"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
Debra struggled to pull out the phone from Juan's pocket and then called 911. Then she faded into unconsciousness.The next day, she groggily opened her eyes to see Joe bustling around. Her voice was hoarse and weak. "Where's Juan?"A flicker of relief crossed Joe's face, and he asked quickly, "Madam, are you asking for water?"Debra shook her head, asking again, "Where's Juan?""Mr. Nichols," Joe hesitated, "he's severely injured and currently in intensive care."Debra struggled to sit up. Joe quickly held her arm. "Madam! The doctor said your injuries are serious too. You mustn't get out of bed!"Debra, devoid of strength, knew Juan had been hurt trying to save her.She couldn't be relieved unless she saw him."Madam..."Joe tried to stop her, but suddenly, noise erupted outside the room."Where's Debra? How is she?"Debra recognized Ralph's voice. Joe went out to check. Sure enough, Ralph and Rosalie had arrived. Rosalie was searching anxiously, looking for Debra."How i
"I know," Debra said. "Even though Rosalie is always mean, she wouldn't do something like this."At least not now.Debra didn't finish her sentence. Ralph nodded and replied, "That's the way she is. I'll check the home surveillance when I get back. We'll find out.""Okay."After Ralph left, Debra got off the bed. Her ankle seemed to be sprained. The pain was sharp as soon as she stood.Joe freaked out. "Madam, why are you getting up?""I want to check on Juan.""Madam..." Joe hesitated.Debra noticed Juan's room was partially open, indicating someone was already inside. She approached and glimpsed a white figure.It was Shelia.Joe blocked Debra's view and said reluctantly, "Madam, you should go back and rest."Debra's eyes dimmed.That explained why Joe had prevented her from visiting Juan."Alright." Debra turned back to the ward.At the end of the day, she had overthought.Juan was in good hands with Shelia. There was no need for her to worry.Her phone rang suddenly
Erica's quick arrival surprised Debra."What happened? How did you get hurt all over?" Erica was visibly concerned."It was just a minor car accident, nothing serious," Debra said, extending her hand. "See, I can still move.""A minor accident?" Erica didn't believe it.From Debra's injuries, she could imagine what had happened last night."I wondered why I didn't hear from you all night. What is Juan? What kind of husband is he?" Debra's eyes dimmed at the mention of Juan."He's in the next room," she replied.Before Debra could stop her, Erica stood up and headed outside the ward. Just as she stepped out, she spotted Shelia coming out of the next room.Not knowing Erica was there, Shelia was speaking with Joe."It's you again," Erica snapped.Shelia frowned, not afraid of Erica anymore. She didn't believe Erica would dare do anything in the hospital.Joe intervened quickly. "Miss Miles, let me take you back.""Thank you, Joe," Shelia replied gratefully.Though Joe disl
The gates of the Frazier family estate burst open, and a group of black-clad bodyguards stormed in.Ralph and Rosalie, who had just arrived home, recoiled in fear."What's going on?" Rosalie trembled, hiding behind Ralph."Where are the security guards? Get them!" Ralph tried to remain composed, but he saw the security team being escorted in by the intruders.His face turned pale with shock."Who are you people? What do you want?" he demanded.Marion walked in through the gates. Ralph nervously swallowed, "Marion?"Marion strolled in casually and took a seat."What are you up to?" Ralph asked, his voice strained. "We have never offended you."Marion nodded, smiling. "Mr. Frazier, you haven't offended me.""Then why invade my home like this?" Ralph's voice rose in frustration."You haven't offended me, but your son has," Marion replied."Stanley? How has he offended you?" Ralph looked bewildered.Marion gestured, and someone brought over a laptop. On it played footage from
Rosalie could only hold Stanley and sob.Marion looked on indifferently.With so many people still there, Ralph turned to Marion and said, "Mr. Huston, I understand your intentions, but this is a family matter. Could you..."Marion stood up. He hadn't intended to trouble Debra's family, only to ensure Ralph found out the truth."Well then, I'll leave it to you to handle," Marion said casually. "But if you can't do it, I wouldn't mind taking matters into my own hands."Ralph's face turned pale as he understood what Marion meant."I understand. I will make things right for Debra," Ralph promised.Marion gestured, and his bodyguards dispersed."Let's go!" "Yes, sir!"They quickly left the villa.Stanley stood up defiantly, pointing at the now-vanished figures. "Who were those people? Why would we believe anything they say, Dad?""Shut up!" Ralph slapped him again, leaving him incredulous.Rosalie quickly stepped in. "Ralph, why are you hitting him after everyone has left?"
"Debra, this is all Stanley's fault. I'll take him to the police station and let the police handle it," Ralph said.Stanley was exasperated. "Dad! How could you send me to the police station?" "You reap what you sow. This is already lenient for you."If Marion handled this privately, Stanley would have been dead."Uncle Ralph, you don't have to do that," Debra said calmly. "He's unreliable because Aunt Rosalie spoils him too much." Ralph nodded. "Exactly! He's lawless now.""Yesterday, Stanley came to talk to me about the distribution of Frazier family property. I merely said a few words, and he wanted to kill me. That's a serious lack of upbringing." "What property distribution?" Ralph was bewildered.Stanley's face flushed red. "Shut up!" "You shut up!" Ralph snapped out of it and kicked him. "You brat, I'm not dead yet, and you're eyeing the family fortune?""I didn't!" Stanley's bravado weakened.He would not admit to it whatsoever.Debra said nonchalantly, "It'
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