Juan, concerned that Debra might misinterpret his intentions, explained, "Taking over your family business isn't a simple matter. I just...""I know what you mean," Debra interjected, a smile playing on her lips, though her eyes held no warmth. "I was just teasing you. Don't take it seriously."She was more than glad to meet those insiders. Knowing more people meant more opportunities.Juan nodded, relieved that she understood his perspective."Joe is waiting downstairs for us."He extended a hand to Debra, but she didn't take it. Instead, she said, "You go ahead. Send me the location.""Not together?""I think I'll change into something else," Debra said, gesturing to her simple attire.She hadn't even applied makeup before leaving today.Juan chuckled, his eyes sweeping over her. "You look good in anything. No need to dress up.""Can't do that," Debra insisted. "After all, I'm meeting clients. I should look presentable to complement your handsome appearance."A faint smile
Debra stood on the second floor, a slight smirk playing on her lips as she watched Hester scurry about.She hadn't expected Hester to be so eager, but it worked in her favor. It saved her the trouble of devising another plan to bring Hester out into the open.Returning to her room, Debra selected her gown for the evening. Naturally elegant, she didn't require much adornment, but tonight she intended to shine. It was time to leverage her identity as Mrs. Nichols and make a wave.An hour later, she descended the stairs, but Hester was nowhere in sight.Melody sat on the sofa, her eyes narrowing as she took in Debra's attire. "It's late. Who are you going out with, dressed like that?""Grandma, I have a business discussion with Mr. Nichols. It's almost time, so I must leave now," Debra replied, having no intention of accommodating her anymore."Debra, what's with this attitude?" Melody snapped. "Have you forgotten how you begged me when you wanted to marry Juan?"Debra paused, a sm
Hester looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief."Why aren't you going yet?" Melody added.A smile blossomed on Hester's face, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. "Thank you, Mrs. Nichols Sr."Melody watched Hester leave, her lips curling into a sneer. The Vargas family was indeed insignificant, but girls from such humble backgrounds were easy to manipulate.Since Debra didn't seem to care much about her position in the Nichols family, perhaps it was time to give her a wake-up call.Plenty of women wanted to marry into the Nichols family. Debra was replaceable....Debra arrived at the Sapphire Hotel, where Juan had reserved a table with the best view in the hall.Today, the restaurant was filled with Juan's business associates, their eyes turning to Debra as soon as she entered.She was a vision in a rose-red gown, her long, curled hair cascading to one side. When Juan saw her, his thoughts drifted back to the land auction, where he had first realized how stunning she looked wi
Outside the Sapphire Hotel, Leanna escorted Shelia inside."Come, have a seat," she said, finding a spot not far from where Juan was seated.Debra, hearing Leanna's voice, spoke to Juan. "I'm going to the restroom. I'll be back soon.""Okay," Juan replied, his eyes following her as she stood up and walked away.Leanna leaned in, her voice reassuring as she spoke to Shelia. "Today's gathering must have been overwhelming for you, right? You're just an intern. It's tough for you to join us for drinks." Despite her comforting tone, she kept a keen eye on Shelia's expression.Ever since Shelia entered the restaurant, her eyes had been scanning the hall, searching for Juan.It didn't take long for her to spot him, seated amidst a group of business bosses in the center of the room. A glint appeared in Shelia's eyes.These days, no matter what she did, she couldn't get through to Juan. Even Joe had stopped answering her calls. If Leanna hadn't mentioned the Sapphire Hotel often housed
Debra emerged from the restroom, her gaze sweeping over the tense scene before her."What happened? I stepped away for a moment, and everyone's on edge?" she asked, her eyes landing on Shelia.Shelia turned around, her expression souring as soon as she saw Debra.Debra was dressed to impress, exuding an air of grace that made Shelia's attire seem tacky and out of place. Shelia looked more like a nightclub girl trying too hard, lacking the refinement of a true socialite.Debra had always questioned Juan's taste in women. Shelia's looks were unremarkable, her figure nothing special. Her only redeeming quality was her innocence, but tonight, she had tried to dress more maturely, which only served to overshadow that one advantage.She appeared like a nouveau riche, lacking any sense of sophistication."Miss Miles, you're here too.""Debra...""I prefer you call me Mrs. Nichols," Debra interrupted.Shelia looked reluctant to acknowledge Debra's identity in front of so many people.
The waiter swiftly brought a new glass for Debra, but Shelia felt offended.She knew Debra was provoking her."Shelia, have you ordered?" Leanna emerged from the restroom, her voice slicing through the tension.Shelia shook her head. "Not yet."Leanna's eyebrows furrowed in disapproval. "What's going on? You can't even handle something as simple as ordering. Forget it! I'll take care of it."Her tone carried an air of authority. The people present realized that she was not Shelia's colleague but her supervisor.Shelia blushed with embarrassment and quickly returned to her seat. Juan knew that Debra had done that on purpose to give Shelia a hard time.He whispered, "Are you upset?""No," Debra replied, shaking her wine glass. "I just don't like people touching my things."Juan smiled wryly. "I thought you might be jealous. Seems I was overthinking."Before, Debra had never arbitrarily troubled Shelia. He had thought it was jealousy driving her actions, but now it seemed Debra
Debra caught a glimpse of Hester hovering outside the door.She had dressed up in a simple white dress that accentuated her youthfulness. She was younger than Shelia, and her pure appearance was quite endearing.She seemed to possess an allure that could captivate any man even more than Shelia had.As Hester entered the room, Shelia noticed her immediately.In terms of looks, Hester surpassed Shelia. In terms of demeanor, Hester exuded the aura of a refined lady. And in age, Hester was notably younger than Shelia.At first sight, Shelia felt that Hester was trying to imitate her, but it was clear that Hester had gone beyond mere imitation."Juan, Mrs. Nichols," Hester greeted. Her entrance caused everyone to pause and wonder about her identity.Debra smiled and introduced her to everyone. "This is Hester from the Vargas family, now caring for Mrs. Nichols Sr."Hester stood aside, smiling shyly. "Juan, your grandmother was worried you might drink too much, so she sent me to chec
Juan opened the car door, helping Debra inside before sliding into the driver's seat himself.Hester hurried after them, but by the time she exited the restaurant, Juan had already sped off with Debra.She was left behind and unhappy."Some people think copying my style will impress Juan," Shelia said smugly as she emerged behind Hester.Hester straightened herself, with confusion evident in her voice. "Do I know you?"Shelia scoffed, "Don't play dumb with me. Debra once tried to catch Juan's eye by imitating me. Now, you're just a worse copycat."Just a moment ago, she had come up with an excellent plan. The position of Mrs. Nichols was hers for the taking.No one could compete with her for it, not Debra or Hester."Is that so? But I don't think Juan takes you seriously either, so there's no point bringing up the past," Hester countered, flicking her hair. "After all, you're just a poor student sponsored by him, while I am a fair lady. I would never consider you a competitor b
Debra twisted open a bottle of water and rinsed her mouth."I've heard that people who love to speed tend to get concussions. Be careful. Don't die from them in your sleep.""Don't worry. I'll live longer than you and Marion."His phone rang, and Drake sneered, "See? That's less than 20 minutes."Then he spoke into the phone. "Just bring them over."Kale hesitated. "Boss, we haven't caught them yet.""What the hell? Then why are you calling me?""We've found out his identity.""Who?"Kale revealed the answer, and Drake fell silent.Noticing his dark expression, Debra asked deliberately, "Found them? Where are they?"Drake hung up the phone, tossing the car keys to her. "It's time to close the net. Just go ahead and park the car in the garage.""Park the car? Me?" Debra blinked.Another car quickly pulled up. The driver got out and opened the car door for Drake."Kale asked me to pick you up, boss."Drake nodded and slid into the car.Debra narrowed her eyes, feeling tha
"Can it be repaired?" Debra sulked, poking her forehead with his finger. "You just wouldn't stop causing trouble for me.""It's just a car. Don't get so worked up," Debra groaned."Did you see who did it?""No.""Then how did you know the car was tampered with?""I did catch a glimpse of a shadow darting behind me. I didn't see his face, but it seemed to be a man."She pointed to the streetlight behind her, where the figure had disappeared.Drake turned to Kale, who had gotten out of the car. "Check the surveillance cameras in the area. Have our men surround the place and screen for suspicious individuals.""Understood," Kale acknowledged.Drake's gaze then flickered to the two guards. "What are you good at? You can't even catch one person.""It was me who spotted the problem," Debra chimed in. "They didn't see anything."Her words made the two guards shift uncomfortably.Drake sighed, "Forget it. Get in the car. We'll talk about it at home."The two vans pulled up, and do
Theda was implying something, and Debra probed, "I don't think so. Drake rules Orkgate, and I'm staying in his house. Who would dare to touch me?""Who knows?" Theda shrugged. "There's always someone stronger. Drake may not be the true top dog here."She stood up, smoothing out her clothes. "Robert's actions were a mistake on my part, so consider the shares as compensation. Now we're even, and I'll compete with you fairly."With that, she left with her bodyguards.Debra glanced down at the document and put it away. The purpose of the meeting was clear, but it was surprising that Theda hadn't fussed over Robert's injury.In a way, Theda was an upright opponent, but business wars needed no morals."Ma'am, are you ready to leave?" one of the bodyguards asked.Debra turned and saw them shaken. Apparently, they were afraid those two burly bodyguards might return."Let's go," Debra said calmly.Immediately, the two men flanked her and escorted her to the car. As she was about to get
Garland rushed upstairs, shouting, "Liza, you rascal. You're dead to make that call."Debra set down her knife and fork. She had been worried that Fermin was playing dumb, but now she was sure the man with them was Garland, who was simple-minded and easy to fool. That was a relief.Her phone suddenly buzzed with a message from an unknown number. She looked down and saw a message from Theda, who requested to meet her at the airport in an hour.On the second floor, Drake stormed out of his room, irritated. "Debra, can't you control your people? I don't want this racket in my house."Debra looked up to see his weary expression, realizing he had been sorting through business data all day.She replied, "Sorry about that. I'll keep them in check."At the same time, Garland's shouting rang out again. "I'll smash your phone."Noises of a scuffle ensued, which further irritated Drake.He regretted ever letting Liza and Garland stay. It was only the first day, and they were already causi
Liza slammed her hands on the table. "How could you fall for a married woman?""Liza, calm down. It's not like that," Garland tried to explain.Debra interrupted him with a sigh, "Your confession was really touching. If you had shown up a bit earlier..."Liza was shocked. "You what? That's it. I'm telling Dad.""Liza!" Garland was eager to soothe her, but she dashed upstairs.Nonchalant, Debra continued to sip her soup."How could you do this?" Garland grumbled."I was speaking the truth." Debra shrugged innocently. "Or do you have ulterior motives to ask about my daily routine?"Garland swallowed hard, knowing it was yet another test.'As Juan said, Debra is not easy to fool. And following this logic, I'd be the lovelorn third male lead, following Juan. No. I don't deserve that title.'"Mrs. Houston," Garland hesitated, "honestly, I don't have feelings for you. It's just that I have my complicated reasons."He couldn't decide whether to spill everything or keep quiet. If he
"Half true, half false.""Tell me about it.""I'm not sure about the rest, but I'm certain his feelings for you are fake," Marion asserted.Debra raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying my charm is weak? How can you be so sure?""When you love someone, you can't hide it in your eyes," Marion replied.Confession was something even he found hard to do, but Garland had been too casual about it. There was no hint of affection in his eyes. Marion figured it was just an excuse.Debra blushed under his fervent gaze. "Alright. You're an expert. No one knows love better than you do."She remembered the times before she accepted Marion's feelings. She had misunderstood his constant attention, thinking he was plotting against her.It was only later that she realized he liked her."But if Garland doesn't like me, why is he recording my every move?" Debra asked.Marion looked away. "I don't know.""You don't know, or you don't want to tell me?" Debra scrutinized him. "Are you hiding somethi
Unable to bear it, Marion broke the silence."Mr. Eaton, do you have something to say?""Actually, I am not Fermin."His confession didn't surprise them in the slightest, but their reaction surprised him.He cleared his throat. "Uh, could you at least react a little? This is getting awkward.""Oh," Debra said casually. "So, why are you suddenly telling us this?""Well," Garland started to explain, "I snuck out alone and used Fermin's identity since we're twins. The outsiders can't tell us apart, and I enjoy throwing his name around. It's embarrassing, but it's the truth. You guys are my friends, and I don't want to lie to you. Please don't rat me out, or I'm done for."Debra pressed, "So, what were you in Seamar City?""It was all for the New Age," Garland replied. "I don't have any other hobbies, but I love journalism and being a reporter."He paused and added, "I swear, I never meant you any harm. If I get caught and sent back, I'll never get out again."Debra leaned in. "T
"Yes. She rattled off the pros and cons. I didn't understand a word of it, but somehow, I managed to muddle through. The problem is, I am not the decision maker. What if she follows up and presses me?" Garland said.Juan muttered, "Her company is doing well. Why would she need to work with you?""I don't know.""Did something go wrong with her company?""I've no idea.""Is the Buchan Group targeting them?""I'm not sure."Frustrated, Juan rubbed his temples. "You had a meeting. Surely, you remember something."Garland recalled it. "Well, she said something about Theda trying to get their hands on the shares of the Nichols Group. Then she said Theda couldn't get them. In the end, she proposed to work with me to dominate overseas and Seamar City markets. I told her I'd take it back to the company for discussion, but she hit me with this thing about me being the sole decision-maker for overseas operations. I panicked and said we didn't have any assets in Seamar City. Then she drop
"Yep.""I thought you meant my company.""Not really," Garland quickly reassured her. "Even if Theda has those shares, she can't compete with you."Debra took a sip of what she thought was tea, only to realize it was Coke. She glanced at Garland, who was wolfing down his food with no regard for manners."I've heard that you have a ruthless streak and get things done efficiently," she probed. "If we join hands, dominating overseas and Seamar City markets won't be a problem. What do you think?"Garland nearly choked on the food. 'Ruthless? Efficient? That sounds more like my dad.'As for cooperation, he didn't have the authority to make that decision."What you're saying makes sense," he stammered. "Given our relationship, a partnership wouldn't be a problem. But this is a big decision. I'll need to discuss it with my dad."Noticing Debra's suspicious look, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, I'll talk to the shareholders and get my dad's approval.""I heard that your father