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
Ralph was puzzled by the unexpected arrival of a lawyer from the McKinney Group. If there was a serious issue, they should have contacted the Frazier Group directly instead of approaching him privately.He couldn't make sense of it until the lawyer pulled out a document and handed it to him. "May we come in and discuss this with you, Mr. Frazier?"With the matter at hand, Ralph had little choice but to invite the two men inside. As he opened the document, his eyes widened at the bold words centered on the page: Acquisition Agreement.His expression shifted slightly as he scanned the contents, his eyes landing on Debra's signature and the Frazier Group seal at the end."What does this mean?" Rosalie chimed in, her expression souring.She had never heard of this acquisition agreement.The lawyer interjected, "This is the agreement Ms. Frazier approved for the acquisition. It's been going through legal procedures these days. We're here to notify Mr. Frazier."Rosalie barked in ange
The room was shrouded in darkness, with not a single shard of light piercing the gloom. As the agent swung open the door, a foul stench assaulted his senses, making him recoil. The space was a mess, littered with trash and clutter, barely fit for human habitation.It was hard to believe anyone could endure such conditions for more than a minute, yet Michael had been holed up here for four interminable days."Michael. Pull yourself together," the agent commanded, stepping into the room and hauling Michael up from the floor.Michael's eyes were vacant, devoid of their usual spark."Michael, listen to me," the agent urged. "The Frazier Group has changed hands. Do you understand? You need to clean up and head to the company right now. The big boss wants to see you. Do you hear me?"Michael's voice was a raspy croak, as if he hadn't drunk any water for days. "Where is Debra? Have you found her?"The agent hesitated before delivering the harsh truth. "Ms. Frazier is dead, Michael. You
Debra's eyes narrowed at this guy she'd never heard of.Michael had kept it under wraps, proving he had never fully trusted her."Mrs. Houston," Jason said, "I'm here for Mr. Austin to negotiate. He called this shareholder vote in the name of the biggest stakeholder. He's got the right to kick it off. Any objections?"Debra plopped into the head chair. "Cut the polite crap. Everyone's here. Objections or not, this vote's happening, right? No way it's that simple.""Mrs. Houston," Jason said coolly, "today's vote's straightforward: who's better suited as the McKinney Group CEO, you or Mr. Austin? Everyone here sees what you both bring. In the past two years, you've barely shown up. Mr. Austin ran the show, held a key role, and raked in profits. He's the clear pick for CEO.""So, you're saying I suck as the boss?" Debra shot back.Michael didn't even show, sending this random assistant instead. That already pissed her off.Now this guy's veiled jabs annoyed her even more."I'm ju
Debra's heart sank.Back when she'd teamed up with Michael, she had nothing, offering him Frazier Entertainment shares to seal the deal. Later, Frazier Entertainment merged into the McKinney Group, and she handed it off to him.To keep her identity hidden, she'd tossed him more shares. With Frazier Entertainment, he'd racked up 30%.She'd thought he deserved it. For two years, he'd run the show plenty. She'd never seen this coming."Madam, you there?" Ben's voice shook.This was huge and should stay quiet. Otherwise, the company would fall into chaos.Debra's blood ran cold. She hadn't expected Michael to go so far."I'll be there soon," she said, hanging up.She turned to Marion. "Michael scooped up loose shares. He's gunning for a vote as top shareholder."Over 40% wasn't half, but it made him the biggest player. Calling a vote was his right.Debra only had 40%. If 10% of the rest sided with Michael, he could oust her."Don't sweat it," Marion said. "We'll hit it together.
That shut everyone up.If Jordan was right, Drake was gambling with his neck."That's too risky. I've gotta drag him back." Debra spun to leave.Erica grabbed her. "Jordan's guys are on it. They'll ping us if they find him. You can't go out like this and become their target.""I'm not their focus anymore," Debra said. "They'll zero in on Drake."She looked at Marion. "Get your people searching. We need his trail fast, or he's dead."Once the Illuminati squeezed the stone's location out of Drake, they'd kill him.Orkgate was now controlled by Lara. Drake had no other value for them."On it," Marion said.They split up. Erica and Randy tapped their networks."Debra, don't freak," Jordan said. "Drake is not dumb. Injured like that, he couldn't have gone far. As long as he keeps that secret, they won't kill him."Debra nodded. "Hope he doesn't do anything stupid."She should've seen it coming. A proud guy like Drake couldn't handle being down for so long.His injuries were bru
Outside their room, Drake froze mid-knock.His head was down, and his expression was hidden. Eventually, his hand dropped, and he sighed.He turned around and shuffled downstairs, leaning on the wall. He was a broken mess now, unwilling to drag them down....Debra woke up the next morning, reaching for Marion.He wasn't there. She bolted upright, threw off the covers, and ran barefoot downstairs, shouting, "Marion?"In the hall, Marion and Jordan turned as she stumbled in, still in her pajamas.Marion rushed up, slipping off his slippers for her. "What's with the panic?""I didn't see you." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thought you'd...""Any luck?" Jordan asked Kale, who'd just walked in.Kale shook his head. "Not yet.""What's up?" Debra asked, clocking everyone's grim faces."Drake's gone," Marion said. "No note, nothing. We're looking.""Did the cameras catch anything? Could it be the Illuminati...""Not them. He walked out himself.""Why the hell would he just up a
Debra jolted awake from a nightmare, her forehead slick with sweat."Still torn up about Michael?" Marion's voice came from beside her.She settled into his arms, finally feeling a little relieved. These past two months, they'd faced everything alone. She hadn't curled up with him like this in forever."It's my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't trusted Michael so much, the Eaton family wouldn't have been a mess. Mr. Eaton Sr. wouldn't have been in the hospital.""It's your fault," Marion said, patting her back. "Even without your trust, the Illuminati would've found a way in. That was their goal.""I just can't wrap my head around why Michael's one of them," she said.She'd spent all night recalling the past, from meeting Michael to building the McKinney Group with him. He was key to its success, but everything had been a lie."Maybe he was never with us," Marion said. "The Illuminati's everywhere. Didn't you check his background when you teamed up?""I..." Debra faltered.S
"We're all in it for ourselves." Michael shrugged. "Jeffery did his part for the Illuminati, so I'll cut you some slack.He pushed the teacup to Juan. "But I don't buy it that you're all-in. Following in Jeffery's footsteps sounds nice, but you killed him, which shows your ruthless nature. We need people like you. I don't care if you're Debra's mole or chasing your angle. Save your energy. It's pointless. Just do your job and back us up. I won't say a word about it.""Should I thank you for it?" Juan scoffed.He'd thought Michael was forced into it, but now he saw how naïve that was.Though young, Michael was already a core member, suggesting his connection to the Illuminati dates back a long time.Only intelligent and influential ones could enter the core circle. That meant he hadn't defected midway.Michael sat down across from him. "Don't look at me like that. We're not the same, and you know it.""When'd you turn on Debra?" Juan asked."Doesn't matter," Michael said, smilin
It was true they were both members of the Illuminati, but Fermin never signed up to be a lapdog.Back then, he'd teamed up with them for mutual gain. But the Illuminati wanted more than a partnership. They wanted the Eaton family on a leash.When Fermin didn't bite, Michael added, "I saw Miss Eaton crying her eyes out. We go way back. Should I cheer her..."Before he could finish, Fermin's knife flashed to his throat, nicking him. Blood trickled, but it was just a scratch."Stay away from her," Fermin growled. "Touch her, and I'll end you.""I'm just being nice here," Michael chuckled. "But if you're not cool with it, I'll drop it. But those terms? Think twice. We only help our own. If you keep playing your own game, that heart goes elsewhere. And trust me, you won't find another match."Fermin hated to admit it, but Michael was speaking the truth. Without the Illuminati's help, he couldn't find a match for Bert's heart.He lowered the knife. "Fine, it's a deal. Get your people
She only had Fermin and Bert left in this world.She had no mom and no real friends. She couldn't lose Bert or watch Fermin turn into this.She didn't want Debra's crew hurt either.Fermin pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry. Dad will be fine. I'll make sure of it."His promise unleashed her tears. The hospital hallway echoed with her cries.Once she calmed down, Fermin had someone take her away.A guard stepped up. "Mr. Eaton, our master is waiting ahead.""You've tailed me this whole way," Fermin said coldly. "Gonna keep it up? I don't like shadows."The guards stayed silent, just following orders. If their boss said stick to Fermin, they'd die before leaving his side."Loyal dogs to your master," Fermin scoffed, brushing past them.He walked into an empty ward. A tall figure in a white shirt stood by the window."You've really opened my eyes," he said, surprised."I'm flattered, Mr. Eaton," Michael said, turning around.His crisp white shirt had dried bloodstains. Notic
Liza rushed to the ICU upon receiving the news.A bodyguard stopped her. "Mr. Eaton said no one gets near the room and disturbs the patient's rest."Liza smacked him, and he bowed his head.Her eyes were red, her vibe darker than ever. "That's my dad in there. Why can't I go in? Move!""Mr. Eaton forbids it. Please, don't make things hard for us," the bodyguard said, stuck.No one there dared to defy her. They all knew how much Fermin doted on her."I don't care," she snapped. "Step aside, or I'll have my brother skin you alive. Let's see if you still block me."Her threat chilled him. She might be bluffing, but Fermin wouldn't."What's the ruckus?" Fermin's voice cut through."Mr. Eaton." The bodyguard bowed his head."Didn't I tell you no one gets near?" Fermin's tone dripped danger.Coming with him was a group of elite guards. The bodyguard was daunted by their aura.Liza stepped forward. "Dad is in a bad condition. Why wouldn't you let me see him? Does this have anythin