"No, I'll talk," Clarissa stammered anxiously.She didn't want to die. Trembling all over, she continued, "You must promise me that if I tell you everything, you'll let me go.""I can't make that promise. But if you tell me, I'll be more lenient with you," Juan said.Clarissa's face paled, the reality of her situation sinking in like a stone. No matter what she said today, they wouldn't let her off easily.Juan looked down at the crumpled figure before him, his voice as cold as the Arctic. "Go to the police or into the black box. The choice is yours."Clarissa looked up to see his cold eyes and eventually gave in. "All of this... Everything was..."Just then, the sharp ring of the office phone sliced through the tense air.Joe answered the call. "I see."After a brief exchange, he hung up and turned to Juan. "Sir, Miss Miles is here."Juan's voice turned as cold as ice. "What is she doing here? Don't let her in."Clarissa's expression stiffened at the mention of Shelia. Jua
Shelia struggled to free herself from Joe's grip."Let go of me!" she said sternly. "None of you can touch me. I'm pregnant with Mr. Nichols' child."Her voice was steady and clear, loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. Some employees poked their heads in to watch.Juan's face darkened. The onlookers exchanged glances, realizing that Shelia's claim might hold some truth.Shelia took a step closer to Juan, her hand gently touching her still-flat belly. "Juan, this is your child, your first child. Are you really going to treat him like this?"Juan's hands clenched into fists at his sides. Clarissa, who had been cowering on the floor, immediately straightened her back.She knew that in prominent families like the Nichols, offspring were of utmost importance.If Shelia was indeed pregnant with Juan's child, her position in the family would be secured. Clarissa felt a surge of excitement replace her fear. She was about to become Juan's mother-in-law and the grandmother of the futu
Juan never let Debra know about the picture.When he pressed the shutter, he remembered being surprised by the warmth in her eyes. At that time, he didn't even like her, always maintaining a cold demeanor towards her.He rubbed his forehead, leaning back in his office chair with a sigh. 'Debra, you're not dead, right? Why won't you come back?'The sky outside was dark, and the TV in a certain room was airing a report about Debra's kidnapping. The subject of the news, however, was not missing but sitting comfortably on the sofa, quietly watching the reports.Marion placed a steaming cup of medicine on the coffee table. "You haven't fully recovered from your cold. Why did you get off the bed?"Debra looked up at him, her hands wrapping around the warm cup. "It's been three days. I guess I shouldn't have chosen the sea escape method. It would have been better to make a video to fool Juan."She and the kidnappers had concocted a plan. She would fake her death, and they would receive
Debra brushed off Marion's joke, but the next morning, Seamar City was abuzz with an astonishing rumor.Caleb had relinquished control of the entire Houston family assets to Marion, propelling him to the head of the family overnight.When Debra saw the news, she was taken aback. Caleb was a cunning and calculating man; he wouldn't surrender his power without a reason.Marion must have done something to compel Caleb to hand over the reins of the Houston family.The Houston family, despite their lower profile in recent years, still wielded significant influence in Seamar City. According to the timeline from her previous life, Marion shouldn't have been recognized as the successor for another three years.Yet, here they were, with Marion acknowledged as the heir and in control of all family assets ahead of schedule. Debra was naturally astonished.This sudden shift in power dynamics meant that the inevitable conflict between Marion and Juan was now imminent. With the recent blows fr
Shelia breathed a sigh of relief as Melody expressed her support.Hester, however, felt a growing unease gnawing at her. If Shelia gave birth to a boy in ten months and the child was confirmed to be Juan's, her own chances of winning Juan's affections would be reduced to nil.Melody turned to her and said, "Hester, prepare a room for Shelia to move into.""Yes, madam," Hester replied reluctantly.Shelia cast a smug glance at Hester. As a woman, she could see right through Hester's feelings for Juan. She wasn't about to let Hester have any opportunities to act on those feelings."Mrs. Nichols Sr.," Shelia began, "could you have someone more experienced take care of me? What if something goes wrong with the baby if a young girl like Hester looks after me?"Her request was clear, even to the most oblivious of listeners.Hester's face fell instantly, and she glanced anxiously at Melody. She couldn't bear the thought of leaving the Nichols family or Juan's side. If that happened, she
Shelia smiled triumphantly, crowing, "I'm carrying Juan's child. Even if some people wear white dresses, they still can't climb into a man's bed. They're useless."Hester trembled with rage. Shelia sauntered towards the inner room, her voice dripping with disdain. "Let me see where your room is."Hester, being the daughter of the Vargas family, had been given the best and biggest guest room when Melody brought her there. But even that paled in comparison to Debra's room.Shelia had seen it once and had decided that, sooner or later, she would make it her own. She looked down at her belly, a calculating gleam in her eyes."Baby, you need to make an effort," she cooed. "Whether I can become the hostess of the Nichols family depends on you."As the evening descended, Juan returned home to find the house completely transformed. His brow cocked as he took in the changes.Sophie, who had been urgently summoned by Melody, rushed to his side. Relief was etched on her face."Sir, you're
Melody stood up and rebuked, "What do you think you are doing? This is my house."Ralph, usually timid and eager to avoid confrontation, held his ground this time. "Debra married into your family, and Juan's actions have led to her being kidnapped. We still haven't found her. Can't I be angry? If anything happens to her, I won't let you off the hook.""This is crazy! You're going too far!" Melody clutched her chest, her breath coming in short gasps.She had been respected all her life, and this was the first time anyone had dared to speak to her in such a manner.She turned to Sophie and ordered, "Go call security and have these two thrown out."Rosalie tried to intervene, placing a restraining hand on Ralph's arm. "Honey, why are you getting so worked up?"Ralph shrugged her off and demanded, "The Nichols family must give me an explanation today."Noticing Sophie's astonishment, Melody yelled, "What are you waiting for? Get the guards here!""Yes, madam."Sophie was startled
Joe couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. It seemed as though the Nichols Group had become the target of all. In just a month, they had lost several major projects and hemorrhaged a significant amount of money.Any other company would have crumbled under the pressure."Just do as I say," Juan instructed. "Don't worry about the rest.""Understood."The news of the Fraziers causing a late-night disturbance at the Nichols' spread like wildfire, fanned by paparazzi eager to capitalize on the drama.When Debra saw the headlines in her office, her brow furrowed in concern. She hadn't anticipated Ralph falling out with the Nichols family so swiftly.Ralph had always been a cautious man, not one to act rashly without good reason."Madam, you wanted to see me?" Ben entered the office, awaiting Debra's instructions.Debra looked up from her desk. "I need to expedite the acquisition of the Frazier Group. Have the finance department draft an acquisition agreement and bring i