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
The basement was gloomy and airless. Shelia had been there for only three hours, but the damp, heavy atmosphere was already chipping away at her sanity."Let me out... Let me out!" she cried, her fists pounding against the solid door.Unfortunately, the thick walls swallowed her screams, rendering them useless.After a while, the door creaked open, a sliver of harsh light slicing into the darkness. Before Shelia could even feel relief, she saw her mother.Clarissa had been tortured for days and was teetering on the edge of a breakdown. Upon seeing the pitch-black room, she recoiled in fear."No, I don't want it," she whimpered, trying to back away. But her captors showed no mercy, throwing her into the room."Ah!" Shelia jumped back, startled, as Clarissa writhed towards her.Terror gripped Shelia, and she shouted, "What are you doing? I'm pregnant with Juan's child. You can't do this to me!"Just then, Juan walked in. His sudden appearance brought a glimmer of hope to Shelia.
"Keep this under wraps," Juan instructed sternly. "No leaks allowed.""I'm afraid it won't stay hidden for long," Joe said.Melody valued her descendants above all else. Now that a woman was finally pregnant with Juan's child, she certainly wasn't about to let go of the baby.But Juan wasn't in the mood to dwell on this complication."Go get the car. I'm going to the Frazier's.""Okay."Meanwhile, news of Debra's survival was abuzz.At the Frazier family home, Rosalie was fuming. She hurled the newspaper in her hand across the room, the pages fluttering before landing under a pair of red high heels."What is Debra up to? Why stage a fake death? And she didn't even bother to let us know she was alive. Is this some kind of sick joke?" she ranted.A soft, almost amused voice responded, "Aunt Rosalie, who are you talking about?"Rosalie jumped up with a start. She whirled around to see Debra standing there."Debra..." she gasped.Debra was dressed in a wine-red gown with a whit
Ralph's face darkened with fury. "What are you suggesting? After what Debra's been through, do you still think we should sweep it under the rug and avoid divorce?"Rosalie, seemingly unaware of the storm she was stirring, pressed on. "I'm merely considering what's best for our family. What do we stand to gain by making an enemy of the Nichols family?"Her eyes flicked nervously towards Debra. "Besides, Debra suddenly decides to sell the Frazier Group to the McKinney Group without so much as a family discussion. Does she even understand the consequences? She's backing us into a corner!""Enough!" Ralph snapped, his patience wearing thin.Debra turned her gaze towards Rosalie. "So, your issue lies with me selling the company."Debra recalled her past life, how Rosalie had abandoned Ralph when their fortune ran dry, all while Juan's schemes drove the Frazier Group to the brink of bankruptcy.This time, Rosalie's concern wasn't for Debra's marital woes, but for the fear of being left
Ralph chimed in, "That's right. Mr. Nichols, your trip here is unnecessary. Debra isn't going anywhere with you.""Honey," Rosalie interjected, gently tugging at Ralph's sleeve. "Marital issues should be resolved between the couple themselves. Why are you getting involved?"She turned to Juan, a polite smile plastered on her face. "Mr. Nichols, you've come all this way to pick up our Debra at this late hour. It shows your devotion. Debra, don't be angry anymore. Just go back with Mr. Nichols."She winked at Debra, urging her to comply. Yet, Debra seemed to look right through her, feigning ignorance.Juan stepped closer to Debra, lowering himself to her level. His eyes were filled with genuine affection. "I've sent Shelia to prison."Debra met his gaze, her voice calm and collected. "Are you sharing this with me to prove something?""I know everything she did," Juan continued, eager to explain. "She killed her friend and stole her identity. My relationship with her was a mistake f
Debra glanced down at Juan's hand, her eyes flashing with defiance. "What's this, Mr. Nichols? Trying to take me away by force?"Juan remained silent for a moment, his jaw tightening. "Don't push me, Debra."Debra scoffed, undeterred. "You may be powerful, but this isn't a place for you to throw your weight about."Juan's grip on her arm tightened. "You know very well whether I dare to act up here or not. If you come with me now, we can still keep our decency."Debra coldly shook off his hand. "Sorry, that's not going to happen."Suddenly, the gate to the villa burst open, and a group of people rushed in. The commotion sent the maids scattering in panic.Rosalie hid behind Ralph, her voice a frightened whisper. "Honey, what do we do now?"Juan said, "I'll say it one more time. Come with me."Debra stood her ground, and the standoff continued.The first to crack was Rosalie, her voice shrill with panic. "Debra, I told you to go with Mr. Nichols, but you wouldn't listen. Why are
Juan was taken aback. "Grandma?"Melody swept into the room, her gaze filled with a mix of sternness and profound disappointment. She raised her hand and delivered a stinging slap to Juan's cheek."For just a woman, you put the Nichols family in danger," she chastised. "Are you even fit to be the head of this family anymore? Is this how your grandfather taught you to handle affairs? You're useless."Juan clenched his fists, but he didn't dare utter a word of protest. Melody turned her gaze to Debra, her eyes filled with disdain."I'm sorry for the trouble. Juan will never act so recklessly again. We will compensate you for your losses. But since you proposed the divorce, you won't get a share of our family fortune."Juan started, his eyes flashing with concern. "Grandma!"Debra, however, seemed unfazed by Melody's declaration. "You seem to have misunderstood, Mrs. Nichols Sr. The divorce agreement I gave Juan doesn't ask for a single penny from the Nichols family. So don't worry,