The trainees whispered among themselves."Ashley was worse. Her makeup was a hot mess, and who knows how she looked on camera?""The photographer was all over Freya and Debra. Us? We were just cannon fodder for the real stars."Eve looked down at the food on her plate and felt her appetite vanish. She pushed her chair back and started to stand.Freya, noticing Eve's retreat, called out, "Eve, don't be silly. Our meals are portioned for a reason. If you don't eat now, you'll be famished all night. And if you cave and snack later, you know it'll go straight to your hips."Eve's face fell. She was starving, but the thought of the camera adding ten pounds made her stomach churn. With a sigh, she sank back into her chair and began to poke at her food half-heartedly.Across town, Juan was staring intently at a photograph in his office. It was a candid shot of him and Debra, who was eating her cake.Joe walked in, breaking the silence."Sir, there's news about Mrs. Nichols.""Where h
Juan ticked off the list on his fingers. "Romance, gifts, money, looks, and figure."Joe nodded like a bobblehead. "You've got it all, sir. Except maybe the romance bit."Juan shot him a withering glance. "You think I need a reminder? Prep everything by these standards.""Sure.""And contact the Potter Group. I'm visiting them tomorrow.""Consider it done, sir."The next day, the practice room buzzed like a hive of bees."You hear? Mr. Nichols is gracing us with his presence today.""Mr. Nichols? Here? That means..."Eyes swiveled to Debra, who frowned. She hadn't heard anything about the arrangement.She whipped out her phone to grill Ben, but Hannah swept in and said, "Debra, come with me."Under the collective stare, Debra trailed Hannah out. She stepped into the hallway and spotted Juan downstairs, surrounded by an entourage of suits.Eve, poking her head out, caught sight of her father groveling by Juan's side."Eve, isn't that your dad?" someone whispered. "Well, Jua
Henry parted the sea of people, creating a path for Debra and Juan."Come with me," Juan said, striding towards the exit.Henry nodded at Debra, urging her to go. She took a deep breath, steeling herself, and trailed after Juan."What do you want?" Debra's voice was as sharp as a freshly honed blade.She had hoped to leave Juan in her rearview by coming to Potter Entertainment, but here he was, like a bad penny."Let's talk in the car," Juan replied, opening the passenger door for her.Debra hesitated before sliding in, knowing that Juan's investment was no small potatoes. Henry's smiles earlier said it all.She had recently dealt him a blow via the McKinney Group, but he had bounced back like a cat with nine lives. There was more to Juan than met the eye, and she intended to find out what.Debra buckled her seatbelt, bristling when Juan reached over to help."I can do it myself.""Alright."The air in the car crackled with tension. In the end, Debra broke the silence."Wha
Debra stopped in her tracks, a playful glint in her eyes. "Why should I agree to this? I'm just a trainee at Potter Entertainment. What's in it for me?"Juan met her gaze. "You still hold shares in McKinney Group. If Potter Group profits, so does McKinney, and your dividends go up. It's a win-win."Debra couldn't argue with that logic. To the world, she was a fallen heiress drowning in debt. The meager dividends from the McKinney Group weren't going to fund her champagne lifestyle."Okay," she relented, walking back. "But I have conditions."Juan raised an eyebrow. "Name them.""This is a one-time deal, and you keep your distance," Debra said, taking a step back. "Like this.""Understood," Juan agreed swiftly. "Anything else?""Not for now," Debra said, turning towards the amusement park.A faint smile graced Juan's face as they entered the park. Debra had been there before with her parents. After they passed away, she didn't come again."Pick any ride you want," Juan said. "N
"Alright," Juan responded.Across town in the Nichols family's house, Melody shot up from her seat, her face a thundercloud."What? Juan is at the amusement park with Debra?""That's not all. I heard Juan booked the entire park. And he invested one billion in Potter Entertainment just to convince Debra to go with him," Hester reported.With Shelia out of the picture, she'd seized the chance to worm her way back into the Nichols family. But Juan, fixated on Debra, barely acknowledged her existence.She'd only found out about today's escapade when she overheard whispers at the Nichols Group headquarters."That foolish boy," Melody fumed. "What is he thinking?"Now that the Frazier family was broke, Juan shouldn't waste any more time on Debra. He was supposed to divorce her as soon as possible.Melody said, "Call Joe. Tell him it's an order from me. Juan should come home now.""Yes, Mrs. Nichols Sr." Hester eagerly pulled out her phone.Joe hesitated for a moment before answerin
The moment the words escaped Debra's lips, she wished she could reel them back in.She'd seen the affection in Juan's eyes, unchanged and unyielding. He'd gambled everything on her once, and she knew he'd do it again in a heartbeat."If you want, they're all yours," Juan said without the slightest hesitation."What if I'm not joking?""I'm not either.""Forget it. I'm tired of this game. What's next?"Debra marched towards the amusement park exit, leaving Juan stunned in place.She tossed over her shoulder and said, "Don't tell me this is all you've got planned."Juan always had a backup plan. And with a grand gesture like renting out an entire amusement park, there had to be more. After all, he had even conquered his acrophobia."There's more," he said, following her lead.Whenever he tried to get closer, Debra would step forward just in time. The distance between them seemed to be as unbridgeable as that single step.Across town at Marion's place, Randy catapulted off the
"Happy birthday, Debra!""Thank..."Before Debra could finish her sentence, a voice like nails on a chalkboard echoed through the mall. "Booking out the whole mall? Quite the spectacle."The crowd parted as Melody Nichols swept in, her eyes locked onto Debra like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. Behind her, a squadron of bodyguards swiftly secured the area, drawing curious stares from onlookers.Debra's smile faded faster than a snowflake in summer."Ms. Frazier, wasn't it you who was so eager to divorce Juan? And now, here you are, coaxing him into throwing you this lavish birthday party. Is your family fortune running dry? Hoping to weasel your way back into the Nichols' good graces?" Melody scoffed, her eyes flashing with contempt. "Keep dreaming."Juan's expression darkened like a storm cloud. "Grandma..."Joe rushed in, taken aback by the scene unfolding before him. Melody, it seemed, had strong-armed her way into Juan's financial records and tracked them down to the mall."
"Joe, escort my grandmother out," Juan commanded, his voice as hard as steel.Joe hesitated before stepping forward. "Mrs. Nichols Sr., please, let's go.""Get lost!" Melody snapped, swatting Joe's hand away.She planted herself squarely in front of Debra. Her eyes were cold, her smile colder. "Listen here, Debra. I know your family's broke and you're desperate for cash, but Juan and you have filed for divorce. So, you're not weaseling your way back into our family. Not on my watch. And you won't see a dime of the marital assets."Juan's anger boiled over. "Grandma, that's enough."Joe advised her, "Mrs. Nichols Sr., you should really leave now. Mr. Nichols is already upset."Just then, Debra spoke up. "Fine. Let's clear this up. Please have Juan sign the divorce agreement as soon as possible. I've sent over dozens of copies, all torn to shreds by him. I don't know if he has a masochistic streak. I've been very clear, yet he still refuses to divorce me."Melody, who always cared