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
"Where can we find Michael?" Edgar asked.The nurse looked at him wonderingly. "Are you a family member or a colleague of Michael?"Edgar's bodyguard, growing impatient, interjected, "Our boss is here to visit Michael on behalf of the company. Just lead the way."The nurse, fearing Edgar's displeasure, quickly complied and led them towards Michael's room.Meanwhile, Debra had already arrived at Michael's room. Due to Michael's special profession, the room was guarded. Even so, the hospital was never entirely secure, and it had been decided that Michael would be taken home by the following day for his recovery.Michael lay in bed, his face pale and his body clad in a hospital gown. His head was wrapped in bandages, a testament to the severity of his injuries.When he saw Debra, he instinctively tried to sit up."Don't move," Debra said.Michael complied, sinking back into the bed.Debra took a seat nearby and turned to the director. "Didn't you say it was not serious?""Well..
A soft knock echoed through the hospital room, drawing Michael's attention to the door.When he saw Edgar's face peering through the small window, he quickly realized that Debra's identity needed to remain concealed.He calmly called out, "Sorry, it's not convenient to see visitors right now. Please wait for a moment."Michael's refusal was direct, but Edgar merely nodded and took a seat in the corridor.Debra swiftly gathered the documents scattered across the table. She exchanged a glance with Michael, who gave her a subtle nod of understanding.Debra moved to the door and opened it, stepping out into the corridor to face Edgar. "Mr. Odom, it's quite late. What brings you here?"Edgar stood up, his tall frame towering over Debra. "I heard that Michael was injured, so I came to see him."Debra pulled away from him a bit and said, "Are you aware who caused the accident?"Since Shelia was behind the accident, she must have someone backing her up.Edgar was silent for a moment b
Randy exclaimed, "This is fake. Who did this? I'll tear them apart."Erica chimed in, "This news can't be true. It must be a smokescreen to confuse us."Theda looked at the ring in Robert's hand. "Could Marion's desperate actions today be because of this?"Everyone was taken aback....Jeffrey read the news. "Well done."Juan asked, "Aren't you sad about killing Vickie after training her for so long?""Dying as the daughter of the Frazier family is a blessing for her," Jeffrey replied indifferently. "Debra's body has been burned to ashes, and Vickie is no longer useful. Sacrificing her to create chaos and shake the Four Great Families was a brilliant idea."He paused and added, "Send the body to the Potter Mansion. I want them to understand that with Debra dead, their resistance is meaningless.""Got it," Juan replied, slowly retreating.In the basement, he dismissed everyone and looked at the lifeless woman in the coffin. "Once you're back, don't show up again," he whisper
William fidgeted at the sight of so many big shots in the room. Robert's presence alone sent a shiver down his spine.Earlier, when Marion was carried in on Robert's back, he didn't dare utter a sound.William cleared his throat and rolled his shoulders, trying to muster some courage.Standing on the side with Chace, Oscar spoke up. "Do we need medical equipment? I can have some brought over.""No need. This house has everything," William replied.He stepped forward and worked on loosening Marion's stiff arm. It took quite a while before he finally pried open the tightly clenched hand.Blood had pooled in Marion's palm. William let out a low whistle. "What an iron!"He pulled the bloodstained diamond ring from Marion's grasp and studied it. "That's a huge rock. Must've cost a fortune."Everyone's gaze fell on the ring."Wait... Isn't that Debra's ring?" Erica rushed inside. "Why is it covered in blood? Is she..."Drake snatched the ring from William's hand and inspected it. "
"How could this be?" Theda smiled faintly. "We just want to take our people and avoid any casualties. That's all.""If that's all, I might consider it," Jeffrey replied, looking at Marion. "But someone might not want to leave."Drake stepped forward. "We can settle the score later. Even if we don't take your life now, we will eventually."Marion knew Drake was telling him to leave. His hand, clutching the ring, was already bleeding.Drake and Robert noticed and grabbed Marion's arms."Let's go," Robert said firmly.They had to leave now. Otherwise, mutual destruction was unavoidable.But Marion refused to move.Finally, Drake said, "If you don't leave, we'll all die here. I'm not ready to die yet. Don't drag me down with you."Oscar said, "Mr. Houston, let's go. We can save Mrs. Houston another time. If we keep this up, we'll just be making useless sacrifices."Marion still held his ground.Robert frowned and struck Marion on the back of his neck."You guys talk too much,"
"I'm gonna kill you!" Marion shouted.He raised his gun and fired three shots at Jeffrey.But Jeffrey seemed to have already anticipated Marion's move. With just a quick motion, he pulled Ivan in front of him.The three bullets hit Ivan right in the heart. Ivan slowly looked down at his chest. It was only then that the pain hit him all over his body. He finally realized he was dying.He turned to look at Jeffrey. His lips parted, but no words came out. By the time he collapsed, Jeffrey's men had surrounded Marion.Marion's hand tightened around the bloodstained ring. He had come for a bloodbath. If he couldn't save Debra, he wasn't planning to leave alive.Juan spoke up. "Save your energy. No matter how much you fight, the result won't change. You might as well think about how to make your exit.""He's not leaving," Jeffrey said, turning to Marion. "Your bullets have run out, and I won't give you a chance to reload. Everyone who came here is going to die."At his command, sever
Jeffrey muttered, "A shame. She was promising."Pulling a blanket over Debra's face, he turned to Juan. "The four families will retaliate now that she's dead. Clean this up.""How?""Burn her. Suppress the news of her death. Let no word leak tonight."Without hesitation, Juan strode to the bedside, flicked open a lighter, and set the curtains ablaze. Flames crawled hungrily across the sheets, engulfing the figure beneath the blanket. Only when fire fully consumed the body did Jeffrey nod and exit....At dawn the next day, Melody's funeral procession began.Pallbearers carried the coffin through the mist-shrouded gates. The air seemed to thicken with foreboding.The first gunshot tore through a pallbearer's chest before anyone registered the danger."It's Marion Houston!" someone shouted.Marion emerged from the fog, his forces fanning out behind him. Bullets rained down as the remaining bearers collapsed. The Nichols family guards rushed forward, only to fall under crossfire
Thunder rumbled through the fifth-floor room as Juan staggered inside, his clothes drenched in blood.Jeffrey's gaze remained fixed on the portraits on the wall. "Well? Did she talk?"When no answer came, he turned and froze. Juan's clothes were a crimson mess. A bloodied knife clattered to the floor between them."She's dead," Juan said, his voice glacial."What" Jeffrey's composure shattered.He seized Juan's collar. "I told you to interrogate her, not kill her. Did you get the location of the treasure? Answer me." Juan's eyes were piercing with clarity. He could see through Jeffrey's every thought.All of Jeffrey's earlier talk about reuniting the family had been nothing but a facade. The only thing he cared about was the treasure's location. To achieve his goals, Jeffrey would gladly use his own family as pawns."You killed Melody, didn't you?" Juan's sudden accusation cut through the tension.Jeffrey released him, smoothing his jacket."You already knew that.""You've
Juan had a certain guess in his mind.He had always known about the strained relationship between Melody and Jeffrey, but he never imagined Jeffrey could go to such extremes."You can go.""But Mrs. Nichols Sr...""Leave!"Sophie exited the room, closing the door behind her.Staring at the closed door, Juan was reminded of a similar scene from over a decade ago. Melody had shut the study door just like this."You are not to leave this room until you finish reading these books," she had commanded.Then the scene shifted to when Melody was thrashing him with a whip. "If you don't work hard, you won't amount to anything. And if you don't amount to anything, you won't be able to protect this family."Juan endured the pain and humiliation with bitter resentment. From that moment on, he learned to hide his emotions. He couldn't afford to have likes or dislikes. Besides the Nichols Group, nothing and no one else mattered.Melody had always prided herself on being an educator, boasti
After Juan left the room, Debra let out a long breath. She leaned back against the bed, her mind chaotic.Jeffrey's appearance had given her a lot of valuable information.First, he had been reborn. Second, Seamar City's treasure was linked to rebirth. Third, he was the one responsible for the deaths of all their parents.Before she could think further, a sharp pain shot through her head.Jeffrey believed she knew the location of the treasure, but she didn't know. She wondered if she had forgotten something crucial....At the Potter Mansion, Andrew sat by the window, lost in memories of a time long past.Little Debra ran up to him and threw her arms around his leg."Brother, what are they doing?" "They are protecting this city.""Is this city dangerous? Why does it need protection?""Many people desire what we guard. They will stop at nothing to take it, losing all reason in their greed. Our duty is to ensure these things remain hidden from the world."His thoughts were
"I believe Melody played her part," Debra said evenly, "but without your tacit approval, how could she have harmed Claudia so precisely? How could she have imprisoned Claudia so effortlessly?"She met Jeffrey's gaze unflinchingly. "You know the truth better than anyone. You were the head of the Nichols family. If you wanted, you could have easily saved her."Jeffrey lost control and slapped her. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips, but her stare never wavered. Claudia used to look at him in the same way."Lies." Jeffrey staggered back, his voice fraying. "You know nothing.""Don't I?" Debra dabbed her mouth. "Search online, and you'll see. Everyone in Seamar City knows about your story. Claudia gave up her career for marriage. What kind of life did she live? There was no makeup and no dancing, just a hollow shell playing housewife."She smirked and continued, "Will you blame Melody for that too? A man who lets his mother brutalize his wife isn't a man at all. Face the music