Shelia's lips curled into a sneer as she stepped forward and slapped Debra across the face. Erica stared in shock and tried to hit back. But Shelia's bodyguards formed a barrier, blocking her path."Shelia, have you lost your mind?" Erica shouted. "How dare you hit Debra?"Debra's mouth was bleeding. Her ears rang from the force of the blow. It was clear Shelia had put all her strength into that slap.Shelia scoffed, raising her chin. "The Frazier Group is bankrupt, and she is now nothing but an empty shell. Why wouldn't I dare to hit her?"Erica shot back, "Even if the Frazier Group is bankrupt, I'm still here. You slapped Debra, and I'll make sure you pay a heavy price."Shelia smirked, unfazed. "Maybe you're not in a position to make that call.""Try me," Erica scoffed, dismissive.She was the head of the Mathis family and a relative of the Houston family. In Seamar City, no one dared to provoke her.But as she spoke, ten more bodyguards burst into the restaurant, surroundin
Edgar's voice was as hard and unyielding as steel. "Yes."Erica met his gaze head-on, her lips curling into a sneer. "Mr. Odom, it seems you've been the top dog in Booton for too long. You're forgetting that Seamar City has its own rules. Even if the Frazier Group is bankrupt, I am protecting Debra. With Marion and the Osborne family backing her up, you might find it hard to leave Seamar City tomorrow if you do anything stupid today.""Are you threatening Edgar?" Shelia growled defiantly, pointing at Erica. "What's Debra to you? Why are you protecting her? She's dragging her feet about divorcing Juan while stringing along Marion. You should be disgusted with her."Erica's temper flared. "Shut up!"Debra, sensing the storm about to break, quickly intervened. "Miss Miles, don't get worked up. It's bad for the baby."All eyes turned to Shelia's belly. The news of her pregnancy with Juan's child had spread like wildfire, ensuring that everyone in the country knew of her condition.At
The Odom and Blair families shared a rich history, their bond strengthened over generations. Years ago, Kate gave birth to a daughter named Jade Blair. However, when her husband, Declan Blair, engaged in an extramarital affair, Kate took their child and vanished.Declan yearned to find his daughter, especially since the Odom and Blair families had arranged a marriage between their children long ago. Despite his efforts, the search yielded no results and eventually stalled.When Edgar assumed control of the Odom family, he made it his mission to locate Jade. He employed every resource at his disposal, sparing no expense in his quest.Erica was engrossed in the tale and impressed by Edgar's devotion. Then she looked up and asked Debra, "But how did you know Edgar was doing this for the Blair family?"Debra didn't know how to respond. She couldn't very well reveal that in her past life, Edgar's fiancée had died, causing a significant uproar.Instead, she fabricated a story. "I happen
Melody was no ordinary senior citizen. Her loud voice immediately drew a crowd. Whispers and gossip filled the air."What kind of person is this, kidnapping someone's great-grandson?""How could she do something like this?""Even harming a child, this woman is a beast."...The condemnations grew louder, each one adding fuel to the fire of public opinion. Melody, having learned the power of such pressure, was more than willing to stoke the flames.Erica returned from fetching water for Debra, only to find the hallway outside the ward packed with people. Nurses tried in vain to disperse the crowd, their efforts met with stubborn resistance."What are you all doing here?" Erica demanded, her voice cutting through the chatter.Melody turned to face her, a frown creasing her brow. "Miss Mathis, you're a prominent figure in Seamar City. Are you here to stand up for someone like Debra?"Erica had enough of Melody's haughty attitude. "Mrs. Nichols Sr., you know well that both of us a
Fuming, Melody burst into Juan's office and called out, "Juan!"Her sudden entrance startled Joe, who was in the middle of a discussion with Juan. He quickly excused himself. "Sir, I'll step out for a moment."Juan nodded, his gaze shifting to Melody, who marched straight to his desk and snapped, "You're still working here, as if nothing has happened. Do you know your child is going to call someone else Dad?"Juan was confused. "Grandma, what are you talking about?"Melody slammed her palm on the desk, her voice rising. "I'm saying Shelia ran off with another man. She is pregnant with your child. How could you let her leave?"Juan remained indifferent. "I let her go."Melody staggered back, shock written all over her face. "What?"She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Who in their right mind would push their child and woman onto another man?She spluttered, "Do you know what you're doing? Why do I have such a cowardly grandson like you? I thought Debra took her away. Do yo
Marion finished examining Debra's injuries and stood up. "The Odom family?"Erica nodded, her voice laced with anger. "Edgar Odom. I had Randy investigate. He found out that Edgar came to Seamar City looking for Shelia. He claims Shelia is the lost daughter of the Blair family and his fiancée."Erica's voice grew agitated as she spoke. "He backed Shelia and had his men hit Debra.""Erica." Debra shook her head, trying to stop Erica from saying more.Marion made up his mind and said, "It's not safe these days. Go and stay at my place."From his expression, Debra could tell that the situation was more complex than it seemed.She asked, "Is the Odom family that powerful?""Not exactly powerful, just a bit tricky," Marion replied, stroking her cheek. "I'll be back soon."Outside the door, Juan watched the scene in silence for a moment before quietly walking away.The news of Edgar finally finding the lost daughter of the Blair family spread like wildfire online.Everyone was shoc
"I see." Debra paused, her brow furrowed in thought. "Have someone go to the police station and check if there have been any recent arrests of prostitutes around Shelia's age.""Prostitutes? Ben was puzzled.He couldn't see any connection between the two matters.Debra recalled the grim details from her previous life. When Edgar finally found Jade, the newspapers had been quick to report that she was a prostitute. She had been imprisoned for her actions and suffered greatly, enduring illness and pain in jail for over six months before ultimately succumbing to her fate.Following this clue, they should figure out something."Just follow my instructions," Debra said. "I believe it will lead us to some answers.""Got it." Ben, though still bewildered, agreed to comply.Debra hung up the phone, and Erica asked curiously, "Are you suspecting that the real Jade was imprisoned for prostitution and Shelia took her identity?""It's just a guess," Debra admitted. "Since Clarissa insists
Debra chimed in, "Marion owes you a lot of money?""Yeah. From the first time he met you, he..." Randy replied.Erica swiftly stepped on his foot, silencing him mid-sentence. Randy grunted and corrected himself. "Well, it's nothing. Marion's got plenty of money. It's just that he hasn't finished handling it yet."Erica elbowed him and spluttered, "What do you mean he hasn't finished handling it? Can you speak clearly?"Randy clammed up. Erica sat down next to Debra, her voice softening."That is just man-to-man stuff. Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll give you everything he has to win you over."Debra blushed. "What are you talking about?""Er, it's just a metaphor," Erica chuckled, hugging her. "Anything, you're the best woman in my mind."Debra fell silent, her mind wandering. She never wanted a fortune. After so many betrayals and schemes in her past and present lives, she only hoped to find her destined partner and live a peaceful life together.Without betrayal, conspi