joke, do you think she'd kick you out of her world and hate you for the rest of her life?""You really have a death wish." Marion's face lost every trace of humor.One of the men nearby quickly stepped forward, grabbing Marion's arm. "Sir, don't fall for it. He's trying to provoke you. If he dies, we'll never find out who's behind all this."Marion's face was icy. Robert knew that was his true nature. He was born without emotions, sympathy, and empathy.Medically sp
Debra took the medicine and band-aids, but the atmosphere in the living room suddenly felt awkward."I'm going upstairs.""Can you put it on by yourself?""Yes.""Let me see you do it."Debra cleared her throat, determined to prove she could do it. She sat down on the sofa, opened the medicine, and sprinkled it on her wound. But since her right hand was injured, using her left hand was tricky, and some of the powder spilled.With the medicine on her wound, she couldn't move her right hand at all. The band-aid lay untouched on the table. Opening a band-aid one-handed was harder than she thought."I rushed it," Debra said, trying to save face. "If I had opened the band-aid first..."Before she could finish, Andrew had already opened the band-aid and carefully applied it to her finger. His movements were gentle and precise."Do you know where Marion went?""Probably went to find someone who knows the identity of the mastermind.""Robert?" Debra was surprised.She wondered if h
Theda frowned at the news. "What's the panic? I'm busy here. Tell them I won't see them."But then, a voice came from the doorway."We came all the way from Wrastow City to see you. It's a bit disrespectful to dismiss us like this, don't you think?"The voice carried a tone of arrogance and provocation. Theda turned to see a well-dressed woman in her thirties, adorned with jewelry.Her expression remained calm as she said, "Oh, it's you, Joanne. But you're not even part of the Buchan family. What brings you here?""It's not her who wants to see you. It's us," said the major shareholder of the Buchan Group, emerging from behind Joanne Tarrant.Following him were other core family members, all wearing expressions of anger."You said you wanted to expand into Seamar City and have used a massive amount of our resources. But now, not only have you failed, you've lost the Nichols Group as a partner. How can we not be upset?""Exactly. We came all this way to demand an explanation."
Theda sneered in response.Everything she had done for the Buchan family had earned them enough money to last generations, but now, they were biting the hand that fed them.Robert stood up, and the sight of him made everyone visibly afraid.Theda noticed his stern expression and grabbed his arm. "Sit down."Robert frowned, unwilling to back down. These people had no right to treat Theda this way."I said, sit down," Theda repeated, stressing her tone.Robert finally withdrew his murderous gaze.Joanne scoffed, "Seriously, Theda, you should find a normal secretary. We don't know where you picked him up, but he's a time bomb. You don't want him to bring trouble to our family.""That's my business. Stay out of it," Theda countered. "As for the lost money, I will figure out a way to make it up. You don't need to worry. Now you can leave. My dogs don't like outsiders here."Joanne was annoyed, but since Theda promised to pay back the money, she relented a bit."If you're going to
In the afternoon, Debra showed up at the Buchan Mansion.Sitting across from Theda, she sipped on her tea. "The tea has been ready for a while. You knew I would come.""Let's just cut to the chase," Theda said. "It's your setup, isn't it? The termination of the partnership and the sale of Buchan Entertainment at a low price. Now everyone knows that the Buchan family and the Nichols family have severed ties. Since it's my mistake, people will force me to step down."She observed Debra's expression and continued, "You're even sharper than I expected. I mean, who would have thought a pampered lady like you could orchestrate such a complex scheme and predict the outcome so accurately?""You flatter me," Debra replied. "Your solitary nature must have been formed when you were sent to the countryside as a child, and your strained relations with your family were easy to deduce. People act out of self-interest. You cause them financial losses, and they demand paybacks. Now here we are, sit
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