Marion's people retreated. Rosalie, her forehead beaded with sweat, clutched her chest. "That scared me to death. How could those people be so rude? Debra, you must talk to Juan. If he doesn't give up, what will we do?""Don't worry about this, Aunt Rosalie," Debra replied nonchalantly, tugging at Marion. "Come upstairs with me."Marion, typically defiant and brash, followed her like a well-trained pup. Ralph mused, "Are Marion and Debra dating each other?"Rosalie waved a dismissive hand. "Come on. Who is Marion? How could he possibly be interested in our Debra? She's now a divorced woman."Ralph countered, "So what if she's divorced? Weren't we in the same situation?""That's not the same," Rosalie argued.Debra led Marion into her room, shutting the door firmly behind them. "What brings you here?"She was certain she hadn't invited him along today."You must have given Juan the information about Shelia, right?" Marion's gaze was intense, his voice tinged with what seemed lik
"I know," Debra murmured, her mind only half-focused on the conversation.From her position in the hallway, she could see Marion in her room, his fingers tracing over the childhood photos scattered across her desk."Marion!" she called out, rushing into the room and putting the photos back.One of them caught her eye. It was her and Juan's wedding photo.Marion's eyes went cold, his voice devoid of emotion. "Even the wedding photo is framed and placed on the desk? You love him that much?""It's not like that," she stammered, struggling to find the right words.The photo was from the early days of their marriage, a time when they didn't have a proper wedding or many photos together.This single image was the only memento she had of that time. Back then, she had loved Juan, and she had cherished this photo, carefully framing it. But now, it felt like a cruel joke."It's getting late. I'll leave now," Marion said, his face an unreadable mask.He rarely showed his anger, but Debra
Rosalie scrutinized Debra's face, searching for any sign of sadness or shock, but found none. Feeling a twinge of boredom, she awkwardly said, "Well, they say Marion is cold-hearted. Since you're divorced, he can't possibly..."Debra shot a cold glance at Rosalie, and she recoiled in fear."If I remember correctly," Debra said, her tone indifferent, "you were divorced before you married Ralph. Have you forgotten how you ended up in this house?""I..." Rosalie was rendered speechless.Debra stood up. "Why should women make things difficult for other women? You should have been more mindful of your words.""You're right. I'm sorry," Rosalie conceded, stepping aside.With Debra now dominating the Frazier family, Rosalie dared not provoke her too much.Debra's lips curled in distaste. "There are things to handle at the company. I'll be leaving now. The table is dirty; please clean it up."She lazily adjusted her clothes and strode out of the house.Once Debra was gone, Rosalie gla
That would save Debra a lot of trouble.Ben's phone buzzed. He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and hastily stuffed it back into his pocket.Ben worked for Marion, and she rarely saw him this flustered."Is something wrong?""No, not really," Ben nervously replied.Debra extended her hand. "Let me see.""Madam...""Hand it over."She noticed it was his work phone, rarely used for personal calls. Something related to Marion must have caused this reaction.With sweat all over his back, Ben placed his phone in her hand.The message was from Randy, brief and to the point. [Houston family handover party tonight. Keep it from Debra.]She quickly realized the gravity of the situation. Marion had been back in the country for a while, and Caleb had announced that he would hand over the leadership of the family to Marion. But the handover party hadn't happened yet until now.Now she understood why. Marion had blocked the news to keep her in the dark."Madam, I...""Ben, rememb
Randy's gaze darted around the room as he deliberately avoided eye contact with her. Erica sensed something was amiss."Did something happen when you and Marion went abroad?""No, absolutely not. Don't overthink it, and please, don't mention it in front of Debra."Randy glanced around furtively, ensuring no one was within earshot. "Let's not talk here. Come with me."He grabbed Erica and led her out of the house. "Explain yourself, Randy. Explain right now," Erica demanded.Unbeknownst to them, Debra had overheard their exchange from the car. She rolled down the window, and Ben broke out in a cold sweat.After a moment of tense silence, he asked, "Madam, should we get out?"Debra didn't respond. Her mind raced as she processed Randy and Erica's peculiar behavior. It was evident that something had transpired between Cathryn and Marion."Let's get out.""Okay," Ben responded, swiftly exiting the vehicle and opening the door for her.Debra emerged from the car, a vision of ele
Debra's eyes dimmed.Randy covered his eyes, unable to bear witness to the impending drama. Erica, on the other hand, watched Debra anxiously.Marion spotted Debra in the crowd almost instantly, but his expression remained unchanged. Cathryn, standing elegantly by his side, noticed the shift in his attention and followed his gaze, her eyes landing on Debra.She frowned, asking, "Marion, who is she?"Marion replied indifferently, "Someone you shouldn't ask about."Marion withdrew the hand she had linked with his, leaving her staring blankly.Marion began to walk towards Debra, but she turned away and headed in the opposite direction.Unable to stop Debra, Erica rushed up to Marion. "What is going on between you and Cathryn? And you..."Marion put a hand up to interrupt her, his eyes never leaving Debra's retreating figure. "Marion!" Erica stomped her foot in frustration.Randy placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's their private matter. We shouldn't interfere."Erica wh
Cathryn's smile froze on her face. She felt awkward about Marion's slight toward her.A trio of noblewomen huddled together, their eyes following the three people as they whispered among themselves."Isn't that Mrs. Nichols? Why is she holding hands with Mr. Houston?""I always suspected their relationship was unusual. I didn't expect them to be together before she's even divorced.""Isn't Cathryn supposed to be Mr. Houston's fiancée? This is going to be interesting."...Their whispers were cut short as a few bodyguards approached them."Sorry, ladies, Mr. Houston has instructed us to ask you three to leave.""Why should we leave?" one of the ladies protested.Then she felt a cold glare from nearby. She looked over and lost her momentum at the sight of Marion. She was quickly ushered out, her companions following suit.Cathryn felt a pang of jealousy and humiliation. She walked up to Marion, her voice trembling with emotion. "Marion, Mrs. Nichols is a married woman. What you
Marion explained, "I promised to take responsibility because Shawn entrusted me with it on his deathbed. What were you thinking?"Randy stared at him, dumbfounded. "What? Entrusted on his deathbed?"He realized how bad Marion was at expressing himself.Erica huffed, "Why didn't you speak clearly? Any woman would misunderstand that."Randy, realizing the gravity of the situation, urged Marion. "You should go find Debra. If you delay any further, she might cut ties with you completely."Marion was already striding away, his figure disappearing into the crowd.Randy watched him go, muttering under his breath, "What's the point of having a mouth if you can't use it properly?"Debra slid into the backseat of her car. Ben asked, "Madam, are you going home?""Yes."Debra's phone suddenly rang. She glanced at the screen, expecting to see Marion's name, but it was Rosalie calling.She answered, and before she could utter a word, Rosalie's panicked voice filled the line."Debra, somet