Andrew interrupted, "Jordan, don't disturb the guests. Go back."Jordan opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. He knew better than to argue with Andrew.Erica led Debra into a guest room. The Potter family had prepared two rooms for them, but the friends had grown so close that they preferred to share a bed.As Debra looked around the room, she was struck by a sense of familiarity, as if she had been there before.Erica asked, "How do you plan to celebrate Jordan's birthday tomorrow?""We'll have the birthday party as usual, but I want to convince Jordan to accompany me to the masquerade," replied Debra.Lately, Juan had been suspicious of her connections with the McKinney Group. This birthday party could provide a good cover for her.Debra woke up early the next morning. Descending from the third floor, she saw men in suits bustling about on the first floor, their arms laden with stacks of folders.She had heard that managing the Potter family's affairs was toug
Andrew casually gestured, and the maid promptly cleared the dishes before setting a clean plate for Debra."Ms. Frazier, please feel at home," he said, taking his seat at the head of the table.Debra felt a sense of unease as the maid diligently served her food. The atmosphere grew tense with Andrew's presence, and even Jordan fell silent.She fidgeted, unnerved by the heavy air that seemed to press down on her.Andrew put down his fork and knife. "I have some matters to attend to. Jordan will show you around the garden to relax."Debra nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality.""Don't worry, I'll take care of her," Jordan assured.Andrew nodded, and his bodyguards ushered him into the elevator.Debra finally breathed a sigh of relief. She found it hard to eat when Andrew was around. Everything tasted like wax.Jordan, noticing her discomfort, tried to reassure her. "Andrew is gentle. You don't need to be so afraid."'Gentle?' She only felt a forbidding aura around him.Ever
Jordan didn't understand how this masquerade held such sway over Andrew.Debra was equally perplexed. Andrew rarely attended such events, let alone sending Jordan in his place. She wondered why Andrew had given the badge to Jordan this time and instructed him to keep his identity hidden.Erica sensed her concerns and leaned in to whisper, "Stop overthinking. We need to hurry, or we'll be late."Debra nodded, pushing her thoughts aside. There was no time to dwell on it now. Their objective was to enter the venue with Jordan's help, and that was what mattered most.Meanwhile, in his office, Juan stared thoughtfully at the badge that had been delivered earlier that day."Sir, the McKinney Group is hosting a masquerade tonight. Everyone must attend masked. It's said that Tracy will be there. Do you want to go?" Joe reported.Juan's brow furrowed as he contemplated the invitation. He had thought there were no more surprises from Tracy, but this event proved otherwise."Haven't you fo
"Come with me," Marion said, leading her toward a secluded corner.There, a makeup artist was waiting.Debra sat down in front of the mirror, watching as Marion, already in exaggerated makeup, examined his reflection. She chuckled, "Even without a mask, I wouldn't recognize you like this."Marion calmly replied, "Even if you wore a mask and even more dramatic makeup, I'd still recognize you."Debra blushed at his words, her heart fluttering slightly. The makeup artist quickly touched up her makeup and brought out her costume—a clown outfit, just as Debra had requested.As the artist worked, Debra asked, "Has Juan arrived?"Marion's expression soured at the mention of Juan. He replied nonchalantly, "I don't know."Debra turned to him, surprise etched on her face. "Don't know? If he doesn't come today, then all this acting will be for nothing."Marion shrugged, a hint of jealousy in his voice. "Whether he comes or not doesn't matter. Just knowing that the masquerade is fully book
Juan hurried towards the center of the stage, pushing through the crowd. His gaze was fixed on the clown in the middle.He was determined to expose Tracy's identity. Debra saw his aggressive look and frowned.'What's Juan up to?' she wondered."Oh no, is he planning to publicly unmask Debra?" Erica freaked out.They only wanted Juan to see Tracy at this masquerade, not to unmask Debra in front of everyone.Randy's heart raced. "Damn, isn't Juan supposed to be mature and composed? Why is he acting recklessly like this?"Debra's heart leaped to her throat as she realized the imminent danger. She couldn't just leave, not with Juan so close to exposing her secret.Suddenly, everything went dark, and she felt a strong arm envelop her. Looking up, all she saw was a refined jawline inches from her face."Come with me," Marion said with a reassuring voice.His cloak concealed her as they quietly blended into the crowd. Thus, Juan lost sight of her.Joe caught up with him and advised,
"I went to the bathroom," Debra replied.Jordan's cheeks flushed slightly, and he quickly turned away. "Let's go. There's nothing more to do here.""Alright, I'm bored too," she quickly agreed.Jordan led them to leave. Erica winked at Randy, who got the signal and left the dance floor.Just as they stepped outside, Debra's phone rang. She glanced at the caller ID and raised an eyebrow. 'That's quick,' she thought, recognizing Joe's number.Erica asked, "Is it Juan looking for you?"The mention of Juan's name caused Jordan's expression to darken. Before Debra could react, he snatched the phone from her hand. "Don't answer it!" he declared, his voice filled with annoyance."Knock it off, Jordan. Give it back," Debra said, reaching for the phone.Jordan answered the call, barking, "Debra is with me! Stop calling!"Both Debra and Erica were stunned. He hung up and handed the phone to her awkwardly.Debra took the phone, her expression dazed. She had planned to make Juan believe
Erica nudged Debra gently. "Jordan is about to cut the cake. He insists on waiting for you before doing so. Let's go down."Debra nodded in agreement. "Okay."Hand in hand, they descended the grand staircase, drawing the attention of the party attendees. The guests were all from wealthy families, their eyes following Debra with keen interest. Whispers filled the air as they speculated about her presence."Isn't this Juan's wife? Why is Jordan waiting for her?""I heard Juan and her falling out. He's found a mistress, probably getting a divorce.""Could it be that Jordan has taken a liking to her? What is he thinking?"The murmurs continued, but Jordan, delighted to see Debra, paid them no mind. He quickly made his way up the stairs and gallantly extended his hand to her."Princess, please."Debra chuckled at his childish gesture. Just as she was about to take his hand, the front door burst open. Several men in black suits stormed in, lining up with military precision. Joe walke
Erica tugged at Debra's hand, her eyes filled with worry.Debra reassured her, "I'll be back tomorrow night.""I'll wait for you at home.""Alright."As Debra started to leave, Jordan picked up a piece of cake and handed it to her."I've received your gift and blessings. The first piece of birthday cake should go to you.""Okay."Debra took the cake and headed toward the door. Jordan opened the gift box, revealing a watch inside. Joy crossed his face as he carefully put it on his wrist.Debra followed Joe out. As they walked, Joe tried to reassure her. "Madam, please don't quarrel with Mr. Nichols. He has been worried about you."Debra scoffed, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Worried about me? He should worry more about Shelia, who is in prison."She knew that Andrew had contacted the warden to ensure Shelia suffered during her incarceration. Shelia had brought this upon herself, and Debra felt no sympathy for her.After they arrived at their destination, Joe left. Debra ente
Marion looked at the bandages on the table. "Weren't you just crying from the pain a second ago?""It doesn't hurt when I remove it myself. But when you do it in front of me, I feel bad and want to cry," Debra replied.Marion didn't know what to say. He sprinkled some medicine on her wound, and she immediately felt a cool, soothing sensation."Did you used to eat candy when you were hurt?""No.""Huh?""I don't like sweet stuff. It's Drake. We used to go on missions together. He was hot-tempered and often got hurt. He didn't bother carrying any candy, so he'd always stuff it in my pocket. I didn't know if it worked or not, but it seemed to help him.""No wonder.""There you go. Just rest for now. Don't think about anything.""Alright." Debra lay down but poked her head out from under the blanket. "Aren't you curious about how I made it back?""I don't want to ask.""Why?"Everyone else had been eager to know.She noticed his frown and said, "Actually, it was..."Marion qu
At the Potter Mansion, Debra was lying by the edge of the bed.Marion woke up in the middle of the night, feeling someone holding his hand. Startled, he turned to see Debra lying beside him. For a moment, he thought he was dreaming."Debra?" he murmured.Debra slowly opened her eyes and flashed a sweet smile. "You're awake."Marion realized this wasn't a dream. Without a second thought, he pulled Debra into his arms. His sudden movement tugged at Debra's wound, causing her to gasp in pain.Marion quickly let go, his face filled with concern. "Did your wound tear? Let me see."He carefully unbuttoned Debra's top. Sure enough, there was some blood seeping from her shoulder.The wound on her shoulder had been caused by a bullet from Fermin. While it only pierced the skin, it couldn't handle any rough movements.Debra teased him, "I didn't expect the fearless Marion to be so anxious one day."Marion said seriously, "It's bad. I'll treat your wound."He got up from the bed and hur
"Alright." Debra got up from the bed.Juan added, "Give me your ring."Debra looked down at her ring and took it off.Juan said, "I'll give it back later."Debra left the room, knowing Juan didn't owe her anything anymore.Juan sat down and looked at the dim table lamp. His mind drifted to the previous night when he invited Vickie there.When she arrived, Vickie took in the surroundings and frowned. "What do you want to see me for?"Juan looked at her face, which resembled Debra's, and felt a wave of disgust. In his mind, one could replace Debra, and no one else could have that face."You've always wanted to take Debra's place, right? I'm giving you that chance," he said, tossing a set of clothes to her. "Put these on. You know how to look more like her.""What are you getting at?" Vickie asked suspiciously."Debra is dead," Juan replied. "From today on, you are her.""Really?" Vickie's face lit up with joy.She had suffered so much only for this moment."Yeah." Juan nodde
"Debra is back from the dead!" Randy screamed.Erica smacked him on the back of the head and snapped, "Look closely. She's not dead.""Not dead?" Randy pointed at Debra's face. "But her face..."Debra wiped her face with the sleeve. The grayish powder came off, revealing her bare skin."It's just makeup," she said."Almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you were..." Randy gaped.Drake's lips curled up, and he poked Debra's head. "Why didn't you wake up sooner? Wanted us to mourn you?"Debra explained, "There were spies outside. If they found out I wasn't dead, Juan would be in danger."Erica froze. "Juan? What's this got to do with him?""Let me explain later. I need to wash my face first." Debra stood up and looked around. "Where's Marion?""He passed out," Robert replied. "I used almost all my strength. It'll take him some time to wake up."Debra furrowed her brow. "Why did you hit him?""Ask him," Robert said. "He rushed to the Nichols Mansion, got into a gunfight, an
Randy exclaimed, "This is fake. Who did this? I'll tear them apart."Erica chimed in, "This news can't be true. It must be a smokescreen to confuse us."Theda looked at the ring in Robert's hand. "Could Marion's desperate actions today be because of this?"Everyone was taken aback....Jeffrey read the news. "Well done."Juan asked, "Aren't you sad about killing Vickie after training her for so long?""Dying as the daughter of the Frazier family is a blessing for her," Jeffrey replied indifferently. "Debra's body has been burned to ashes, and Vickie is no longer useful. Sacrificing her to create chaos and shake the Four Great Families was a brilliant idea."He paused and added, "Send the body to the Potter Mansion. I want them to understand that with Debra dead, their resistance is meaningless.""Got it," Juan replied, slowly retreating.In the basement, he dismissed everyone and looked at the lifeless woman in the coffin. "Once you're back, don't show up again," he whisper
William fidgeted at the sight of so many big shots in the room. Robert's presence alone sent a shiver down his spine.Earlier, when Marion was carried in on Robert's back, he didn't dare utter a sound.William cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders, trying to muster some courage.Standing on the side with Chace, Oscar spoke up. "Do we need medical equipment? I can have some brought over.""No need. This house has everything," William replied.He stepped forward and worked on loosening Marion's stiff arm. It took quite a while before he finally pried open the tightly clenched hand.Blood had pooled in Marion's palm. William let out a low whistle. "What an iron!"He pulled the bloodstained diamond ring from Marion's grasp and studied it. "That's a huge rock. Must've cost a fortune."Everyone's gaze fell on the ring."Wait... Isn't that Debra's ring?" Erica rushed inside. "Why is it covered in blood? Is she..."Drake snatched the ring from William's hand and inspected it. "
"How could this be?" Theda smiled faintly. "We just want to take our people and avoid any casualties. That's all.""If that's all, I might consider it," Jeffrey replied, looking at Marion. "But someone might not want to leave."Drake stepped forward. "We can settle the score later. Even if we don't take your life now, we will eventually."Marion knew Drake was telling him to leave. His hand, clutching the ring, was already bleeding.Drake and Robert noticed and grabbed Marion's arms."Let's go," Robert said firmly.They had to leave now. Otherwise, mutual destruction was unavoidable.But Marion refused to move.Finally, Drake said, "If you don't leave, we'll all die here. I'm not ready to die yet. Don't drag me down with you."Oscar said, "Mr. Houston, let's go. We can save Mrs. Houston another time. If we keep this up, we'll just be making useless sacrifices."Marion still held his ground.Robert frowned and struck Marion on the back of his neck."You guys talk too much,"
"I'm gonna kill you!" Marion shouted.He raised his gun and fired three shots at Jeffrey.But Jeffrey seemed to have already anticipated Marion's move. With just a quick motion, he pulled Ivan in front of him.The three bullets hit Ivan right in the heart. Ivan slowly looked down at his chest. It was only then that the pain hit him all over his body. He finally realized he was dying.He turned to look at Jeffrey. His lips parted, but no words came out. By the time he collapsed, Jeffrey's men had surrounded Marion.Marion's hand tightened around the bloodstained ring. He had come for a bloodbath. If he couldn't save Debra, he wasn't planning to leave alive.Juan spoke up. "Save your energy. No matter how much you fight, the result won't change. You might as well think about how to make your exit.""He's not leaving," Jeffrey said, turning to Marion. "Your bullets have run out, and I won't give you a chance to reload. Everyone who came here is going to die."At his command, sever
Jeffrey muttered, "A shame. She was promising."Pulling a blanket over Debra's face, he turned to Juan. "The four families will retaliate now that she's dead. Clean this up.""How?""Burn her. Suppress the news of her death. Let no word leak tonight."Without hesitation, Juan strode to the bedside, flicked open a lighter, and set the curtains ablaze. Flames crawled hungrily across the sheets, engulfing the figure beneath the blanket. Only when fire fully consumed the body did Jeffrey nod and exit....At dawn the next day, Melody's funeral procession began.Pallbearers carried the coffin through the mist-shrouded gates. The air seemed to thicken with foreboding.The first gunshot tore through a pallbearer's chest before anyone registered the danger."It's Marion Houston!" someone shouted.Marion emerged from the fog, his forces fanning out behind him. Bullets rained down as the remaining bearers collapsed. The Nichols family guards rushed forward, only to fall under crossfire