"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
Chapter 1"Get the defibrillator! Increase the voltage!""Doctor! The patient is experiencing massive bleeding, and the A-type blood from the blood bank was just urgently taken away."The intern nurse's hands were covered in blood, and she trembled.The operating room reeked of blood.She had never seen so much blood before.At that moment, a thought flashed through her mind.'Who would suddenly take away A-type blood from the blood bank?'The woman lying on the bed was pale. Her lips were dry, and her eyes started to lose focus. "Juan...""What?""Juan Nichols..."The intern nurse made out the name murmured by Debra Frazier.Juan Nichols was the most influential businessman in Seamar City.The doctor was on the verge of collapse. He dialed the wrong number three times before finally getting it right. He quickly pleaded with the person on the other end of the phone, "Mr. Nichols, your wife is experiencing massive bleeding, but the blood from the blood bank has been taken a
Chapter 2Juan also looked over.A red figure stood out in the crowd.Debra, clad in a burgundy dress, seemed to captivate hearts with every gesture. Cameras flashed at her like she was a reigning superstar walking the red carpet.'Debra?'Juan took a moment to recognize her.In the past, Debra preferred light makeup and plain dresses. This was the first time Juan had seen her like this.Seeing Debra for the first time, Shelia was filled with jealousy.Compared to the alluring Debra, she seemed too plain."Debra looks stunning."Shelia's tone carried a subtle envy.Debra spotted them and walked over.Shelia thought Debra, unaware of her relationship with Juan, would be surprised or awkward, but Debra was poised and smiling."Mrs. Nichols is here. Who's the lady beside Mr. Nichols?" whispered a reporter.Debra approached, linking her arm with Juan's, and extended a hand towards Shelia. "You must be Shelia mentioned by Juan. Nice to meet you! I'm Debra. You can call me Mrs.
Chapter 3Due to this episode, Juan's attention was solely on Debra. Shelia's performance was completely ignored.When the auction ended, Debra was about to leave when she bumped into Juan and Shelia."Debra, if you don't understand real estate, don't mess around," Juan said bluntly.Shelia chimed in, "Yeah, Debra. Your actions have cost Mr. Nichols ten billion dollars."Debra chuckled, "Miss Miles, you misunderstand. This piece of land is mine to buy. What does it have to do with Juan?"Shelia blurted out, "But that's ten billion dollars.""It's just pocket change for me, not to mention for her."From not far away, Randy's voice came. "Isn't that right, Ms. Frazier?"Debra caught sight of Marion and said, "It's just a plaything for purchase."Shelia blushed with embarrassment.Ten billion dollars meant nothing to Juan and Debra.In front of these people, Shelia felt inferior."Heard Mr. Nichols got married. Is the lady beside him Mrs. Nichols?" Marion chimed in.Shelia b
Chapter 4The room fell silent for a moment. Marion smirked and said, "Mrs. Nichols, you can't wrongly accuse good people.""Yeah, we're all legitimate businessmen," Randy chimed in."In the realm of legitimate business, it's not up to me to judge. But I think Juan might be interested," Debra said. "I'm just a clueless rich girl, while Juan isn't. If I tell him what happened, I wonder if he'll take notice.""You're sneaky!" Randy couldn't contain his frustration.Debra looked at Marion seriously. "Lend me eight billion, and I'll pay you back with interest in three years."Randy's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? Do you know how much interest that'll be? If you can't pay it back, we'll lose eight billion dollars. You're Juan's wife. Who can hold you accountable?""I know the interest. I'll sign a contract with you. If I can't repay, I'll give you my family's properties and stocks, and I'll work for you for the rest of my life." Randy paused and continued, "And besides, my marriage
Chapter 5Shelia's smile froze. "Why?""Mr. Nichols is taking his wife tonight, so it wouldn't be convenient for you to attend."Shelia forced a smile. "Oh, so he's taking his wife. That's great. I didn't want to go anyway.""That's good."Shelia held her phone and bit her lip.Her roommates exchanged glances."Shelia, did your boyfriend stand you up?""I heard this event is international. Didn't your boyfriend organize it to introduce you to some foreign entrepreneurs?"Facing their skeptical looks, Shelia managed a weak smile. "He has an important client to accompany. I shouldn't disturb him."Shelia glanced at the dress in her hands, her expression dimming.'Juan never likes Debra. Why did he suddenly...'She tightened her grip on the dress.She had looked forward to tonight's event for so long. She couldn't just give up.As the night fell, Juan had a splendid black dress sent to Debra.He had been waiting downstairs for a while when he saw Debra descending the stairs
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
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
"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
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
"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
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.
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
"Huh? When?" Debra was surprised."When you were born," Randy replied. "All Four Great Families got together. You were still a baby, so you don't remember."Erica raised an eyebrow. "Didn't expect you to remember something that long ago."Randy scratched his head. "I was too young to recall much. But that banquet was the fanciest I've ever seen. Stuck in my brain. Oh, and that's when I first met Marion. Back then, he was..." Before he could finish, Marion kicked the back of his seat."Just drive and stop talking.""Alright. No kicking."Randy rubbed his sore back with one hand. Debra turned her attention to Marion."You were there the day I was born?" she asked.Randy butted in, "Of course. All four families showed up. Your family was popular back then, and your dad was the life of the party. Having a daughter was a big deal. Influential businessmen from around the globe came to celebrate it."He sighed dramatically, "Your family had its day."Though decades had passed, De
Erica thought for a moment. "Your task is even tougher."Garland's eyes lit up, but then Erica patted his shoulder. "The Osborne family chef's cooking sucks. Your job is to make dinner for us."Garland's smile cracked. "That's your tough task?""Obviously. Logistics are critical," Erica grinned, turning to Randy. "Let's go. Time to revisit the home you've been dreaming about."Randy hated going home or seeing his father.He sighed, "I'm only doing this for you. If it were Marion, I'd say no."Marion shrugged. "I could just raid your ancestral hall with my men. Sounds easier.""Don't." Randy paled. "My dad can't touch you, but he'll kill me."Marion was capable of such a thing. Drake and Robert were the living examples, suffering from his betrayal.That night, Randy and Erica headed to the Osborne Mansion.As Randy drove, Erica frowned. "Why are your hands shaking?"Debra chimed in from the backseat, "The car feels wobbly.""It's me that's wobbly." Randy's lips were white. "