"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
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
Chapter 6Her cry pierced through the room.All eyes, including Juan's and Debra's, turned to her.In their eyes, Shelia was a rude and uncultured woman.The old gardener bent down to pick up the scattered roses and apologized profusely.Feeling the stares around her, Shelia quickly changed her attitude. "I'm sorry. I was in haste. Are you okay, sir?"Debra watched from nearby.Even though Shelia tried to fix it, it only came off as insincere.Shelia also noticed Debra beside Juan."How did she get here?" Juan frowned.Given his expression, he seemed clueless about Shelia's arrival.Debra wondered if Shelia came on her own.Debra stayed silent.This plot was different from that of her last life. Juan brought Shelia to the party, where Shelia impressed Caleb Houston. It led to a smooth path overseas and success after graduation with support from Juan and Caleb.Debra thought that Shelia would not show up this time.Yet here she was."Mr. Nichols!" Hearing the commotion,
Chapter 7Given his expression, Juan knew that this plot of land would fetch a hefty sum.Yet he chose to let Stephen have it as a favor.That was just Juan's style."I was just paying a compliment. You're reading too much into it," Debra replied.Juan furrowed his brow, assessing the sincerity of Debra's words.It made sense. Given Debra's intelligence, how could she see the future value of that land?Juan realized he was overthinking it."Hope so."Juan turned away, leading Shelia to meet other people.Shelia glanced at Debra.Debra managed to capture the hint of triumph in Shelia's eyes.She downed a glass of champagne.In the eyes of others, she was just a failed woman abandoned by her husband.Her husband left her and took another woman to meet business partners. Could anything be more of a joke than this?Debra felt disheartened. She had planned to mingle with the business elites, but with Juan gone, it became difficult.How could she approach those entrepreneurs
"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