Chapter 20Today was the day of Debra's entrance exam. In his office, Juan glanced at the time on his computer and asked, "Has Debra gone to the exam?""Mrs. Nichols left early this morning. By now, she should have already entered the exam room," Joe replied.Juan nodded. "Did you inform the principal?""I did, but...""But what?""The principal said since Mrs. Nichols is taking the graduate entrance exam, there's no need for interference. He believes she won't pass.""Graduate exam?"Juan had thought Debra was taking the college entrance exam.He believed that Debra must be out of her mind."Let her be," Juan said indifferently.Debra could embarrass herself as she liked.Debra arrived at the exam room. She was the youngest one there, catching the examiners' attention.Most of the examinees were finance professionals nearing their thirties, some of whom Debra had seen on TV. It showed the college's reputation in finance education.Shelia lingered in the hallway of the te
Chapter 21Shelia was shocked.'What is Debra doing here?'Soon, the commotion at the door alarmed the exam invigilator. He scolded, "Which department are you from? Don't you know this is an exam room? Stay away from here."The surrounding students scattered, except for Carrie and Shelia. Carrie said, "Sir, we are junior students preparing for the postgraduate entrance exam. We want a copy of this year's paper to study."The invigilator's expression softened when he saw Shelia.After all, Shelia was sponsored by Juan. So, the invigilator handed the exam paper to her.When Shelia saw the questions on the paper, she looked troubled."It's a shame I didn't see Jordan."Carrie lowered her head in disappointment. She glanced at Shelia, who was frowning, and asked, "What's wrong?"Shelia shook her head. "The questions this year are difficult. Even if I attempt them, I can't guarantee good grades."But that also meant Debra wouldn't pass.Shelia felt somewhat relieved. Thankfully,
Chapter 22Jordan's eyes seemed to see through her.Debra's breath hitched.She indeed intentionally wrote the wrong answer to the last question.But she had calculated other questions beforehand to ensure her score exceeded the graduate pass line.After all, in the eyes of others, she had never received any financial education. If she suddenly produced remarkable results, it would surely cause controversy, and Juan would become suspicious.She wondered how Jordan found out."You peeked at my paper?" Debra said sternly. "It's forbidden to peek around in the exam room. It's cheating."Jordan found it amusing. He leaned closer to Debra and lowered his voice. "What I submitted was a blank sheet."Unfazed, Debra looked up and said, "So, you don't know the answer to any of the questions?"Jordan furrowed his brows."If so, how can you say I deliberately answered the final question wrong?" Debra said.Before Jordan could speak, Debra added, "Dude, I admit your approach to chattin
Chapter 23Debra glanced at Juan's phone.Juan rejected the call instead of answering it."If you don't have babies soon, I'll have to use extreme measures," Melody said.Juan remained silent.Melody had made her request clear a long time ago.After Melody left, Debra spoke up. "Did you call the people at the school office?""Yeah," Juan replied curtly."You told them not to give me special treatment, right?" Debra asked."What? Are you asking for my help now? Want me to pull strings to get you into Arcane Academy?"Juan snorted with disdain, "Let me tell you. Even if I get you into Arcane Academy, you won't graduate.""I just hope you won't interfere. If you make the principal remove me from the admission list, don't blame me for turning against you," Debra said sternly.Juan narrowed his eyes.This woman was getting bolder with him.Juan's phone rang again.Juan answered impatiently, "Spit.""Sir, Mrs. Nichols's grades are out."Juan sensed the staff member's hesitan
Chapter 24"How's it going?" Randy asked."She passed," Marion replied."She passed? Really?" Randy paused.He found it hard to believe. "You didn't use your connections, did you?""She got in by herself. It has nothing to do with me.""Oh my!" Randy was astonished. "Debra is quite something. But wait, wasn't her major linguistics? That's not related to this at all.""Debra is a language genius, a woman who got her master's degree at seventeen. She's not stupid."The moment Debra secured that piece of land, he sensed her determination.Things started to get more interesting.The next day, at noon, Debra leaned against the window, reading a finance book. Sophie knocked on the door, reporting, "Madam, the dressmaker and stylist are here. Is this the right time for you?""Is there something?" Debra asked."Don't you attend the family banquet tonight?"Debra frowned.There had been too much going on these days, and she almost forgot about going back to her family tonight.De
Chapter 25Rosalie, not much older than her, was alluring. After divorcing his first wife, Ralph married Rosalie, who was seen as a mistress by the Frazier family.Ralph adored Rosalie, so the others had to tolerate her.Rosalie always opposed Debra.In her last life, Debra tolerated Rosalie for Ralph's sake. But when the Frazier family went broke, Rosalie kicked Ralph out and took all his assets.This time, Debra wouldn't be lenient with this woman."Rosalie's aren't pleasant, but this is our family banquet. You've been married for a month, and Juan should have come," said a distant member of the family."Yeah, should we call him? We can wait a bit more," others echoed.Debra knew their intentions.They wanted to use this banquet to cozy up to Juan for business."If you feel awkward, may I call on your behalf? We're family after all, and Juan will meet with us sooner or later."Rosalie watched the show.Everyone in Seamar City knew Debra and Juan's marriage was based on co
Chapter 26"That's just an employee from my company, helping to choose gifts. I thought girls might pick more carefully," Juan replied, looking at Debra with affection.If she hadn't known Juan's thoughts, she might have been fooled by his gaze.Seeing their intimacy, Rosalie couldn't hide her embarrassment.She heard that Juan was dating a college girl, and everyone knew that Juan didn't like Debra."Juan is not only talented but also cares for our Debra. I feel reassured that she is with you. Her father in heaven would also be reassured. And this is a family banquet. There is no need to be so formal," Ralph said, urging Juan to take a seat.Debra held Juan's arm and whispered, "Didn't expect your acting skills to be quite good.""Likewise," Juan said indifferently.Rosalie felt uneasy, glancing at Juan and Debra from time to time, as if trying to spot any flaws."Rosalie, is there something on my face? Why do you keep looking at me?" Debra said."Mr. Nichols and you are qui
Chapter 27In her last life, Juan could have helped her, but he hadn't, merely watching from the sidelines.Thinking about it, Debra pulled her hand away from Juan's.Juan wrinkled his brows.Fortunately, no one noticed her movement.After the banquet, Juan and Debra left, hand in hand. Once outside, Debra withdrew her hand at the right moment.Juan felt uneasy.After a while, Debra spoke up. "Why did you come?""Knowing they'd make things difficult for you, why did you still come alone?"Debra paused. "I asked you.""It's Shelia's birthday today. I had to make a quick visit," Juan said."Shelia's birthday?" Debra was surprised. "Then why did you come?"Juan always seemed to prioritize Shelia.Juan frowned. "This banquet concerns the relationship between the Frazier and Nichols families. I have to come.""A grandiose excuse," Debra muttered.Juan didn't catch that. "What were you saying?"Debra didn't reply. In her last life, Juan knew it was the Frazier family's banque
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
When Debra and Marion came back, Michael quickly ended the call."You didn't check in with Hannah before leaving?" Debra asked."This trip is for work," Michael replied, closing his laptop. "Hannah was just briefing me on tomorrow's schedule."He noticed her disheveled appearance. "You guys came back so early. Guess the investigation didn't go as smoothly?""Let's just say it was a bit intense. Marion can tell you about the details," Debra said, sitting down on the couch.Marion habitually warmed up some milk for her and grabbed some pre-sliced cake from the fridge.He didn't stick around in the living room but went straight to the kitchen to boil eggs.Michael raised an eyebrow. "Feels like he doesn't quite like me."Marion heard it, his grip tightening around an egg. Then there was a cracking sound.Michael added, "My visit seems untimely. Should I move out?"But he made no move to get up.Debra took a sip of milk. "No way. I can't let you leave, especially since you're th
God knew how panicked Marion was when that guard raised his gun at Debra."I..." Debra murmured, "I couldn't find you.""That's not an excuse." Marion frowned. "Do you not trust me, or are you just used to handling everything yourself? Even if you stood there doing nothing, I could find you in a second. You shouldn't have rushed it like that.""The doors were closing, and I was worried that the guy would get away, so..." she explained."I don't care about the Illuminati. I care about you." Marion cupped her face, his tone serious. "You can't go solo like that again.""What if I do that again?" Debra looked at him.Marion pinched her cheek and muttered, "I'll break your legs so that you can't run off again."Debra slapped his hand away. "It was a special case today. I won't do it again.""Remember what you said. Don't make me worry," Marion relented, pinching her nose."By the way, what's the situation now?""I've handled it.""How?"He fell silent, but she didn't press furt
The man trembled and spilled every bit of information he knew about the Illuminati."Sounds like you're not so useful," Marion said, watching the man shiver in fear. "Everyone here is guilty. To redeem yourselves, your souls will stay in this castle."Before anyone could process his words, gunshots erupted around them. Screams filled the air. In just moments, the castle was thick with the smell of blood."You're out of your mind!" shouted the man, rushing toward the exit.But before he could get close, he was shot dead."Sir, we'll take care of the rest," said a guard."Make sure to clear all the traces," Marion ordered before leaving the castle alone.His eyes reflected the cold light of the moon. The air around him was chilling.Since the day he arrived overseas, everyone was nothing more than a dead man to him....Debra had a dream of her coming-of-age ceremony.Everyone was smiling, and everything was perfect.Suddenly, a gunshot shattered everything. The world went bl
For a moment, the castle fell silent after the gunshot. Then, more shots rang out, each one chipping away at the crowd's composure.A man, trembling, slowly raised his hands and stood up. "I'm a member of the Illuminati."Others scrambled to follow. "Me too."Within moments, nearly 70 to 80 percent of the people in the room were on their feet.The ones who stayed seated were mostly the "merchandise"—people the Illuminati had prepared. They quickly stood as well."Mr. Houston, have mercy," one of them begged. "We were just hired. We don't even know who's in charge."The men and women, who had been laughing and flirting with the wealthy elites, were now shaking in fear.Barely covered, they huddled together, terrified that Marion would kill them.Marion leaned back in his chair, glancing at the crowd. "Words don't count. Prove it."His men raised their rifles, aiming at the heads of the so-called members."I have proof," said one of them, pulling out a badge. "Here. Look. This