The security guard squinted at Randy. "And you are?"Randy kept up appearances. "You blind? I'm Randy Osborne."The guard stayed deadpan. "ID, please."Randy exploded. "I need an ID to enter my own freaking house?""Sorry, sir. If you're impersonating him and I let you in, I'll get fired," the guard insisted.Grumbling, Randy yanked out a wallet. "See this? Designer leather. Costs more than your salary."He flipped it open to reveal a stack of cards. "Credit cards. More than you've ever had."The guard repeated flatly, "ID, please.""I forgot my damn ID, okay?" Randy spluttered.Erica came out of the car, marched over, and slapped Randy's ID into the guard's hand. "Happy? Open the gate," she said.The guard meticulously compared Randy to the photo and pulled out a scanner.After verifying the ID wasn't fake, he finally stepped aside. "Sir and Madam, please proceed.""We've got friends," Erica added, jerking her thumb at the car.Debra and Marion stepped out.The guard c
Debra teased him, "You stick out like a sore thumb here.""I'm evolved," Randy smiled, leading them into the house.The maids were cleaning in the grand hall that resembled a museum. The shelves were crammed with antiques worth seven figures. Porcelain vases and jade carvings screamed "royalty-only" back in the day.The Osborne family might as well have hung a neon "Rob Me" sign.Debra's gaze snagged on a wall glittering with rare gemstones and uncut minerals. She drifted closer, but Randy's father emerged from a side room."You guys..." His sharp eyes swept over them.Enoch Osborne had a tall, well-built frame, his posture straight and dignified. Despite being in his fifties, the sharpness and grace of his youth still lingered in his features, hinting at the strikingly handsome man he had once been."Dad," Randy greeted him. "These are Debra, Marion, and Erica. You've met them before."Enoch ignored him, "I know these famous CEOs."His words drew a distinct line between them.
"Are you suspecting me?" Enoch's voice hardened."Not really," Debra said calmly. "But you're the only one left who knows the Four Families' secrets. We have no one else to turn to."Enoch sighed, realizing they wouldn't leave without answers. "Sit."Debra and Marion exchanged a glance before taking seats across from him.Tea was served. Enoch stirred his cup. "The Osborne family survived by staying out of dramas. Drop this obsession. The Four Great Families legend? Just a gimmick cooked up by hotheaded youngsters a century ago. There's no treasure. Stop chasing ghosts.""If there's no secret," Debra countered, "why has someone spent decades scheming, killing, and laying traps? We're not naive children, Mr. Osborne. This matters."She then pulled out a gemstone. "Recognize this?"Enoch's brow twitched.Debra had three stones: one from Melody, one from Marion, and one from Jordan.Four families should mean four stones. The Osbornes possessed the last one."We had one," Enoch a
Enoch slammed his teacup down. "What nonsense are you spouting? This is the head of the Houston family, not Andrew."Yvette blinked. "Not Andrew? But Debra's..." "The tea's cold," Enoch interrupted her. "Fetch a new pot."He shoved the teapot toward her. When she hesitated, he ordered a maid nearby, "Take her upstairs."Yvette reluctantly left, glancing back at Debra.Debra watched, sensing something was off."Apologies for the scene," Enoch said. "My wife hasn't been right since falling ill over a decade ago. She often rambles nonsense.""A decade ago?" Debra pounced on the details."Just an illness. Don't read into it," Enoch replied.The housekeeper approached. "Dinner is ready, sir.""Please join me for dinner." Enoch gestured, then ordered, "Go fetch Randy and Miss Mathis."Debra subtly pressed Marion's arm. He squeezed her hand to reassure her. Presumably, they had bought Randy and Erica enough time. Right on cue, the duo burst in from the backyard. Erica shot Deb
"No wonder..." Debra muttered. "She recognized me but mistook Marion for Andrew."Marion looked nothing like Andrew.Randy glanced at Marion in the rearview mirror and dodged, "My mom is confused but still worried about the Potter family. Maybe she mixed up names. Don't overthink it."Erica turned to Debra. "But that old kidnapping case involved a lot of people. Don't you remember anything?"Debra shook her head. "I was too young. Memories before eight are fuzzy. Might've lost some after a high fever."Marion chimed in, "Get over it. Did you get the ledger?""Duh." Erica pulled an account book from her jacket. "Ta-da. Who's the genius?"Randy smirked, "Nice work, burglar queen."Erica smacked his arm. "You'd still be stuck there without me.""True that," Randy grinned. "Gotta keep you around for lockpicking emergencies."Debra chuckled at their banter as the car reached the Potter Mansion.Inside, two bodyguards were hauling Garland toward the door."Let me go. I'm not leav
Randy stepped forward and pushed back the man's matted hair.His eyes widened. "Holy crap! Edgar Odom?"Edgar looked much better than they last saw him. He was no longer that haggard and looked much calmer.Debra crouched in front of him. "Remember the money you owe me, Mr. Odom?"Edgar's calm shattered. He lunged, but the two bodyguards held him back down. "Don't move."Debra smirked, "Tell Mr. Eaton Sr. we appreciate the gift. This is very thoughtful.""Mr. Eaton Sr. said he might have the intel you want. But squeezing it out? That's your job.""Fair enough.""Debra, you're not actually trading him for us, are you?" Garland shouted.He kept struggling but could not break free. Meanwhile, Liza was brought down from the second floor.The lead bodyguard asked, "Mrs. Houston, can we take Mr. Garland Eaton and Miss Eaton with us now?"Debra tilted her head. "Do you want to go?"Garland vigorously shook his head. "No. I'd rather die here."Liza echoed, "Same. I haven't had eno
Marion raised his hand. "Take them back."The Potter family guards moved forward. The Eaton family's bodyguards stood no chance. Their leader knew better than to fight. Debra had already spared them a bloodbath by handling this quietly.He clenched his teeth. "We'll consult Mr. Eaton Sr. If he insists, we'll come again."Marion shrugged. "Go ahead."He had accomplished his task. The rest wasn't his problem.Back at the Potter Mansion, Garland and Liza huddled together."I thought I'd be stuck eating fancy meals and shopping forever," Liza sobbed. "That life's soul-crushing."Garland sniffled, "Back to being CEO of that boring company? No thanks."Erica and Randy exchanged exhausted glances.Debra ignored the drama, focusing on the man tied up before her. "Mr. Odom, remember us?"Edgar remained silent, wrinkling his brow."We're old friends. Take a seat and relax," Debra added.He sneered, 'Sit? I'm trussed up like a turkey.'"Standing's fine too." Debra shrugged. "Same dif
Garland fidgeted, never expecting Bert to bring over Edgar.Back then, Juan had brought Edgar to him and asked him to interrogate Edgar. Garland had pretended to be Fermin. Now the charade was crumbling.Garland stammered, "What? It has nothing to do with me."Erica jabbed a finger at him. "You knew the secret all along and kept mum?"Randy side-eyed him. "Made us run in circles."Liza, on the other hand, was totally confused.Garland quickly turned to Debra for help. She figured that it must be Fermin.Unwilling to expose anything in front of Edgar, she chimed in, "He already told me, but I need your confirmation. Edgar, what is the secret?"Edgar sneered, "This is pathetic. The Four Great Families don't even know their own treasure."Erica's fists clenched. "Want me to rip that mouth of yours?"Randy tugged her back. "Chill. Beat him up after he talks."Erica held back her temper for the greater picture.Edgar revealed, "Think ordinary stuff lured everyone here? Centuries
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