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
On the day of the funeral, Shelia appeared in a black dress. Her belly was still flat, but she pushed it out to emphasize her pregnant state. She wanted everyone to know that she was carrying the heir to the Nichols family.Melody greeted the arriving guests with a dignified nod, but her gaze flicked anxiously around. Juan was conspicuously absent. She turned to Shelia, asking, "Where is Juan?"Shelia shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't see him this morning."Just then, Joe hurried over. "Mr. Nichols said he won't be coming today.""Not coming? That's not acceptable," Melody said unhappily.Since Juan and Debra hadn't divorced yet, they were still seen as a loving couple. It was inappropriate for him to be absent from his wife's burial.Melody ordered, "Go fetch him. Tell him it's my order. If he doesn't come today, he can forget about having me as his grandmother.""Understood." Joe quickly left.The guests whispered among themselves."Who is that woman with Melody?""
Melody furrowed her brow and chimed in, "Why didn't you come back if you were alive? Do you know how worried everyone was? And now you show up at the funeral. How thoughtless can you be?""You received the clothes retrieved by the rescue team and couldn't wait to hold the funeral. Naturally, I had to come and see for myself." Debra looked around the church, taking in the surroundings, and remarked, "It's a style I like, but unfortunately, I won't be able to enjoy it."She vividly remembered how she had tried so hard to please Melody in her past life. She had listened to Melody's every word and shown Melody with more respect than she had shown her parents.But Melody had seen her as nothing more than a tool to be used and discarded at will.When Melody found that Shelia could benefit Juan more, she welcomed Shelia into the family without a second thought, casting Debra aside like an old, unwanted toy.Like Juan, Melody had ice running through her veins.Debra turned her attention
The moment Debra stepped into the venue, camera flashlights flickered incessantly.This was more than just a news story; it was a sensation, a spectacle that would be splashed across every headline and trending on every platform. Some media outlets had even started live broadcasts. Debra surveyed the scene with cold detachment. This chaos was perfect for her purposes—a grand stage on which to blow the divorce news out of proportion.Joe sensed things were out of control and quickly pulled out his phone to alert Juan.By the time Juan arrived, the ambulance had already spirited Melody away, and Debra's people had efficiently cleared out most of the guests from the church.As Juan strode into the grand hall, his eyes immediately locked on Debra. A surge of joy propelled him forward, but before he could reach her, Shelia intercepted him."Juan, you can't go over there," Shelia exclaimed. "Melody just passed out because of her.""Move aside," he commanded, pushing past Shelia with
"Yes, madam."Ben swiftly summoned three bodyguards, who dragged the three bound kidnappers into the room, pushing them roughly in front of Juan.Juan recognized their faces, his expression turning as cold as ice. "You captured them?"Despite all his best efforts, he hadn't been able to find any trace of these kidnappers. He hadn't expected that Debra's people would have beaten him to it."I did," she replied, casting a sidelong glance at Shelia, who stood trembling, her face pale as a sheet. "Miss Miles, you're capable enough to find such skilled assassins to come after my life. I'm truly honored."Juan's gaze shifted to Shelia, his eyes filled with disbelief. "You did it?"No matter what, Shelia was a student he had sponsored. At best, she had been just a scheming girl who wouldn't have dared hire killers.Shelia quickly shook her head, her eyes wide with desperation. "No, it's not like that. Juan, let me explain.""It's her. She's the one who paid us to kill Mrs. Nichols." O
Shelia's face drained of color as the recording played. Juan's gaze sharpened, his eyes cold and accusatory as he turned to her.She trembled, rushing over to smash the recorder. She pointed at it and stammered, "This is fake. I never said any of this. Juan, don't be fooled. Debra is just jealous of me carrying your child. She's trying to drive a wedge between us."She attempted to step closer to Juan, but he held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. His voice was filled with unprecedented disgust. "Two million dollars to kill Debra, using the baby in your womb to become Mrs. Nichols... I never knew you were such a woman.""Juan..." Shelia shook her head vehemently, tears welling up in her eyes. "They're framing me; this isn't true."Debra watched with cold detachment. She knew that nothing Shelia said would convince Juan now. "I'll leave the kidnappers and the recording to you. Take your time interrogating them. You can have the recording verified by experts. Since Shelia is p
That was a line Juan had once said to Debra in her past life.Now, the tables had turned, and it was his turn to face the consequences of his actions."Let's go," Debra said, putting away her smile.Marion simply raised his hand, and his men began to retreat. Juan, unwilling to concede, tried to chase after them, but Joe swiftly blocked his path."Sir, you can't chase them. That's Marion Houston.""In Seamar City, I am the one in charge. What is Marion to me?""Caleb has handed the Houston family over to Marion. We can't afford to mess with him.""Get out of the way!"He shoved Joe aside before his gaze fell on Shelia."Juan..."Daunted by his glare, she stepped back."Take these three back and interrogate them thoroughly.""And Miss Miles?""Take her back and lock her in the basement," Juan ordered. "If my grandmother asks, just say I've arranged for her to be elsewhere.""Yes, sir.""Juan, I'm carrying your child. You can't do this to me. Let me go!" Shelia struggled d
Debra's eyes narrowed. "I get why you want to kill me, but Drake was your ally. Isn't this a bit too cruel?"Cathryn spluttered, "Drake used me like a pawn. I just want him to pay for it. Compared to the humiliation he put me through, 20 billion dollars is nothing. It can't even restore my dignity.""Dignity is something you give yourself," Debra retorted. "Drake gave you choices. You were blinded by greed.""Shut up!" Cathryn snarled. "Don't act all high and mighty with me. You think you're so pure? If you were, why did you throw yourself at Marion? At your engagement party, Erica protected you. Randy stood by you. Andrew had your back. You have Michael and Oscar supporting the McKinney Group for you. Even Juan can't forget you. With all these people loving you, why did you have to steal Marion?"Debra hadn't realized Cathryn harbored so much resentment. She let out a cold laugh. "Everything I have, I earned with my blood, sweat, and tears. Do you think Marion would love you if yo
Frederic caught Liza, who was paralyzed with fear, and pushed her toward the car.Meanwhile, Debra kicked Edgar in the chest and pinned him under her heel. "Tell me, what's in Seamar City?"She had gone to great lengths to corner Edgar, intending to have Randy keep an eye on him in Seamar City until she could return to confront him.But Edgar had fled overseas, taking Liza and Cathryn hostage in his desperation.With his thigh pierced, Edgar could barely fight back. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he spat, "What's in Seamar City? Are you seriously pretending you don't know? It's wealth beyond imagination. The kind of fortune every merchant dreams of.""What treasure?" Debra leaned in, her expression intense. "Be specific."Edgar's hand suddenly darted to his waist. In a flash, he drew a concealed dagger and slashed toward her. In reflex, Debra caught it.Frederic immediately raised his gun, only to find it hard to aim at Edgar. He was trying to use Debra as a shield."Help
"True." Drake stood up. "Get the car ready. We're going.""Yes, boss." Kale shook his head.Drake never cared about his reputation. He just needed an excuse to go.Once in the car, Kale started the engine and asked, "Boss, where are we headed?""How would I know? Didn't Cathryn tell you where she was?""No, she didn't."Silence settled in the car.Inside the abandoned factory, Edgar glanced at Liza. "Fermin hasn't shown up yet. Looks like he doesn't care about you that much."Liza retorted, "No way. He loves me the most. He'll come to save me.""Seems like we can't rely on you. I should contact Marion instead." Edgar pulled out his phone, planning to instruct Marion to leave the money in a safe spot.Suddenly, a pair of headlights penetrated the darkness, shining directly at him."See? I told you my brother would come to rescue me." Liza pointed at the black car in the distance.Quickly, a figure emerged from the car. It was Frederic, who was dressed in a sharp suit that bo
"Me?" Debra muttered.Edgar held no personal grudge against Liza. The only person he hated there was Debra.She was the only reason for his downfall."Yes, you," Edgar replied. "You're full of tricks, and I don't trust you. If you don't take her place, I won't let her go."Debra laughed, "Then don't let her go. The Eatons are not after me anyway. And a little heads-up. If I get a scratch, Marion will make you pay a heavy price."Before Edgar could respond, she continued, "Well, I can go over and take her place."Edgar's eyes narrowed, and she added, "Relax! I might be able to fend off a couple of amateurs, but against you? I wouldn't stand a chance."Edgar scoffed, "At least you're self-aware."Only then did he cut Liza loose. The marks on her skin were deep. For someone who had lived a life of luxury and privilege, the humiliation was unbearable.She glared at Edgar, eager to slap him, but the cold steel of his gun kept her rooted in place.Meanwhile, Marion sped down the de
Kale hesitated.Drake furrowed his brow. "What is it?"Kale sighed, "Miss Bernard was kidnapped by Edgar.""Oh, and what does that have to do with me? Edgar needs money, right? He wants a ransom?""Yes.""Well, he should be asking Marion for money. Marion was the one who promised to take care of Cathryn."Drake brushed it off and loosened his tie. "Go pack your things. We don't need to get involved in Cathryn's affairs. Someone else will take care of it.""But...""What is it now?""Debra has also been kidnapped.""By Edgar? Ha!""I heard it over the phone. Besides Debra, Liza has also been taken. It sounds like Edgar is demanding a ransom of one trillion dollars.""One trillion? Has he lost his mind?""Desperate people do desperate things."Inside the abandoned factory, Debra leaned against the van and took out her phone."Are you sure you don't want me to call Marion? Both of them have already made calls. What's holding you back?" she said."Shut up!" Edgar snapped.
The line went through, but the one answering the call was Kale.He warned, "Miss Bernard, I believe Mr. Lowe made himself clear. If you insist on bothering him, he'll show you no mercy."Cathryn hadn't expected this number to belong to Kale. It turned out Drake hadn't given her his number at all.But with Edgar staring at her from the side, she had to bite the bullet and try again. "Can you please let Drake take the call? I have something very important to tell him.""Mr. Lowe isn't interested," Kale refused flatly, ready to hang up.Cathryn cried out, "I've been kidnapped by Edgar. He'll kill me if I can't come up with a ransom of 20 billion dollars."But Kale was unimpressed. "Well, you're no longer engaged to Mr. Lowe. Whether it's 20 billion or 20 dollars, it has nothing to do with us."Cathryn's last hope was dashed. Edgar heard it and said, "So, you're useless now.""No. Don't kill me," Cathryn pleaded.Edgar snorted, "The Eaton family would pay 40 billion for Miss Eaton
"Not your concern," Edgar spat, pressing the gun barrel against Liza's forehead. "Call Marion and tell him to prepare the ransom. Otherwise, I'll kill her.""Go ahead," Debra said indifferently. "Cathryn and I are rivals, and I've never gotten along with Liza. Killing either of them won't affect me."Liza was pissed off. From the look on her face, Debra knew she was cursing her.Debra added, "Save your energy. Using their lives to threaten me won't work. You'd be better off making them call their families. Maybe Drake cares enough about his fiancée to pay up. As for Mr. Eaton Sr., he's old and ruthless. I'd suggest contacting her brother instead. Maybe then, you'll have a chance to walk away with the money."Liza listened with growing irritation. Undoubtedly, Debra was the devil's advocate."You make a good point," Edgar admitted, ripping the duct tape off Liza's mouth.She immediately shouted at Debra, "You shameless viper! You...""Shut up!" Edgar pressed the gun harder agains
Edgar sneered, "All three of you are in my grasp. Marion, the Eaton family, and Drake are at my mercy."Debra glanced at the stun baton in her hand, her voice calm but biting. "What makes you think that way?"She began walking toward Edgar, her every step steady and deliberate.Edgar used to be the head of the Odom family. His fighting skills were not bad.But Debra's confident demeanor made him hesitate and wonder if she could really take him on.Liza struggled, managing to bring her stiletto heel down hard on Edgar's foot. He grunted in pain and loosened his grip on her.She bolted, but Edgar quickly recovered, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her back.Debra coldly stared at him. "Let me guess. You used Cathryn to lure Liza here and then used Liza to trick me, didn't you?"Edgar snorted, "So what?"Debra laughed mockingly, "Edgar, you used to be the most powerful man in Booton, and now you've stooped to kidnapping women to survive? No dignity left?""Dignity?" Edgar sn
"How did you know?" one of the men exclaimed, reaching for the stun baton in his pocket.Debra casually touched the crest on their chests. "The logo is wrong. Be more careful with your forgeries."She turned around and raised her voice. "I'm already here, Mr. Odom. Why don't you come out with Miss Eaton? We'll have a little chat."Soon, a figure emerged from the abandoned factory. In just half a month, Edgar had become extremely haggard. His face was covered in stubble. His hair was disheveled, and his shirt was dirty.Debra clicked her tongue. "Mr. Odom, you don't look so good. Is the allowance from the McKinney Group not enough for you?"Edgar was infuriated. If it weren't for her schemes, he wouldn't be in this state.Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "How did you know it was me?""Liza, a spoiled and arrogant girl, would never apologize to me. I had people track your moves, but you got away. So, I guessed you'd come here. You need money, don't you?"Now that everything was expo