Chapter 30If it weren't for Rosalie suspecting Debra, plus the disappearance of two billion dollars, he wouldn't have made this call.After Ralph hung up the phone, Debra couldn't help but sneer.She didn't expect Rosalie to covet her father's legacy so early. At the slightest suspicion, Rosalie urged Ralph to check her bank accounts.Apparently, this was premeditated.Debra called the bank, and a receptionist answered the call. "Ms. Frazier, how can I help you?""I want to transfer my assets to another account.""Okay, we'll assign a specialist to assist you.""If anyone from my family inquires about my assets, please ask for my permission first," Debra reminded her."Understood, Ms. Frazier."Debra hung up the phone.That piece of land cost her two billion dollars, and there wasn't much left in her bank account. Her father's inheritance had been stored in this account, known only to Ralph.She didn't expect Ralph to tell Rosalie about such an important matter.It showed
Marion splurged on the apartment, and the price was high because it wasn't just in any school district. It was around an elite school.With those thoughts in mind, Randy shot a sharp glance at Marion in the rearview mirror."What were you saying?" Debra didn't catch it.Marion chimed in, "He said it's fine, not too pricey."Suddenly, the car made a sharp turn and stopped. The inertia threw her into a pair of broad arms, and then a steady voice sounded from above her."Randy, easy on the speed!""Got it!"Inwardly, he grumbled, 'Romance over bromance!'The car stopped outside a high-end complex across from Arcane Academy. Marion handed an electronic card to Debra. "Your personal information is already recorded. Just swipe it to enter and exit. This complex is highly private. Most residents here are prominent figures, and you can expand your friend circle."Debra glanced at the complex.When she had decided to come to Arcane Academy, she had considered renting here.To describ
Debra arrived at the school in the afternoon for registration. Though dressed casually, she still caught everyone's eye."Wow, she's pretty. Is she a freshman?""Have you seen her before? Is she even from our school?""I think I saw her during the entrance exam. Must be a freshman."Whispers followed Debra as she walked through the campus.A handsome guy approached her. "Hey, are you new here?"Debra nodded. "Sort of.""Need help finding your dorm? Want me to take you there?""No need, I'm a day student.""Alright, how about I take you to registration? I'm a junior, and Building #1 is for freshmen.""Actually, I'm going to Building #2.""Building #2?" the boy repeated, puzzled."Exactly!" Debra confirmed."But isn't that for graduate students?" the boy asked wonderingly.He scrutinized Debra, who looked like any other young woman in her early twenties. He couldn't imagine her among those older, more serious graduate students. After all, it normally took at least three to
'With her looks, she could go anywhere. Why did she have to come to Arcane Academy's finance department?' Wendy thought.She said to Shelia, "I think she's here to compete with you, trying to steal your boyfriend."Shelia turned pale, her mind elsewhere.Debra's arrival meant a risk of her lies being exposed."Shelia? What's wrong?" Carrie waved a hand in front of Shelia's eyes.Shelia snapped out of it. "I-I'm fine. I suddenly feel unwell, so I won't go to class this afternoon."On her bed, Shelia pondered how Debra managed to get into Arcane Academy.'Could it be that Debra didn't rely on Juan but paid her way into Arcane Academy?'The thought made Shelia clutch her blanket, a surge of anger coursing through her.Years of hard work secured Shelia's place at Arcane Academy. But for some, wealth paved the way to dreams she'd toiled for. She couldn't accept it.After everyone left the dorm, she called Juan, who answered after a while.Before this, no matter how busy he was,
But now...Shelia wondered if Debra was the reason for this change.But as far as she remembered, Juan hated Debra."No, I cannot let her steal Juan away. Absolutely not!"...Debra arrived early in the classroom. There weren't many graduate students; there was just one class each year in the Finance Department.These people were either wealthy or exceptionally intelligent.Debra sat in the back row, intending to keep a low profile. If this were found out, Melody would surely cause a scene here at school.Suddenly, the classroom door burst open.Several boys sitting in the front frowned, ready to complain. But upon seeing who entered, they all fell silent.Debra raised her head and looked over.There stood Jordan in casual sportswear, looking relaxed and carefree.Debra furrowed her brow, wondering what he was doing there.As far as she remembered, Jordan had turned in a blank exam paper.The dean of students greeted Jordan politely, "Mr. Jordan Potter, you can sit in the
In response to Jordan's meaningful smile, Debra replied indifferently, "No."Jordan was surprised. "You don't want to know?""Not interested."No matter who the professor was, she just needed to behave and graduate smoothly."Do you know who I am?""Mr. Jordan Potter, as the dean just mentioned.""Yet you dare to speak to me like this?"Debra turned her head, looking seriously at Jordan. "Well, we're in class right now."Jordan scrutinized her, about to approach and continue the conversation, when Randy pushed up his glasses and pointed at Jordan from the podium.Randy felt obliged to protect the woman favored by his buddy.Jordan frowned, but surprisingly, didn't get angry at Randy.Everyone tacitly understood. Arcane Academy, known for its elite student body, employed influential figures like Randy to manage these privileged students where ordinary professors failed.Randy was backed by Marion.Marion seemed to have no influence there, but since Caleb acknowledged his id
"Don't worry, I've got it under control. Thanks anyway," said Debra, adjusting her backpack and leaving the classroom.Randy was right. She had deliberately approached Jordan.Everyone knew how ruthless Andrew was, but few knew that Jordan would become someone even more formidable. Making friends with Jordan early on would pave the way to her future success.But Jordan was different from others. He abhorred flattery and forced friendliness.In essence, Jordan was like Juan. She had tried so hard to please Juan, only to be despised by him.But if she ignored them, they would pursue her relentlessly.So, Debra took another path to avoid meeting Jordan.As dusk fell, Debra woke up feeling groggy, only to discover it was pouring outside.Being prone to illness since childhood, rainy days always triggered a fever.Preparing to buy medicine, she noticed a note on the bedside cabinet, detailing the medications inside.Opening the drawer, she found cold, fever, and pain relief medici
Jordan frowned, turning to see Juan holding an umbrella.Apart from his brother, few in Seamar City had such a presence."Juan?" Jordan snorted. "Why should I listen to you?""Because I'm her husband," Juan replied, his deep eyes carrying a dangerous edge.Jordan froze in place.Juan tossed the umbrella aside and took Debra from Jordan's arms. Joe raised an umbrella and followed Juan closely.Jordan remained dazed.He couldn't believe Debra was Juan's wife.In the hospital room, Debra stirred awake to the same gloomy, rainy weather outside.She vaguely remembered being stopped by Jordan at the entrance of Building #2 but had no idea what happened afterward.Debra struggled to sit up and saw Juan sleeping on his hand."Ms. Frazier, you're awake." Joe entered the room with a briefcase.Juan opened his eyes and saw Debra awake on the bed.Debra looked at his tired face, asking, "You brought me to this hospital?"Juan didn't respond to her question. Joe took out a laptop from
It was late at night.Inside the church, soft light filtered through the colored glass, casting a shadow that stretched long and unnerving.Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the vast space. A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask entered."Didn't get the job done, and you're still here to face me?" The bishop's voice was low and ominous.The young man was unfazed. "Debra and Marion are keeping Drake well protected. We had no chance to move. The Potter family guards escorted him the whole way from the airport. We couldn't act."The bishop paused, his fingers tightening around the ring in his hand."The Potter family?" he muttered, "Without Andrew leading them, they're just a bunch of misfits.""It's not so easy to remove Andrew," replied the young man. "Rumor has it that he was crippled in a kidnapping incident, but he's still walking. And another rumor said he was dying, but he's still kicking and alive.""The Four Great Families only have one person like that.
Fermin's men aimed their rifles at Bert.Fermin led Liza downstairs and casually said, "Be careful. Don't let anything go off by accident. The old man's too frail for this.""Fermin..." Liza's face went pale.She knew Fermin wouldn't harm their father, but at that moment, her heart still twisted with worry.Outside, a luxury car pulled up. Fermin raised his hand and ordered, "Fall back."His men quickly withdrew from the property.Bert stood there, barely able to keep himself upright. The butler immediately stepped forward to support him. "Sir, stay strong.""That bastard pointed a gun at me." Bert's words were cut off by a sudden surge of something in his throat.The next second, blood gushed from his mouth.The butler was alarmed. "Sir!"Outside, Liza looked back at the house, worried about Bert.He was too old to handle such a shock.Fermin brushed it off. "Don't worry about him. Get in the car."Liza reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.She'd try to talk to Fermin w
Bert's face darkened as a loud noise echoed from outside the basement.A group of masked men had blown open the basement door.Fermin's shackles were quickly removed, and then he vanished from the surveillance footage.On the second floor, Bert had instructed that Liza be kept under guard to stop her from running around.Sitting on the bed, Liza was worried about Fermin when a sudden loud noise came from outside."Who's there?" She turned pale from fear.When she got up to check, she saw Fermin standing at the door.He had changed into a black shirt, and his face was no longer the mess it had been the day before. Even his stubble had been neatly groomed.He opened his arms with a smile, "Come here.""Fermin." Liza rushed into his arms, hugging him. "Did Dad let you out?"Fermin playfully ruffled her hair. "He didn't let you out, but you still managed to sneak down to the basement. Weren't you afraid of his punishment?""I was worried about you," Liza replied, but her express
Late into the night, Debra leaned against the head of the bed, waiting for Marion to come back after washing his hands.But then, the showering sound echoed from the bathroom.After a while, he walked out. His hair was still damp, and the bathrobe hung loosely on him, revealing his toned muscles and perfect V-shaped lines.The dim light from the bedside lamp reminded Debra of the banquet earlier.Her face flushed. She instinctively reached for the light switch to break the mood, but Marion grabbed her wrist.His palm was warm, and under the soft light, there was a glint of desire in his deep eyes."I'm clean," he croaked, having washed off the scent of blood.In fact, before leaving the castle, he had already changed into a new jacket, worried that Debra might catch the disgusting smell of blood."Alright," she said shyly, a bit overwhelmed by his strong desire.Marion smelled faintly fresh. Different from his usual tobacco, this scent was clean and pure."Don't hurt yourself
"See you around," Michael said, smiling at Marion.His action got under Marion's skin. Taking a deep breath, Marion turned off the stove and took the eggs out.Debra glanced at him. "You seem hostile to Michael.""He's not worth my time," Marion replied flatly, peeling the eggs.Then he walked over to her and gently pressed the egg against her injured spot."This will help reduce the swelling. You went too hard on yourself. It's gonna hurt tomorrow.""Michael was just messing around. Don't be fooled by his innocent look. He's got a mischievous side. I think he just wanted to see if you cared about me. He wasn't trying to provoke you."Marion hummed in response, seemingly unbothered by it.He looked down at the bruise and sighed, "He wasn't wrong about one thing.""What is it?""I failed to take good care of you.""That was my doing. It wasn't your fault.""My job is to protect you. I can't let you get hurt even in the slightest." Marion pinched her nose. "I'll carry you to
When Debra and Marion came back, Michael quickly ended the call."You didn't check in with Hannah before leaving?" Debra asked."This trip is for work," Michael replied, closing his laptop. "Hannah was just briefing me on tomorrow's schedule."He noticed her disheveled appearance. "You guys came back so early. Guess the investigation didn't go as smoothly?""Let's just say it was a bit intense. Marion can tell you about the details," Debra said, sitting down on the couch.Marion habitually warmed up some milk for her and grabbed some pre-sliced cake from the fridge.He didn't stick around in the living room but went straight to the kitchen to boil eggs.Michael raised an eyebrow. "Feels like he doesn't quite like me."Marion heard it, his grip tightening around an egg. Then there was a cracking sound.Michael added, "My visit seems untimely. Should I move out?"But he made no move to get up.Debra took a sip of milk. "No way. I can't let you leave, especially since you're th
God knew how panicked Marion was when that guard raised his gun at Debra."I..." Debra murmured, "I couldn't find you.""That's not an excuse." Marion frowned. "Do you not trust me, or are you just used to handling everything yourself? Even if you stood there doing nothing, I could find you in a second. You shouldn't have rushed it like that.""The doors were closing, and I was worried that the guy would get away, so..." she explained."I don't care about the Illuminati. I care about you." Marion cupped her face, his tone serious. "You can't go solo like that again.""What if I do that again?" Debra looked at him.Marion pinched her cheek and muttered, "I'll break your legs so that you can't run off again."Debra slapped his hand away. "It was a special case today. I won't do it again.""Remember what you said. Don't make me worry," Marion relented, pinching her nose."By the way, what's the situation now?""I've handled it.""How?"He fell silent, but she didn't press furt
The man trembled and spilled every bit of information he knew about the Illuminati."Sounds like you're not so useful," Marion said, watching the man shiver in fear. "Everyone here is guilty. To redeem yourselves, your souls will stay in this castle."Before anyone could process his words, gunshots erupted around them. Screams filled the air. In just moments, the castle was thick with the smell of blood."You're out of your mind!" shouted the man, rushing toward the exit.But before he could get close, he was shot dead."Sir, we'll take care of the rest," said a guard."Make sure to clear all the traces," Marion ordered before leaving the castle alone.His eyes reflected the cold light of the moon. The air around him was chilling.Since the day he arrived overseas, everyone was nothing more than a dead man to him....Debra had a dream of her coming-of-age ceremony.Everyone was smiling, and everything was perfect.Suddenly, a gunshot shattered everything. The world went bl
For a moment, the castle fell silent after the gunshot. Then, more shots rang out, each one chipping away at the crowd's composure.A man, trembling, slowly raised his hands and stood up. "I'm a member of the Illuminati."Others scrambled to follow. "Me too."Within moments, nearly 70 to 80 percent of the people in the room were on their feet.The ones who stayed seated were mostly the "merchandise"—people the Illuminati had prepared. They quickly stood as well."Mr. Houston, have mercy," one of them begged. "We were just hired. We don't even know who's in charge."The men and women, who had been laughing and flirting with the wealthy elites, were now shaking in fear.Barely covered, they huddled together, terrified that Marion would kill them.Marion leaned back in his chair, glancing at the crowd. "Words don't count. Prove it."His men raised their rifles, aiming at the heads of the so-called members."I have proof," said one of them, pulling out a badge. "Here. Look. This