"I'll get it done by tomorrow noon," Marion replied."No." Andrew shook his head. "Everyone needs to be gone right after the funeral."Marion nodded. "Have Barton give me a roster. I'll make sure no one stays behind."Andrew added, "Also, I need your help gathering forces and weapons.""Don't you have weapons?""We do, but we need more. And Debra will stay with me tomorrow. Do you have a problem with that?""Can I?""No, you can't."Debra tugged at Marion's sleeve. "You'll be busy tomorrow, and I'll be safer with Andrew."Marion understood her point. "I'll leave someone to protect you.""No, you can't," Andrew insisted. "No one else stays."Marion frowned. "What are you planning?""Barton will assist you tomorrow. Come back at six in the afternoon," Andrew said. "Everything is arranged. You can go rest now."Debra chimed in, "I still don't understand."Marion cut her off. "Got it. I'll handle everything."He took Debra's hand and led her to leave.Debra asked, "Why didn
Debra wheeled Andrew into the elevator, and he pressed the B2 button.Once the elevator stopped at the second underground floor, Debra wheeled him out.She had never been to this floor before. She had expected a parking lot or a wine cellar. Surprisingly, it was an archive room filled with old filing cabinets.Each one had its numbering system, and the dust on them indicated that no one had been there for a while."Is this your intelligence station?""Yep. This used to be the intelligence database from decades ago. But it's useless now."In the digital age, old-school places were outdated. One computer could handle all the data, and no one would bother with the time-consuming task of organizing physical files anymore.Debra wheeled him forward. "Are we waiting for someone here?""Correct," Andrew replied. "Someone will be coming soon. We just need to hide and wait."He then pointed to the back of the room, where stood a row of file cabinets. "Let's go there."Once there, Andr
Firstly, Juan didn't think Claudia would want to reunite with Jeffrey.Secondly, he had long given up on the idea of a complete family.He was used to being alone, and even if the world started over, nothing would change. Jeffrey's regret could not save their family."Let's save these words for after we succeed," Juan said, leaving the study.In the hall, his men were already gathered. Jordan looked up at him."Everyone's ready. When do we leave?""Anytime, but you can't come.""What do you mean?""Only my father and I can go in. I need you to guard the outside."Jordan was unhappy. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have located the treasure. Now, do you want to burn the bridge and keep it all to yourself?""Not at all," Jeffrey interjected, walking up to Jordan and patting his shoulder. "We need you to guard the outside. It's a crucial task. I promise you'll get your share of the treasure."He paused and added, "I know you don't want to live in Andrew's shadow forever. On
Joe was about to open the iron door when Jordan spoke up. "Hold on."Joe froze, his hand still on the door.Jordan stepped forward and explained, "The residents of the place may be gone, but their security is still top-notch. If this door gets forced open, it'll trigger the alarm system and the traps inside. Things will get very tricky."He faced the scanner and input the password. Although he had deflected, his data was still in the system. This door could not stop him.Jeffrey, who had been worried about traps, finally relaxed. After all, with security like this, anyone who tried to force their way in would not end well.Once the door was open, Jordan said, "You guys should follow me. Just don't touch anything."Jeffrey raised his hand, signaling his men to follow Jordan's lead.When they finally reached the hall, everyone was amazed by what they saw. The Potter Mansion had always been mysterious because the hosts never entertained outsiders.And now? A glimpse of the family'
Jeffrey nodded. "Let them search harder. Whoever finds it will be rewarded handsomely."Joe chimed in, "Sir, you've been planning for this day for so long. A few more hours of waiting won't matter. I'll go supervise their work.""Go ahead," Jeffrey agreed.Juan wasn't surprised by their conversation. He had long suspected that Joe was Jeffrey's man.He could even guess that his memories from his past life were a result of Jeffrey's manipulation through Joe. It was probably some kind of hypnosis.Juan glanced at Jordan. Their eyes met briefly, and they understood each other's intention.Andrew spoke up, "I remember a place.""What place?" Jeffrey jerked up his head."I'm not sure if it's the right place.""Tell me. I'll decide.""There's a second basement level. When I was a kid, I wanted to go down there, but my parents and brother never let me. It's like a forbidden area. Maybe the treasure is hidden there?"Jeffrey thought for a moment. "Let's go check it out."Joe quickl
Jeffrey pushed aside Juan, eager to get to the wall.It suddenly shook, and a section of it sank back. Inside was an old, rusted elevator.His eyes lit up. He turned to Juan and exclaimed, "It's a secret passage."Without hesitation, he stepped inside.Jordan wanted to follow, but Juan winked at him. "Someone needs to stay here and guard the outside."Jordan was displeased, but he couldn't risk letting Jeffrey see any signs of trouble.Jeffrey wasn't afraid of the unknown. He rambled on, "I've been searching for so long. My efforts have finally paid off. Once we get the treasure, I'll be able to bring your mother back. Our family will never be torn apart again."Juan was unimpressed, only regarding it as a fool's talk.The elevator descended about ten meters before coming to a heavy stop.Juan felt a cold draft, and when the iron doors opened, a blinding golden light flashed. He instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes.The elevator opened into a massive underground c
Jeffrey went hysterical, shouting, "Why didn't it restart? Why?" "Because you've run out of chances," a voice suddenly came.Andrew appeared in a wheelchair pushed by Debra.Jeffrey lost it. "It's you. You're behind all this? All these years, you've been acting against me. Everyone in the Potter family deserves to die."Debra chewed over his words and looked at Andrew. The war had started even earlier than she thought.Andrew remained composed. "Those four gemstones do have some magical effect, but all the chances are already used up. Your best-laid plans are for naught.""The chances are used up?" Debra murmured, confused.She was reborn once, and Jeffrey twice. There should still be one chance left.Then something clicked in her mind. 'Andrew was reborn too?'"Nonsense!" Jeffrey glared. "You made this up to stop me from resetting everything. I won't fall for your trick.""First, you reset everything with the ring from the Osborne family," Andrew pointed out.Debra blinked
Suddenly, Debra felt her pocket growing hot, almost unbearably so.She quickly pulled out the three glowing gems.Andrew frowned at the anomaly. Jeffrey rushed over, trying to snatch the gems.The four gems, including the one Jeffrey held, glowed in unison."Give them to me!" he demanded.Juan quickly blocked him. Jeffrey shouted, "Grab the gems!"Juan didn't move, staring at him coldly.Jeffrey pulled out a gun and pointed it at Debra. Juan moved to disarm him, but a shot rang out, echoing loudly in the underground chamber.Jordan heard it from above, trying to rush down. Fermin blocked his path."Get out of my way!" Jordan shouted, trying to push past him.Fermin held his ground. "Calm down. I'm not stopping you. Since there's something good down there, we might as well go together."As Jordan hesitated, he added, "You see, Liza asked me to take care of Debra. If you can ensure her safety, I'll stay behind and let you go down alone."Jordan weighed his options before agre
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