Debra stared at the mountain of debt, her eyes widening as she took in the staggering figures. What had started as a few thousand had snowballed into hundreds of thousands, then millions, and finally tens of millions.Each page was a huge debt, a testament to Ralph's desperation. She could almost see him, hunched over a desk, signing away his soul one IOU at a time. These debts had been accumulating for four years.She looked up at Andrew. "You knew about these all along?""I had a rough idea.""So, you also know who reported me?"Andrew remained silent, but his eyes spoke volumes. Debra understood immediately. Who else could it be?In her past life, she had been a housewife, uninvolved in the Frazier family's business. Ralph had no reason to resent her.But in this life, she had taken control, changing the status quo and threatening Ralph's power. With the Frazier Group now under the McKinney Group's umbrella, an accounting of the past years' books was inevitable.The shortfal
"Wait!" Debra tried to stop the bodyguard, but he had disappeared in a flash.She was at a loss for what to do.In his wheelchair, Andrew was gasping for breath. Debra hurried over and asked anxiously, "What should I do now? Is there anything I can do for you?""Just stand there.""Stand here?""Just stand there," Andrew said weakly.Debra knew that her standing there without causing trouble was likely the best course of action. But Andrew had helped her so many times. She couldn't simply stand by while he was suffering.Recalling how nurses at the hospital took care of patients during asthma attacks, Debra quickly sprang into action."Wait here.""Ms. Frazier."Andrew tried to stop her, but Debra was already off like a rocket.Andrew coughed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Debra rushed to the windows, throwing them open to allow fresh air to circulate. She then dashed to the bathroom, grabbed a warm towel, and hurried back to Andrew's side."You have asthma, right? Tak
Andrew cast a glance at the bodyguard, who immediately stepped in front of Debra, his voice firm yet respectful. "Ms. Frazier, please wait outside.""Okay." Debra nodded, a hint of concern in her eyes as she glanced at Andrew.Once outside, she turned to the bodyguard and asked, "Is his asthma very serious?""Asthma?""Yes, wasn't he having an asthma attack just now?""Mr. Andrew Potter often coughs up blood and sometimes has trouble breathing, but he never has asthma.""Not asthma?" Debra paused, recalling Andrew's hesitance earlier. "If he doesn't have asthma, what would happen if he took asthma medication?""What?"The bodyguard looked at her, not understanding the implications of her question. Debra's gaze shifted back to Andrew, who was patiently answering the doctor's questions.Once the doctor finished his examination, Debra stepped back into the room. "Mr. Andrew Potter, if you don't have asthma, why did you take that medicine?""Who told you that?"Debra's gaze flic
"Authorities? Which one? I'll go find them," Juan demanded.In Seamar City, there wasn't a soul Juan didn't know or couldn't influence.Pedro, already flustered from the recent events, felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple.Ever since Debra had been imprisoned, his life had been a whirlwind of stress. He had just managed to deal with Erica, and now Juan was here, demanding answers he couldn't give."Mr. Nichols, don't worry," Pedro said, attempting to reassure him. "Ms. Frazier is very safe with us. There won't be any mistakes. We'll finish the process soon and release her."Juan cut him off sharply. "I'm asking who the authorities are."Pedro squirmed under Juan's intense gaze, sweat pouring down his face. He stepped closer to Juan and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Mr. Nichols, you know the person. Mrs. Nichols has been bailed out, so please make things difficult for me."Debra had already left, yet people kept asking him. Being a police chief was not that easy."Is
Debra, who had been observing from the sidelines, felt a sudden surge of nervousness.The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening, and she couldn't help but wonder how Juan would react to the news of her death.She had expected him to be pleased, as her demise would allow Shelia to legitimately take her place as Mrs. Nichols.As if on cue, Shelia's sweet voice filtered through the phone. "Juan, whose call was that?"The line disconnected, leaving Debra with a bitter taste in her mouth. Even if Juan knew she had died, he wouldn't show an ounce of emotion. Shelia was his true love, after all.As Debra prepared to leave this eerie dream, she was suddenly jolted by the sound of the doctor's angry voice. "Who moved the type A blood? Didn't you check beforehand? Do you even know who's lying here?"Debra's eyes fluttered open to find the doctor fuming. She looked down at her lifeless body, the baby she had been carrying now lost forever.She was Mrs. Nichols, and the child
"Alright, please wait here for a moment," said the nurse, leaving Shelia alone in the morgue.Shelia stepped forward and lifted the white cloth, revealing the lifeless body beneath. Debra's face was bloodless, with dark circles beneath her eyes. It was a far cry from the refined lady she used to be.Debra looked at her body with a wry smile. In her previous life, she had tortured herself for Juan, ending up in such a miserable state. It seemed all for nothing."Debra, don't blame me for this. Only by your death can I take the position of Mrs. Nichols," Shelia murmured, slipping the ring off the corpse's finger for a closer look.Debra remembered that ring. It was given to her by Melody after she got pregnant. Melody had said she was the only hostess of the Nichols family. Now, it all seemed like a cruel joke."I didn't expect Juan to give you the heirloom ring," Shelia mused, slipping the ring onto her own finger. "But it doesn't matter. From today on, this ring belongs to me."D
"Is Mr. Andrew Potter up?" Debra asked."Yes," the maid replied. "Do you want to meet him?""It's time for me to leave," Debra said, her grip tightening on the envelope in her hand.She held evidence of Ralph's crimes, and she could leave at any moment. But exposing Ralph would mean sending him to prison.Across town, Ralph had just risen from bed when he heard a knock at the door. The maid hurried to open it and was startled to see Debra standing outside."M-Ms. Frazier?"Ralph came downstairs, asking, "Who's it?"When he saw Debra at the door, his expression froze for a moment before he quickly composed himself. He hurried over to her, his face a mask of concern. "Debra, how did you get out? What happened? Did the police clear everything up?"Debra didn't answer any of his questions. Instead, she smiled faintly and said, "Uncle Ralph, you really care about me.""Of course. You're the only child of my elder brother. How could I not care?" he sighed. "I don't know who framed u
"You tell me, Uncle Ralph," Debra said, gesturing to the documents laid out on the table.Ralph reached for the papers with a trembling hand, his eyes scanning the first page. Soon enough, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.Debra watched him, her expression impassive, as she suppressed the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "You're my uncle, and I never imagined it was you."Ralph looked up at her, his aged face streaked with tears and cold sweat. "I had no choice. If I can't repay that money, they'll break my arms and legs, and I'll be dead.""So, you set me up?" Debra laughed coldly. "You should know, with charges like embezzlement and bribery, I'd spend the rest of my life in prison. But you still did this."Ralph's breath hitched, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I never wanted to harm you, but you were restless, insisting on divorcing Juan and running the Frazier family."He paused and added, "You don't know what my life was like. It was only af
Debra's eyes narrowed at this guy she'd never heard of.Michael had kept it under wraps, proving he had never fully trusted her."Mrs. Houston," Jason said, "I'm here for Mr. Austin to negotiate. He called this shareholder vote in the name of the biggest stakeholder. He's got the right to kick it off. Any objections?"Debra plopped into the head chair. "Cut the polite crap. Everyone's here. Objections or not, this vote's happening, right? No way it's that simple.""Mrs. Houston," Jason said coolly, "today's vote's straightforward: who's better suited as the McKinney Group CEO, you or Mr. Austin? Everyone here sees what you both bring. In the past two years, you've barely shown up. Mr. Austin ran the show, held a key role, and raked in profits. He's the clear pick for CEO.""So, you're saying I suck as the boss?" Debra shot back.Michael didn't even show, sending this random assistant instead. That already pissed her off.Now this guy's veiled jabs annoyed her even more."I'm ju
Debra's heart sank.Back when she'd teamed up with Michael, she had nothing, offering him Frazier Entertainment shares to seal the deal. Later, Frazier Entertainment merged into the McKinney Group, and she handed it off to him.To keep her identity hidden, she'd tossed him more shares. With Frazier Entertainment, he'd racked up 30%.She'd thought he deserved it. For two years, he'd run the show plenty. She'd never seen this coming."Madam, you there?" Ben's voice shook.This was huge and should stay quiet. Otherwise, the company would fall into chaos.Debra's blood ran cold. She hadn't expected Michael to go so far."I'll be there soon," she said, hanging up.She turned to Marion. "Michael scooped up loose shares. He's gunning for a vote as top shareholder."Over 40% wasn't half, but it made him the biggest player. Calling a vote was his right.Debra only had 40%. If 10% of the rest sided with Michael, he could oust her."Don't sweat it," Marion said. "We'll hit it together.
That shut everyone up.If Jordan was right, Drake was gambling with his neck."That's too risky. I've gotta drag him back." Debra spun to leave.Erica grabbed her. "Jordan's guys are on it. They'll ping us if they find him. You can't go out like this and become their target.""I'm not their focus anymore," Debra said. "They'll zero in on Drake."She looked at Marion. "Get your people searching. We need his trail fast, or he's dead."Once the Illuminati squeezed the stone's location out of Drake, they'd kill him.Orkgate was now controlled by Lara. Drake had no other value for them."On it," Marion said.They split up. Erica and Randy tapped their networks."Debra, don't freak," Jordan said. "Drake is not dumb. Injured like that, he couldn't have gone far. As long as he keeps that secret, they won't kill him."Debra nodded. "Hope he doesn't do anything stupid."She should've seen it coming. A proud guy like Drake couldn't handle being down for so long.His injuries were bru
Outside their room, Drake froze mid-knock.His head was down, and his expression was hidden. Eventually, his hand dropped, and he sighed.He turned around and shuffled downstairs, leaning on the wall. He was a broken mess now, unwilling to drag them down....Debra woke up the next morning, reaching for Marion.He wasn't there. She bolted upright, threw off the covers, and ran barefoot downstairs, shouting, "Marion?"In the hall, Marion and Jordan turned as she stumbled in, still in her pajamas.Marion rushed up, slipping off his slippers for her. "What's with the panic?""I didn't see you." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thought you'd...""Any luck?" Jordan asked Kale, who'd just walked in.Kale shook his head. "Not yet.""What's up?" Debra asked, clocking everyone's grim faces."Drake's gone," Marion said. "No note, nothing. We're looking.""Did the cameras catch anything? Could it be the Illuminati...""Not them. He walked out himself.""Why the hell would he just up a
Debra jolted awake from a nightmare, her forehead slick with sweat."Still torn up about Michael?" Marion's voice came from beside her.She settled into his arms, finally feeling a little relieved. These past two months, they'd faced everything alone. She hadn't curled up with him like this in forever."It's my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't trusted Michael so much, the Eaton family wouldn't have been a mess. Mr. Eaton Sr. wouldn't have been in the hospital.""It's your fault," Marion said, patting her back. "Even without your trust, the Illuminati would've found a way in. That was their goal.""I just can't wrap my head around why Michael's one of them," she said.She'd spent all night recalling the past, from meeting Michael to building the McKinney Group with him. He was key to its success, but everything had been a lie."Maybe he was never with us," Marion said. "The Illuminati's everywhere. Didn't you check his background when you teamed up?""I..." Debra faltered.S
"We're all in it for ourselves." Michael shrugged. "Jeffery did his part for the Illuminati, so I'll cut you some slack.He pushed the teacup to Juan. "But I don't buy it that you're all-in. Following in Jeffery's footsteps sounds nice, but you killed him, which shows your ruthless nature. We need people like you. I don't care if you're Debra's mole or chasing your angle. Save your energy. It's pointless. Just do your job and back us up. I won't say a word about it.""Should I thank you for it?" Juan scoffed.He'd thought Michael was forced into it, but now he saw how naïve that was.Though young, Michael was already a core member, suggesting his connection to the Illuminati dates back a long time.Only intelligent and influential ones could enter the core circle. That meant he hadn't defected midway.Michael sat down across from him. "Don't look at me like that. We're not the same, and you know it.""When'd you turn on Debra?" Juan asked."Doesn't matter," Michael said, smilin
It was true they were both members of the Illuminati, but Fermin never signed up to be a lapdog.Back then, he'd teamed up with them for mutual gain. But the Illuminati wanted more than a partnership. They wanted the Eaton family on a leash.When Fermin didn't bite, Michael added, "I saw Miss Eaton crying her eyes out. We go way back. Should I cheer her..."Before he could finish, Fermin's knife flashed to his throat, nicking him. Blood trickled, but it was just a scratch."Stay away from her," Fermin growled. "Touch her, and I'll end you.""I'm just being nice here," Michael chuckled. "But if you're not cool with it, I'll drop it. But those terms? Think twice. We only help our own. If you keep playing your own game, that heart goes elsewhere. And trust me, you won't find another match."Fermin hated to admit it, but Michael was speaking the truth. Without the Illuminati's help, he couldn't find a match for Bert's heart.He lowered the knife. "Fine, it's a deal. Get your people
She only had Fermin and Bert left in this world.She had no mom and no real friends. She couldn't lose Bert or watch Fermin turn into this.She didn't want Debra's crew hurt either.Fermin pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry. Dad will be fine. I'll make sure of it."His promise unleashed her tears. The hospital hallway echoed with her cries.Once she calmed down, Fermin had someone take her away.A guard stepped up. "Mr. Eaton, our master is waiting ahead.""You've tailed me this whole way," Fermin said coldly. "Gonna keep it up? I don't like shadows."The guards stayed silent, just following orders. If their boss said stick to Fermin, they'd die before leaving his side."Loyal dogs to your master," Fermin scoffed, brushing past them.He walked into an empty ward. A tall figure in a white shirt stood by the window."You've really opened my eyes," he said, surprised."I'm flattered, Mr. Eaton," Michael said, turning around.His crisp white shirt had dried bloodstains. Notic
Liza rushed to the ICU upon receiving the news.A bodyguard stopped her. "Mr. Eaton said no one gets near the room and disturbs the patient's rest."Liza smacked him, and he bowed his head.Her eyes were red, her vibe darker than ever. "That's my dad in there. Why can't I go in? Move!""Mr. Eaton forbids it. Please, don't make things hard for us," the bodyguard said, stuck.No one there dared to defy her. They all knew how much Fermin doted on her."I don't care," she snapped. "Step aside, or I'll have my brother skin you alive. Let's see if you still block me."Her threat chilled him. She might be bluffing, but Fermin wouldn't."What's the ruckus?" Fermin's voice cut through."Mr. Eaton." The bodyguard bowed his head."Didn't I tell you no one gets near?" Fermin's tone dripped danger.Coming with him was a group of elite guards. The bodyguard was daunted by their aura.Liza stepped forward. "Dad is in a bad condition. Why wouldn't you let me see him? Does this have anythin