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
Michael's face was alight with joy and relief. He stepped forward, wrapping her in a tight embrace, needing to assure himself that she was real and not just a figment of his imagination.Debra gently patted his back. "I promised you'd be a top actor and a superstar. I won't go back on my word."Michael pulled away, his joy transforming into a wide smile. He knew Debra wouldn't be taken down so easily."Why?" Michael asked, with a barrage of questions filling his mind. "Why did you acquire the Frazier Group? Why summon me here? Why not announce that you're still alive?"Debra leaned back in her chair. "Didn't you always suspect I was Tracy?"Tracy was just a pseudonym she had used to conceal her identity from Juan. The world thought the president of McKinney Group was a man, but the real mastermind was her.Michael had always been more perceptive than others, already suspecting her connection to the McKinney Group. She knew he would understand the meaning of her call for a meeting
An artist like Sean, who relied more on his charm and good looks than his talent, was bound to face a reckoning sooner or later.When Debra hinted at her plans, Michael understood that she had a strategy in place. Sure enough, within just three days, Sean found himself embroiled in a massive scandal.With the Best Actor Award ceremony fast approaching, he couldn't afford any negative publicity. Nichols Entertainment did its best to contain the situation, but the tabloids were relentless.The internet exploded with salacious rumors of Sean seeking prostitutes, sleeping with fans, and even being kept by a fifty-year-old female CEO.The scandal went viral instantly, with numerous alleged victims coming forward, armed with incriminating photos and evidence that Sean couldn't refute.Three days of escalating controversy culminated in Sean being blacklisted by the industry. Panic swept through Nichols Entertainment as their prized asset became a liability overnight.Worse still, Sean f
Upon receiving the news, Juan rushed to the seaside, where the rescue team laid out a piece of clothing before him. "Sir, is this the clothing your wife was wearing?"Juan stared at the clothing, his expression momentarily blank. He recognized the dress. It was the same one Debra had been wearing in the surveillance footage on the day of the kidnapping."Yes.""We infer that your wife must have perished, and the search and rescue efforts have been halted. Please accept our condolences."After days of scouring the sea with no sign of Debra, the discovery of this piece of clothing seemed to seal her fate.Juan frowned, protesting, "Her body hasn't been found. You can't just say she's dead."Before he could say more, Joe noticed his distress and intervened. He said to the rescue team, "Thank you all for your hard work these past few days. We will prepare a small token of appreciation for you. Please take a rest now."The team members nodded and left.Juan shrugged off Joe's hand.
But Juan's dynamics didn't even come near Melody's.The affection she had shown Debra in the past was merely superficial, a means to an end.Now that Debra was presumed dead, Melody had shifted her favor to Shelia, a woman she had once disdained, solely because Shelia carried the Nichols family's heir.The hypocrisy of it all filled Juan with a profound sense of disgust, a feeling he had never associated with his family.Melody, oblivious to Juan's inner turmoil, looked up at him with a puzzled chuckle. "Juan, why are you still here? Go rest upstairs. Shelia and I will handle things here."Her dismissive attitude annoyed Juan. His voice was filled with coldness as he declared, "If you like this house so much, you can have it."With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Melody staring after him in confusion.Shelia, sensing the tension, asked tentatively, "Grandma, is Juan angry?"Melody waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry about him. He'll come back once he's co
With Debra presumed dead, he had to arrange her funeral and handle the divorce paperwork for the Nichols family once again.Juan let out a sudden laugh. It was a sound of resignation. "Alright, let's do as my grandma says."After all, his whole life seemed to be just a puppet dance orchestrated by the Nichols family.News of the grand funeral for Mrs. Nichols reached Debra's ears. The event was being held on a massive scale, almost as if to ensure that everyone in the high society circles knew about it. Invitations were sent out to industry elites, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists, each of them holding a significant position in the business world.Debra looked at the invitation in her hands, her lips curling into a sneer. Cutting off useless ties was a common tactic used by the Nichols family.It was the same in her previous life and this too."What should we do, Ms. Frazier?" Ben asked.They hadn't anticipated the Nichols family's rush to hold the funeral. If Debra were offic
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