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'
Erica came in after Ralph left. She had just been listening at the door. Though family feuds were deep, she hadn't heard of family members trying to kill each other before."Marion has always been decisive," Erica pondered, "but this time, he seems hesitant. Back then, he wouldn't have bothered with evidence. He'd have thrown them in a black box, and by the next day, his cousin would be half-dead. Handing him over to the police like this seems too easy for him.""A black box?" Debra looked puzzled."I think it's some term in their line of work." Erica shook her head. "Randy didn't elaborate."Debra fell silent.Someone like Marion, always walking on the edge, must have his own methods.Otherwise, how could he inspire fear?"He probably didn't want to put you in a difficult position." Erica said, "After all, Erbo has been treating you well."Then she added with some frustration, "Marion knew you were in trouble, yet he didn't come right away. Doesn't he understand girls' feeling
Randy nudged Erica, signaling her to stop talking.But Debra spoke up, "Yeah, I don't like staying here."In her past life, she had died on the operating table, giving her a deep fear of hospitals."Okay."Marion got up to leave the ward.In no time, the discharge procedures were completed. Randy went downstairs to get the car.After changing her clothes and leaving the ward, she glanced at the room next door, where Juan was. Eventually, she left with Erica.Outside, Debra saw Joe's car, with Shelia's face reflected in the rear window.In the evening, Juan woke up to see a blurry figure bustling around him."Debra?" His voice was low.Shelia paused and turned around with a smile."Juan, you're finally awake." Shelia set down the water and said, "I came right after class to see you. How are you feeling? I'll go call the doctor."Juan was disappointed as he found it was Shelia.With a hoarse voice, he asked, "Where's Debra?"Shelia's smile froze momentarily, but she soon re
"Give me the car keys!" Juan demanded.Joe froze, then reluctantly handed over the keys.Juan grabbed them and left the hospital. His face was pale as he hurried away. Joe followed closely behind, watching as Juan got into his car and sped off."Sir!" Joe called out from behind.But Juan didn't stop the car. Soon, it disappeared.Debra rested in bed at her apartment. Randy bustled in the kitchen with Erica assisting. Marion just sat on the sofa, quietly reading a newspaper.It was a heartwarming scene that Debra cherished.After her parents' untimely deaths, she had been living with Ralph's family. Everyone was guarded, and she hadn't felt this kind of familial warmth in a long time.How she wished it could last forever!Juan arrived outside the apartment building and called her.But no one was answering.He gripped the phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He got out of the car and headed towards the security office."Sir, who are you looking for?" asked the gua
"Marion, you..."Before Juan could finish, Marion interrupted, "Debra seems to have woken up. You're advised to take care of Shelia. That's it."With that, he hung up.Juan's face darkened, his hand gripping the phone turning white."Mr. Nichols," the security guard said, "why don't you come another day?"Juan shot a cold glance at him, and he shut his mouth.Debra woke up in bed. Rubbing her eyes, she groggily asked, "Was there a phone call just now?"Marion picked up the newspaper again, calmly saying, "No, you were dreaming."Debra was puzzled.She distinctly heard the phone ring while she was asleep.'Is it all a dream?'Rubbing her temples, Debra reached for her phone on the bedside table, noticing a missed call from Juan.Frowning, Debra wondered, 'Juan is awake?'Just then, Erica came out of the kitchen and called out, "Debra, wake up and have breakfast!""Alright." Debra set her phone aside.The next day, she received a drafted divorce agreement from her lawyer.
"Wait a little longer. No peeking," Fermin said, covering her eyes as he led Liza forward.Liza frowned. "Are we there yet?""Yes." Fermin moved his hands away.Liza opened her eyes and took in the full view of the manor.She had once wanted to move out and picked out a manor. Sadly, it had been owned by someone else, and Bert wouldn't let her live outside.Now the beautiful landscaping and warm lights were right in front of her. It felt unreal."Did you buy this manor?""Do you like it? This is the one you loved most. I've always remembered.""But that owner refused to sell it."She had secretly asked several times before, but even her identity as an Eaton couldn't get her a deal.Fermin shrugged. "I have my ways. Anything you like, I'll get them for you."Liza faltered, "Did you..."Fermin smiled, "Of course not. I'm a reasonable person."Still, Liza felt uneasy.In the past, if Fermin had bought her a manor like this, she would have thought it was just him being kind t
Debra took off her jacket, revealing the scar on her shoulder.William examined it. "You've healed pretty well.""Marion said the same thing," she replied."You can get surgery this year. The scar removal process is standard. Given how severe the injury was, it's a bit hard for it to be as good as new. Maybe a faint mark will be left.""Alright."As William packed up his medical kit, Debra asked, "Did you come here specifically today?""No, I arrived last night." William paused, quickly correcting himself, "I took a flight and stayed at the hotel.""Okay.""Why do you ask?""You didn't bring a suitcase, so I figured you didn't just get here today.""Perceptive."But then, he felt like Debra had been testing him.Sure enough, everyone from Seamar City seemed to have so many tricks up their sleeves.Debra pressed, "Did you meet Andrew?"William groaned inwardly but acted calm on the surface. "Not really."The room fell silent.Debra's steady gaze made him shift uncomforta
Debra knew that their enemies would come after them sooner or later and that Marion was just trying to comfort her.They needed to grow stronger by then. Or they'd just be at the mercy of others.Marion took Debra's hand in his, his fingers laced with hers."Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will be by your side," he said."I know." She nodded.Suddenly, a coughing sound reached their ears. They turned to see William standing in the doorway.He awkwardly waved at them. "The door wasn't closed, so..."Debra was stunned. "How did you get in?""I'm a regular here, so they let me in. Besides, today's your consultation day. No one would stop me," William replied as he walked in.Debra frowned at the sight of a big medical kit he was carrying. "My injury's almost healed.""You still need a checkup. Also, didn't you mention wanting that scar removal surgery? I need to see how it's healing."Yesterday, Debra had casually mentioned it, and Marion had taken it seriously."I di
Before Debra could respond, Erica's voice came through the phone."Debra, I'm not complaining, but this is getting unbearable. Please hurry back. Drake can't get out of bed. Jordan comes and goes like the wind. Theda is caught up in her own things. Oscar and Chace are gone. It's just the two of us, and we can't hold it together much longer."Debra was swayed. "I...""Three more days," Marion interrupted, "and we'll be right back."Marion took the phone and ended the call.Debra frowned. "The workload is too much. Ben can't handle it alone. Randy and Erica have their own companies to worry about. Three days might be too long.""I've sent someone to help them. We can't leave in the next three days.""Why not?""Fermin escaped."Debra was shocked by the news. The last time she saw Fermin was over a month ago. He had stabbed her and then disappeared."What happened?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"Marion hesitated. "Mr. Eaton Sr. called. They didn't want
It was late at night.Inside the church, soft light filtered through the colored glass, casting a shadow that stretched long and unnerving.Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the vast space. A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask entered."Didn't get the job done, and you're still here to face me?" The bishop's voice was low and ominous.The young man was unfazed. "Debra and Marion are keeping Drake well protected. We had no chance to move. The Potter family guards escorted him the whole way from the airport. We couldn't act."The bishop paused, his fingers tightening around the ring in his hand."The Potter family?" he muttered, "Without Andrew leading them, they're just a bunch of misfits.""It's not so easy to remove Andrew," replied the young man. "Rumor has it that he was crippled in a kidnapping incident, but he's still walking. And another rumor said he was dying, but he's still kicking and alive.""The Four Great Families only have one person like that.
Fermin's men aimed their rifles at Bert.Fermin led Liza downstairs and casually said, "Be careful. Don't let anything go off by accident. The old man's too frail for this.""Fermin..." Liza's face went pale.She knew Fermin wouldn't harm their father, but at that moment, her heart still twisted with worry.Outside, a luxury car pulled up. Fermin raised his hand and ordered, "Fall back."His men quickly withdrew from the property.Bert stood there, barely able to keep himself upright. The butler immediately stepped forward to support him. "Sir, stay strong.""That bastard pointed a gun at me." Bert's words were cut off by a sudden surge of something in his throat.The next second, blood gushed from his mouth.The butler was alarmed. "Sir!"Outside, Liza looked back at the house, worried about Bert.He was too old to handle such a shock.Fermin brushed it off. "Don't worry about him. Get in the car."Liza reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.She'd try to talk to Fermin w
Bert's face darkened as a loud noise echoed from outside the basement.A group of masked men had blown open the basement door.Fermin's shackles were quickly removed, and then he vanished from the surveillance footage.On the second floor, Bert had instructed that Liza be kept under guard to stop her from running around.Sitting on the bed, Liza was worried about Fermin when a sudden loud noise came from outside."Who's there?" She turned pale from fear.When she got up to check, she saw Fermin standing at the door.He had changed into a black shirt, and his face was no longer the mess it had been the day before. Even his stubble had been neatly groomed.He opened his arms with a smile, "Come here.""Fermin." Liza rushed into his arms, hugging him. "Did Dad let you out?"Fermin playfully ruffled her hair. "He didn't let you out, but you still managed to sneak down to the basement. Weren't you afraid of his punishment?""I was worried about you," Liza replied, but her express
Late into the night, Debra leaned against the head of the bed, waiting for Marion to come back after washing his hands.But then, the showering sound echoed from the bathroom.After a while, he walked out. His hair was still damp, and the bathrobe hung loosely on him, revealing his toned muscles and perfect V-shaped lines.The dim light from the bedside lamp reminded Debra of the banquet earlier.Her face flushed. She instinctively reached for the light switch to break the mood, but Marion grabbed her wrist.His palm was warm, and under the soft light, there was a glint of desire in his deep eyes."I'm clean," he croaked, having washed off the scent of blood.In fact, before leaving the castle, he had already changed into a new jacket, worried that Debra might catch the disgusting smell of blood."Alright," she said shyly, a bit overwhelmed by his strong desire.Marion smelled faintly fresh. Different from his usual tobacco, this scent was clean and pure."Don't hurt yourself
"See you around," Michael said, smiling at Marion.His action got under Marion's skin. Taking a deep breath, Marion turned off the stove and took the eggs out.Debra glanced at him. "You seem hostile to Michael.""He's not worth my time," Marion replied flatly, peeling the eggs.Then he walked over to her and gently pressed the egg against her injured spot."This will help reduce the swelling. You went too hard on yourself. It's gonna hurt tomorrow.""Michael was just messing around. Don't be fooled by his innocent look. He's got a mischievous side. I think he just wanted to see if you cared about me. He wasn't trying to provoke you."Marion hummed in response, seemingly unbothered by it.He looked down at the bruise and sighed, "He wasn't wrong about one thing.""What is it?""I failed to take good care of you.""That was my doing. It wasn't your fault.""My job is to protect you. I can't let you get hurt even in the slightest." Marion pinched her nose. "I'll carry you to