Eve grumbled under her breath, "You're the one to talk. Do you dare to come and run?"Ashley hushed her. "Shh. Keep it down, or you'll be punished again."She was dissatisfied too, but they had no choice.Debra led the way, her stride steady and confident. After ten laps, the others were visibly exhausted.Debra, however, maintained a steady pace, her breathing even and controlled. Even Freya couldn't help but steal glances at her.When Freya first joined, she would have collapsed after ten laps, but Debra was still energetic.Debra gave them a casual glance. Her strong physique wasn't built overnight; it was the result of consistent routines and disciplined habits from her past.The 30 grueling laps took a full hour. Everyone lay on the ground, utterly drained. Debra struggled to steady her breath, her heart pounding in her chest.30 laps were a challenge, even for her."Good job! You can go eat now," Hannah announced. "Debra, stay."The boys, who had finished their training
After adjusting the meal according to the recipe, Hannah brought it over to Debra and sat down across from her."According to the nutritionist, you often don't get enough sleep and have nightmares. Can you tell me why?""Did Andrew send you to ask this?"Hannah merely smiled, neither confirming nor denying Debra's suspicion."If there's an issue, let him ask me himself," Debra said, having a spoonful of oatmeal.Nowadays, nothing she ate or drank seemed to matter much.Hannah observed, saying, "Your health is fine, and your body proportions are perfect. You have a pretty face, and you look great on camera. These meals are just to help improve your sleep. Trust me, in a few years, you'll look even better than now.""Thanks," Debra muttered, though her tone suggested she didn't believe a word of it.When she finished her breakfast, Hannah stood up, gesturing for her to follow."Let's go. I'll take you to the practice room."As they exited the staff cafeteria, a group of female
A derisive laugh echoed through the room as Ashley stepped forward."Do you think we're idiots, Debra? You're talking nonsense. Your company is bankrupt. What connection do you have with the Potter family? Can you really invest billions in this program?"Eve chimed in, her voice dripping with mockery. "That's right. My dad is a board member at Potter Group and knows their operations well. This project was initiated by McKinney Group and Potter Entertainment. The investment is counted in billions. Even if your company were still there, could you come up with that much?"Debra didn't even bother to explain. She had approved the investment over a month ago as the president of McKinney Group, back when the Frazier Group was still intact.It was Michael who had suggested she sign the contract with Potter Entertainment."If you don't believe me, I can't help that. Just tell me what you want.""We want you out of the practice room. Break the contract.""Sorry, no can do."Eve bristled
The teacher finished the dance, and Debra shrugged."If such a simple dance took you days to learn, you'd better quite early."Eve's temper flared. "What did you say?"Just as she was about to step forward, Debra stretched her muscles and then executed a few dance steps to get her breathing right.Debra began to replicate the teacher's routine from the first beat. Even without music, her movements were precious, fluid, and graceful. It was hard to believe she had just learned the dance.Freya was stunned, her mouth agape in disbelief. She was the team leader, and it had taken her half an hour just to memorize the moves. She had practiced all day to get it just right, but Debra had learned it in a flash."How is this possible?" Ashley was equally shocked.Outside the room, a few guys were peeking through the window, their eyes glued to Debra."Wow, this new girl has an amazing figure and dances so well.""Too bad she's married. Otherwise, I'd chase her.""I heard this broke la
Debra stood her ground, her gaze locked on Hannah, an unspoken challenge in her eyes that seemed to say, "Let's see what you do about this."Throughout the day, Eve and her group had been seeking a satisfactory answer from Debra, and it was only a matter of time before they turned to Hannah for an explanation.The blatant favoritism shown to Debra had created an imbalance that even she felt acutely.Hannah, maintaining her stern demeanor, addressed the room. "This is a company decision. You have no right to interfere, and I don't need to answer your questions."Just then, the male trainees entered the canteen. Tomas, noticing the tense atmosphere, sauntered over to Hannah with a grin and casually placed a hand on her shoulder. "Who got you so worked up?""Get your hand off me," Hannah growled.Tomas awkwardly withdrew his hand, and she glanced around the room. "Debra is different from you. Anyone else dissatisfied can speak up now.""We are all dissatisfied." Ashley and Freya st
Debra didn't move.Oscar, seated nearby, glanced at her before looking away. Hannah leaned in close to her and whispered, "Someone wants to see you. Please cooperate with me."Debra glanced at Hannah and reluctantly left with her."Ugh! Still claims she's helpless. Looks like she's enjoying it," Eve muttered, her voice laced with jealousy.Ashley nodded in agreement. "Yeah, who wouldn't be happy with a special treat? Who likes this awful food in the cafeteria?"Freya, observing Oscar for a while, interjected coolly, "Alright, let's get back to eating."The two girls went back to their seats.Tomas leaned toward Oscar and whispered, "Hey, what did that glance mean? Are you interested in her?"Oscar shot him a cold look. "Shut up and eat."A guy opposite them chimed in, "Say no more, Tomas. Don't you know Oscar's personality? He's a cold rock, not cracking anytime soon."Another guy echoed, "Yeah, and Debra is dealing with a divorce. Oscar has so many admirers. Why would he g
Hannah didn't stop Debra, and before long, a sleek black car drove up.The trainees, leaving the cafeteria, watched as Debra got into the car.Whispers filled the air as they exchanged speculative glances."I told you Debra had someone backing her. She left at such a late hour. Clearly, someone is keeping her.""Can you believe Hannah was covering for her just now? We only get to leave this place once every ten days or two weeks. Debra is really an exception."Inside the car, Debra wasted no time. She dialed the hospital head's number, her heart pounding with anxiety.When he answered, his voice was grave. "Ms. Frazier, the situation is a bit serious, but don't worry, his face is unharmed."Debra's grip tightened on her phone."I'm asking about the person, not the face.""Michael is fine. He's out of danger."Debra could tell he wasn't being entirely truthful. She hung up and turned to Ben."Fill me in about the situation.""This morning, Michael was supposed to go to the P
"But..." Shelia still wanted to protest.Edgar cut her off, his voice firm. "I've had a long day. Go to bed."Shelia finally retreated to her room, her shoulders slumping in defeat.In the spacious living room, Edgar's phone rang sharply, breaking the silence. He answered it before his secretary's voice came through the line."Mr. Odom, we've found the illegitimate child of your father and that woman."Edgar's eyes narrowed. "Who is it?""They've been living in Booton all these years. We found out the child's name is Oscar Harper."As far as Edgar remembered, that woman's family name wasn't Harper. It seemed that after all these years, she still dreamed of joining the Odom family and hoped her son would become the heir."What a fantasy!" Edgar snorted."There's one more thing.""Go ahead.""It's about Miss Miles," Chace said hesitantly. "Our people said Miss Miles sent them to cut Michael's brake lines today. Michael is now in the hospital."Edgar's brow furrowed deeply. "W
The bodyguards at the entrance were intimidating.When Debra handed over her invitation, she worried there might be fingerprint scans or facial recognition. That would make things tricky.But the guards barely glanced at it before waving her through. Debra was surprised by how smoothly things went.This castle was one of the top three landmarks overseas, and it had never been open to the public. During the day, it was a tourist attraction. But now, someone managed to host a private banquet right there.Once inside, she was faced with one more hurdle. Rows of scanners stood ahead, all meant to detect any restricted items.Debra was carrying no gun, but Marion had given her a Bluetooth earpiece to stay in contact.To minimize suspicion, they decided to enter separately. She would go in first, and he'd follow shortly after.She hesitated for a moment before taking off the earpiece and tossing it into a shadowed corner.Just as she stepped forward, someone in front of her triggered
When they entered the dream, the gems were real.Fermin had woken up faster than them and taken the gems. Then he must have found a way to hide them or hand them off to someone else.In other words, this whole thing was planned. "If that's the case, Mrs. Houston and the others are in danger," Barton said anxiously, realizing someone in their group was a traitor.The Illuminati couldn't have collected so many rare stones for nothing. There had to be a scheme."I need to think this through," Andrew muttered, pressing his forehead.Barton noticed his pale face and immediately stepped forward. "Sir, are you having another episode? William said you shouldn't stress yourself out. I'll get your medicine.""Come back," Andrew said. "I'm not taking any medicine right now.""It won't work, sir. The doctor warned you against thinking too much. That's why you left Seamar City to enjoy peace. Mrs. Houston has Mr. Houston looking out for her. You don't need to worry, sir."Andrew had thoug
Michael chuckled, "You probably won't believe this, but after I finished work, I found this thing right outside my door.""What?" Debra was shocked.Michael explained, "Since that night you asked me to keep an eye out, I reached out to a few international contacts. But I came up empty. Then, the very next day, this thing was sitting outside my door."Debra mused, "So, you think someone knew you were investigating, so they gave you a shortcut?""If that's the case, then the organization must be massive, and the entertainment industry could very well be their way of spreading their influence," Michael said.A lightbulb went off in Debra's head.At those banquets held by the Lowe family, most of the guests were from the entertainment industry. Whether they were once-famous stars or rising ones, these celebrities were typically the targets of wealthy businessmen.If the entertainment industry was being used to spread Illuminati teachings, then it wasn't the stars trapping the rich m
When the bathroom door opened, Debra was soaking in the bathtub.She asked awkwardly, "Uh, where's the towel?"It was her first time staying in that house, and she hadn't expected the towel not to be in the bathroom.Marion was relieved to see her fine. "I'll get it for you."He walked over to grab the towel, then entered the bathroom and draped it over her shoulders.Her cheeks looked rosy, maybe because of the heat in the bathroom.Worried about her injury, he gently lifted her out of the bathtub. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Their breaths mixed as she was held close to him.His arms were robust, easily lifting her with no effort."Are you tired?""I-I am.""Then lie down and let me serve you."He kissed her forehead, but she tapped his shoulder. "Hey! I just finished my shower."It was getting dark. Marion ordered takeout, all of Debra's favorite dishes.Her body was sore all over. She didn't want to move, and Marion had to feed her.Leaning on t
"Marion, what are you doing?" Debra shot him a warning look.Marion shrank back."Alright. I'll call again when I get there," Michael said."Okay." Debra ended the call and looked up to see Marion's frustrated look."I'm hungry," she said, pecking him on the lips.Marion lost what little control he had left. He tilted her chin up, pressed a hand to the back of her neck, and kissed her deeply.It wasn't until they were both breathless that he finally pulled away."Let's go eat," he said.Debra glared at him, knowing he was doing that on purpose."Well, I'm not that hungry anymore," she said deliberately.Marion looked back and met her limpid eyes. His lips, slightly swollen from his kisses, were soft and inviting like ripe cherries."I am hungry, though." His voice was low, teasing.This time, his kisses were slow, lingering. His lips trailed down to her neck, and their breaths both quickened.Debra's silk nightgown slipped down to her waist, the lace straps of her undergar
The doctor and nurses led Liza out of the room.She could tolerate it as long as they didn't use electroshock therapy.Fermin was left alone in the room.The moment the door closed, he shouted, "Hey! Where are you taking my sister?"But his head hurt too much. Instead of pressing further, he sat there, curiously scanning the room.His expression and actions didn't look fake."Sir..." The butler hesitated."Keep him locked up." Bert struck the floor hard with his cane.They couldn't let him out until they made sure Fermin's personality was gone."Understood." The butler followed Bert out of the room.Beyond the reach of the security cameras, the corners of Fermin's lips curled into a faint smirk....Debra curled up in Marion's arms.He never slept more than four or five hours a night. Any longer, and he'd wake up on his own.She shifted, rubbing against him."Want to sleep a little longer?" he asked gently.Debra opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I
The sounds of violent banging echoed through the enclosed room.Despite the nurses' best efforts to hold him down, Fermin pounded the bed in agony."Strap him down," ordered the doctor.The nurses quickly bound Fermin to the operating table.Behind the one-way mirror, Bert watched with pain. His hand gripped his cane tightly.Electroshock therapy was one of the most dangerous treatments. But it was the only way to make Fermin believe he was dead, allowing his personality to enter a dormant state."Sir, maybe we should leave for now," the butler suggested, unable to watch any longer."I can't, not when Fermin is still inside," Bert replied, his voice heavy.He didn't want Fermin to suffer or go out to hurt others."Fermin!" Liza stumbled down the stairs, nearly falling in the process.Several servants, who were chasing after her, stopped at the entrance since they were not allowed in there.They had sealed off the elevator, but Liza, in her desperation, had chosen to take the
Once everything was settled, Marion walked back to the living room and lifted Debra off the sofa.For over a month now, Debra hadn't needed to walk on her own."If you keep pampering me like this, my legs will be useless.""It's fine. I'll carry you for the rest of your life."He was confident in his strength. Even when he was old, he believed he could still lift weights without breaking a sweat.Debra was light. He had no trouble lifting her at all.The bedroom was dimly lit. Marion gently laid her down on the bed and lay beside her.Debra smiled, "You're always watching me sleep. This time, let me watch you.""Okay," Marion agreed, placing her hand over his chest.Soon, Debra heard his steady breathing.Marion was a light sleeper. The slightest movement would wake him.Debra stayed still, quietly watching his sculpted face, straight nose, plump lips, sexy Adam's apple, and well-defined collarbone.Suddenly, he murmured, "How am I supposed to sleep with you staring at me l
When she woke up the next morning, Debra instinctively reached out to feel around.She muttered, "Marion, what time is it?"There was no response. She opened her eyes and found Marion wasn't in bed.After a quick wash, she went downstairs.Marion, who had come back from his mission, was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up."You're up so early," he said, noticing it was only 7 a.m.He had gotten used to Debra's routine."Breakfast is ready. Come eat," he added, setting two sandwiches and a bowl of oatmeal on the table.Since Debra's injury, her health had been poor. While in the hospital, she'd repeatedly had fevers. Recently, she could only eat light food.She had slept deeply last night, probably because she was exhausted.After she took her seat, Marion sat next to her and began to gather her hair into a bun."You're getting better at this," she chuckled."Anything for you," he replied with a smile.A bodyguard came in and repo