Debra thought for a moment."Yeah, it is.""That's all you have to say?""I was thinking. Mr. Blair doesn't look like he knows Shelia isn't his daughter.""Huh?"Erica took a closer look at the news article, her eyes scanning the details intently. Declan was indeed crying genuinely.Debra turned to Randy, asking, "Do you know who organized this press conference?""Who else could it be except for the Odoms?" Randy replied, clicking his tongue. "You don't know how grand it is. They invited everyone from the high society they could, mostly from Booton and a few big shots from Seamar City who are close to the Blair family."Debra's mind raced, piecing together the implications. "Those big shots coming to Seamar City for Edgar's sake means he is trying to show Marion who's boss."Marion had just met with Edgar the day before, and this move seemed like a blatant show of strength, a power play designed to assert dominance.Randy nodded, his expression thoughtful. "It does seem that
"That money is useful," Marion replied.Erica teased him, "Really? For the bride's price?"Marion shrugged. "Yeah, something like that."Erica was surprised. "No way."Debra, who had been listening to their exchange, blushed deeply. She quickly took a seat on the sofa, clutching a glass of water as if it were a lifeline. "I'm hungry too. Why isn't breakfast ready yet?""It's coming," Randy said. "You three have three mouths to feed but can't spare a hand to help me.""I'll do it," Erica declared, rushing into the kitchen.Randy rolled his eyes dramatically."Oh, please, are you really helping? Just please don't mess things up.""You're bold enough to question my sincerity. I'm gonna wring your ears off.""Come on! I'm not."The kitchen was filled with the clatter of pots and pans, punctuated by the occasional bickering between Randy and Erica.Noticing Debra's stiff posture, Marion pulled away a little, giving her space to breathe.Debra stole a glance at him. He was dress
Debra glanced instinctively towards the kitchen. Marion stood at the stove, wearing a black apron. He looked quite relaxed, the spatula in his hand moving deftly as he fried eggs.Sensing her gaze, Marion looked up. Debra quickly averted her eyes, but it was too late. He had caught her staring."Breakfast's ready," Randy shouted from the kitchen, carrying three plates piled high with food.Marion placed a dish in front of Debra, the eggs cooked to perfection.Randy, setting the plates down, remarked with a playful pout, "Man, when will you ever be this considerate toward me?"Erica chimed in, "Maybe in your next life."As just Debra began to eat, her phone buzzed with an incoming message from Juan.She glanced at Marion to see if he had noticed, and seeing that he was engrossed in his own meal, she opened the message.Juan: [8 PM, Royal Grand Hotel.]Debra hesitated, her fingers hovering over the screen. She thought about the dream she'd had and typed her reply.Debra: [No ne
Erica rolled her eyes. "I think they're birds of a feather. Did you resolve the issue with Cathryn?"Debra shrugged. "Cathryn can't stir up any trouble. Marion wouldn't even bother looking at her."Erica's mood soured further, and she kicked Randy. "It'd better be that way."Randy yelped in pain, "Hey! Why did you kick me for no reason?"Debra's arrival at Nichols Group headquarters caused quite a stir."Isn't Ms. Frazier? What is she doing here?""Isn't it obvious? She was publicly at odds with Mr. Nichols before. Now that the Frazier Group is bankrupt, she's naturally here to seek his help.""I thought she had a lot of pride, but it turns out she's just here to beg Mr. Nichols to reconcile?"...The whispers reached Debra's ears, but she ignored them.The recent news about the Frazier and Nichols families had been quite unpleasant, and her visit to the Nichols Group was bound to spark gossip. But she wasn't focused on that right now.Joe, who had been waiting on the first
Juan's words carried a ring of truth that was hard to dismiss.Debra fell silent, contemplating the notion that perhaps people could indeed change.In this life, Juan had seen through Shelia's façade, which explained his withdrawal of affection for her."Do you have impressions of these companies?" she asked, placing several files on the table.The files contained detailed information about various companies that Juan had targeted in her previous life. Although she knew the likelihood of getting a positive response from Juan in this life was slim, she felt compelled to try.Juan shifted his gaze to the files, his expression thoughtful. "No."Sure enough, because of her intervention, Juan had not yet taken notice of these subsidiaries of the Frazier Group.Debra took a deep breath, her mind racing with memories and revelations. Ever since having that vivid dream, she had instructed someone to investigate the accounts of those subsidiaries. The findings were grim; the companies ha
"We do have an agreement, but..."It was not compulsory. Instead of voicing her protest, Debra picked up the contract from the table.The document was labeled as a contract with Potter Entertainment. She scanned the pages, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion."The agreement is there, but it's not a sell-yourself contract."Andrew glanced at her, and she quickly corrected herself. "I mean, you want to hire me?"Andrew replied calmly, "That's the idea. The contract is very clear."Debra struggled to find the right words. "I did consider entering showbiz, but I...""But you plan to enter showbiz with McKinney Group, not with me?""Uh... Yeah."Debra squirmed under his gaze, feeling trapped.Andrew pressed on. "Don't forget our previous agreement. The Frazier Group's collapse has affected my family. This is a chance for you to make up."Debra felt a pang of unease. Andrew knew her weak spot and was pushing her into a corner. She put down the contract, her shoulders slumping slig
The Frazier family owned several properties, but they had been left vacant for years. Debra found a luxurious apartment close to the city center that suited her needs perfectly. The apartment was sprawling, at least 150 square meters, more than enough space for her to start anew.The moving company efficiently cleared out and organized everything within three days.One day, Debra did something she hadn't done in a long time.She posted on social media. [Embracing a brand-new life!]Under the caption was a half-face photo of herself and a picture of her new living room.The comments started pouring in almost immediately.Erica: [Wow, I love it. Want to come over for a meal.]Randy: [Ditto. I can cook for myself.]Marion: [Nice.]The comments touched Debra. In her previous life, she had few friends, but in this one, she had gained a supportive circle.As she refreshed her feed, she noticed a like from Juan. Her mood soured instantly.A new comment appeared.Jordan: [The room'
"Hannah, who is she?" they asked.Hannah introduced Debra, "Meet Debra Frazier. She's your new colleague and a new rival."Eyes narrowed, and whispers began to buzz. Three girls stood out to protest."I know her. She's the Frazier family's heiress who's been trending recently.""Not the heiress anymore. She's broke.""Hannah, this is ridiculous. Are you just going to let some pampered princess waltz in here and compete with us?"Debra shifted uncomfortably, feeling the weight of their stares. She was an outsider, and she knew it. Before arriving, Andrew had warned her that only one person would emerge from this practice room. More people meant more competitors. And she had taken a shortcut to get here."You can choose to leave. No one is stopping you," Hannah said, unperturbed about their protests.The atmosphere in the room turned tense, and she continued, "If you don't want to leave, then train hard. Even if you can't be the standout, at least you can be a second-stringer."
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