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
Under Randy's threat, Lara didn't dawdle. She swiped her fingerprint, and the infrared beams blinked out."My clearance only kills the lasers for three minutes," she said. "Taking me like this only slows you down. Let me go, and I swear I won't pull anything.""Three minutes? Then hustle," Randy snorted.She was full of schemes. Cutting her loose brought him nothing but danger. He would not fall for it.Lara kept her cool and led him toward the end of the hall.The place was futuristic, loaded with tech Randy had never even seen. Only people with the code could get in.Now that she had removed restrictions, it was now just another regular hallway.At the end stood a massive door. She spoke. "Our master is behind that. I can't go in, but I'll open it for you.""Do it quickly," he urged.She stepped to the side and used facial recognition. The door slid open, revealing a dark room.As he scoped it out, she broke free and tried to shove him in.Quick in reaction, he yanked her
As long as he twitched it a little, Lara would be dead.Randy growled, "Cut the crap. Try me again, and you're done."Lara didn't dare push it. She took a breath. "Okay. Follow me inside.""I know who your master is," he said. "Tell him to let Erica go, or the Osborne line ends with me."Her face shifted at that. He noticed. "What, you don't know who he is? Guess you're not that big a deal around here. So, quit stalling. Take me to him now. Touch me, and you don't live to see another day."Lara's composure crumbled.In the Illuminati, nobody knew the bishop's identity. She couldn't tell if Randy was bluffing or not.She had no choice but to lead him toward another entrance. Those goons didn't dare stop him. They just stepped aside.She took him deeper into the valley. The further in, the warier Randy got.The mist thickened, blotting out everything.At a rocky entrance, she used her fingerprint to unlock a hidden door in the mountain. It was mind-boggling that the Illuminati
Lara's face twisted. "No way he would say that. He wants the four families wiped out.""Take it up with him." Juan shrugged, heading out of the valley. "I'm not wasting my breath on you."Lara muttered in disbelief, "Our master wouldn't do that. This was our shot to take them down."Before she could piece it together, a guy rushed up. "Miss, something else showed up.""Who was it?" Lara snapped, annoyed.The four families only had Debra and Marion worth a damn to them."Looks like someone from the Osborne family.""Randy? What's that punk doing here?"Right then, a guy flew in from the mist, screaming as he hit the ground.Randy stepped out with a fierce expression. Lara barked for her crew to gear up.Everyone was puzzled, not expecting a wuss like Randy to be so good at fighting.He'd taken out every guard outside the valley solo, and not one alarm had been tripped. It meant he had memorized the layout, found the safest path, and dodged every trap.Lara sized him up serio
The Illuminati crew scattered into the mist.The leader stayed, pulling off his mask.Juan's brow creased hard. This was all he could do for them.Debra and Marion hauled out of the valley.Earlier when they were talking to that guy, she had clocked his limp. Plus, he had tapped his leg to drop hints.Through those details, she had figured out it was Juan.Juan had fed them a load of crap.Erica was inside. The bishop would show himself if they managed to find her. He would let them go if they could make a deal.It sounded reasonable but did not hold up.The Illuminati had an edge over them. If the bishop wanted to meet, he wouldn't need to snatch Erica. Even if he had her, it'd be to trade for the gemstone they held.He commanded, and they had to comply because they had zero leverage to negotiate. If they had no leverage, the bishop would not let them go.This was the tip-off dropped by Juan. Her business instinct enabled her to perceive it.Erica wasn't in the valley at a
It was afternoon already.Debra and Marion parked their car outside the valley.Looking at the sprawling terrain ahead, Debra couldn't shake the memory of trekking through it with Kale just days ago.Revisiting this place made her shiver."Your injury's still fresh," Marion said. "I can go alone."Debra shook her head. "We agreed on going together. Besides, I'm not here to fight. It will be fine."Marion ruffled her hair. "Alright, we're in this together."Enoch brought Erica here to lure them in. That much was clear.Now that they were here, they'd get her out.With night closing in, they quickly followed the route they'd mapped out and headed in.The map from Juan came in handy. In less than 30 minutes, they reached a clearing smack in the middle of four towering mountains.Mist hung light in the air, and the jagged peaks all around gave off a heavy, oppressive vibe.Through the fog, figures in black cloaks and white masks stepped out.Debra slid behind Marion, their han
Jordan signaled the guards at the door to stop Randy.But they didn't stand a chance. In three seconds flat, Randy laid them out.Jordan watched him vanish down the hall, dumbfounded. 'When did he get this good?'At the entrance, more guards tried to block Randy. He didn't slow down as he threw punches at them.Even with their number, they couldn't catch him.30 seconds later, Randy was in his car, peeling out toward the valley. Scenes from his childhood flashed across his mind."Leg up. Fist tight. Punch!" Caleb shouted.Erica eyed the wooden dummies in front of them and aimed for perfection.Randy's attention was all on her. He was not interested in these self-defense skills at all."Randy, focus!" Caleb whacked his arm with a cane. "Get real or go home."Randy couldn't care less. The truth was, he had already learned it all.At eight years old, his freakish athletic genes got him shipped off to a two-month boot camp. There, his raw talent made him untouchable in the junio
Lara came downstairs, smirking at Michael. "This time, even if you want to let them off, it won't happen."Michael was unfazed. "Don't say stuff that'll get twisted. I never plan to do that.""Oh, please. I know you better than that," Lara snorted. "Drop the act."Growing up, Michael had been given the best of everything.They were both in line to take over, but Michael got the bishop's favor from day one.Even if he didn't fight for it, he'd eclipse her. The bishop's partiality never failed to rattle her.She was a woman. True. But she was not any inferior to Michael.The partiality was unbelievable. This world's full of women outshining men.She was the one to help the bishop build something huge. The altar was only for her to ascend.She stepped up to Michael. "Wanna bet on what happens when Debra and Marion hit the valley? I can't wait to see Debra getting pierced by bullets. It would be so much fun."She observed Michael's expression, but there wasn't a crack."You done
The guard at the gate quickly stepped out of the booth. "Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Houston. Unfortunately, Mr. Osborne isn't home.""We're not here for him," Marion said flat-out. "I want last night's security footage."The guard hesitated. "I'm sorry, but without Mr. Osborne saying so, I can't just hand it over.""Randy is lying in the hospital right now," Debra cut in. "Erica went missing from your place last night. If you don't cough up the tapes and something happens to her, can you take the heat?"The guard was shocked. "Mr. Randy Osborne in the hospital? And Miss Mathis is gone? I'll grab the footage. Hang on."He dashed to the security room. But when he pulled up the feed, the screen was pitch black."What's wrong? Is it busted?" Debra asked.The guard smacked the console a couple of times, and the picture flickered on. There was Enoch, stuffing a sack into his trunk and driving off.That explained why the cameras outside had only caught Enoch.Debra felt a chill run thro
A loud crash blasted through the phone, followed by screeching static.Debra's gut sank. "Randy's in trouble. Let's hurry."Jordan quickly rounded up a crew to track down Randy, while Debra and Marion bolted out of the house.That phone call screamed car wreck. Marion had Randy's location pinned fast, and an ambulance was already on its way."Don't panic. The ambulance is almost there," Debra reminded him, watching him push the speedometer.It was fine if it was just a regular crash. But if the Illuminati had set it up, the consequences were unimaginable. Enoch must have lost his mind to target his son.Debra and Marion had both lost their parents to car accidents. Marion would be devastated if he lost another person close to him."Quick! Get him out!"Thick smoke poured from the crash site. Debra's bad vibes grew.They jumped out and saw Jordan's people loading Randy onto a stretcher."How bad is it?" Debra ran up, desperate for details."Not too serious," Jordan replied. "