As Debra's smile faded, Jordan felt a rush of satisfaction.But in the next instant, Debra smiled again and said, "I never expected you to be so immature."Jordan frowned. "What did you say?""If you really had the guts to make a move on me, would you have secretly arranged to meet me?" Debra pushed him aside and sauntered around the private room."There are no cameras here, and it's noisy outside. No one would notice this small room. Are you afraid that your attempt to meet me secretly will be discovered by Juan or Andrew? It means you don't dare do anything to me."She sat down on the sofa and casually took a bite of an apple.She had been to such places before. Rooms like this were classified as top-tier in terms of secrecy. Usually, only important figures conducted deals here, and even a fly couldn't escape unnoticed.She looked at Jordan with a challenging gaze. "So, stop your childish threats. You can't scare me."Compared to the kidnapping by Aaron, this was child's play
Clearly, Jordan and Andrew had a unique bond.It just wasn't well-known to outsiders.Perhaps sensing Debra's thoughts, Jordan turned away and said, "Don't think you have me figured out.""I don't. Just talking randomly." Standing up, Debra said, "Alright, I've been here long enough. Can I go now?"Scowling, Jordan reached out a hand to stop her. "Wait.""You've kept me here and threatened me. What else do you want?" Debra asked.That was his plan of revenge, but Debra hadn't suffered any losses.On the contrary, Jordan got the short end of the stick.Feeling depressed, he had never been treated like this by any woman before."Do you know Juan has other women in Seamar City?" he suddenly asked."I do," Debra replied casually.It was Shelia.Debra's indifference puzzled Jordan. "You don't care?""It's a business marriage. What's there to care about?" Debra shrugged and added, "Are you trying to drive a wedge between Juan and me?"Jordan snorted, "I'm just saying this man i
"I've already had Randy investigate this. I believe we'll have results soon," Marion said steadily.His words reassured Debra a little."Can you guess who did it?" Marion asked.Debra rubbed her temples, and countless faces flashed through her mind. But no clear answer emerged."I have no idea, but it definitely wasn't Jordan."Marion chuckled, "So, the person you met privately was Jordan.""At a time like this, please don't joke around," Debra replied."If it was Jordan, it would be easy to handle," Marion said.Debra fell silent.That was true. The trending topic only mentioned her meeting a man at a nightclub without revealing his identity.This suggested either the poster didn't want Jordan's identity revealed or simply didn't know who he was, guessing only based on her jacket.The latter seemed more likely. After all, few would dare expose this matter online if they knew it was Jordan."Will the Potter family intervene?" Debra asked."Based on my understanding of Andr
A man like Juan, who had weathered many storms, definitely knew that this disclosure was nothing serious.That was why there had been no news from him after their morning phone call.Debra said, "Okay. Since it was my mistake, I'll go along with whatever you decide.""Just attend a press conference with me," Juan said."That simple?" Debra was puzzled.She didn't believe he would let her off the hook.Juan set down the newspaper in his hand. "Being a loving couple isn't as simple as you think."From his expression, Debra inferred his thoughts.That was true. It was indeed nauseating to act intimately with someone she didn't like.In her previous life, Juan had always resisted attending major events with her.It wasn't easy for him to pretend to be a loving couple with her."I'll cooperate unconditionally," Debra said, but then regretted it.Juan had Sophie prepare an elegant evening gown. Its blemish white color reminded her of Shelia.In her last life, this dress was worn
"Relax." Juan lowered his voice, casually reminding Debra."I'm not nervous," Debra countered, facing the different camera angles with ease.Juan recalled how seldom Debra attended such events in the past, oblivious to the efforts she had made in her previous life to get closer to him.He never found out, not even after her death.Soon, the product manager finished the introduction. Juan took Debra's hand, and they stepped onto the stage together.The journalists eagerly raised their cameras. Recently, rumors about these two had been circulating online, making many media outlets vie for scoops."This new property developed by the Nichols Group is divided into two sections, A and B. Larger apartments with four to five bedrooms are in A, while smaller ones with one to three bedrooms are in B. Surrounding amenities include large malls, primary and secondary schools, and excellent subway and bus access. The landscaping is designed by top-tier architects, and the interior layouts aim
"Nichols, Debra, you both spoke so well just now. I really learned a lot," Shelia said.Debra couldn't bring herself to smile.Juan and Debra had been displaying their affection, and Shelia seemed to be hinting that it was all for show.She wasn't entirely wrong.There had never been any genuine affection between Debra and Juan."It's crowded here. You should go back to school," Juan said coldly.Debra was surprised because he had never spoken to Shelia like this before.She wondered what had gotten into him today.Soon, she figured it out. Juan must have been cautious because of the journalist's question earlier.Shelia couldn't conceal her disappointment.Since the night of her birthday, Juan had been distancing himself from her. Even though she had called him to explain the matter, it didn't help much."Okay, I'll go back," Shelia agreed.Juan saw Shelia's despondent expression and started to regret his harsh tone.Watching Shelia walk away, Debra remarked, "A girl's he
"Hey, that's my 98-inch Ultra HD TV!" Randy lamented, turning to Marion, and grumbled, "What is wrong with you? It accompanied me for countless days and nights. Just because you were in a bad mood, you broke it. You're simply...""I'll compensate you," Marion interjected.Randy sniffled, changing his tone. "You're simply rich."Marion had no mood for this banter. Randy continued, "Debra was so affectionate with her husband on TV. Does that bother you? Honestly, you should give up on her.""That's just for show.""She even purposely got close to Jordan at school. Is that also for show?""I saw that coming," Marion replied nonchalantly.He knew Debra wouldn't let such a valuable magnet slip by.Sure enough, in just a few days, Jordan and Debra had become acquainted, and the Potter family had even subtly helped Debra handle this matter. It was not merely for the sake of their reputation.They had every reason to distance themselves and smear Debra.After all, she was Juan's wife
Juan never guarded against Melody, who had brought him up.But Debra knew what Melody was capable of.In her previous life, her marriage to Juan was orchestrated by Melody.Melody had tampered with the wine without telling her.That was why she had avoided drinking earlier.After searching fruitlessly, Debra was filled with doubt. "Could it be my imagination?"In the dead of night, she tossed and turned in bed, faintly hearing movement downstairs.Since he started coming back often, Juan had cleaned up a guest room, and they had been sleeping in separate rooms like before.Debra pushed open the door and found the light in the kitchen on.She went down the stairs and saw Juan in a loose bathrobe, drinking cold water from the fridge."Juan?" she called out softly.In the dim light, she vaguely saw him stiffen."Why are you out here?" he said, his voice hoarse. "Go back!"His cheeks were unnaturally flushed, and she could tell something was wrong.Panic clawed at Debra's thr
"Wait a little longer. No peeking," Fermin said, covering her eyes as he led Liza forward.Liza frowned. "Are we there yet?""Yes." Fermin moved his hands away.Liza opened her eyes and took in the full view of the manor.She had once wanted to move out and picked out a manor. Sadly, it had been owned by someone else, and Bert wouldn't let her live outside.Now the beautiful landscaping and warm lights were right in front of her. It felt unreal."Did you buy this manor?""Do you like it? This is the one you loved most. I've always remembered.""But that owner refused to sell it."She had secretly asked several times before, but even her identity as an Eaton couldn't get her a deal.Fermin shrugged. "I have my ways. Anything you like, I'll get them for you."Liza faltered, "Did you..."Fermin smiled, "Of course not. I'm a reasonable person."Still, Liza felt uneasy.In the past, if Fermin had bought her a manor like this, she would have thought it was just him being kind t
Debra took off her jacket, revealing the scar on her shoulder.William examined it. "You've healed pretty well.""Marion said the same thing," she replied."You can get surgery this year. The scar removal process is standard. Given how severe the injury was, it's a bit hard for it to be as good as new. Maybe a faint mark will be left.""Alright."As William packed up his medical kit, Debra asked, "Did you come here specifically today?""No, I arrived last night." William paused, quickly correcting himself, "I took a flight and stayed at the hotel.""Okay.""Why do you ask?""You didn't bring a suitcase, so I figured you didn't just get here today.""Perceptive."But then, he felt like Debra had been testing him.Sure enough, everyone from Seamar City seemed to have so many tricks up their sleeves.Debra pressed, "Did you meet Andrew?"William groaned inwardly but acted calm on the surface. "Not really."The room fell silent.Debra's steady gaze made him shift uncomforta
Debra knew that their enemies would come after them sooner or later and that Marion was just trying to comfort her.They needed to grow stronger by then. Or they'd just be at the mercy of others.Marion took Debra's hand in his, his fingers laced with hers."Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will be by your side," he said."I know." She nodded.Suddenly, a coughing sound reached their ears. They turned to see William standing in the doorway.He awkwardly waved at them. "The door wasn't closed, so..."Debra was stunned. "How did you get in?""I'm a regular here, so they let me in. Besides, today's your consultation day. No one would stop me," William replied as he walked in.Debra frowned at the sight of a big medical kit he was carrying. "My injury's almost healed.""You still need a checkup. Also, didn't you mention wanting that scar removal surgery? I need to see how it's healing."Yesterday, Debra had casually mentioned it, and Marion had taken it seriously."I di
Before Debra could respond, Erica's voice came through the phone."Debra, I'm not complaining, but this is getting unbearable. Please hurry back. Drake can't get out of bed. Jordan comes and goes like the wind. Theda is caught up in her own things. Oscar and Chace are gone. It's just the two of us, and we can't hold it together much longer."Debra was swayed. "I...""Three more days," Marion interrupted, "and we'll be right back."Marion took the phone and ended the call.Debra frowned. "The workload is too much. Ben can't handle it alone. Randy and Erica have their own companies to worry about. Three days might be too long.""I've sent someone to help them. We can't leave in the next three days.""Why not?""Fermin escaped."Debra was shocked by the news. The last time she saw Fermin was over a month ago. He had stabbed her and then disappeared."What happened?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"Marion hesitated. "Mr. Eaton Sr. called. They didn't want
It was late at night.Inside the church, soft light filtered through the colored glass, casting a shadow that stretched long and unnerving.Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the vast space. A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask entered."Didn't get the job done, and you're still here to face me?" The bishop's voice was low and ominous.The young man was unfazed. "Debra and Marion are keeping Drake well protected. We had no chance to move. The Potter family guards escorted him the whole way from the airport. We couldn't act."The bishop paused, his fingers tightening around the ring in his hand."The Potter family?" he muttered, "Without Andrew leading them, they're just a bunch of misfits.""It's not so easy to remove Andrew," replied the young man. "Rumor has it that he was crippled in a kidnapping incident, but he's still walking. And another rumor said he was dying, but he's still kicking and alive.""The Four Great Families only have one person like that.
Fermin's men aimed their rifles at Bert.Fermin led Liza downstairs and casually said, "Be careful. Don't let anything go off by accident. The old man's too frail for this.""Fermin..." Liza's face went pale.She knew Fermin wouldn't harm their father, but at that moment, her heart still twisted with worry.Outside, a luxury car pulled up. Fermin raised his hand and ordered, "Fall back."His men quickly withdrew from the property.Bert stood there, barely able to keep himself upright. The butler immediately stepped forward to support him. "Sir, stay strong.""That bastard pointed a gun at me." Bert's words were cut off by a sudden surge of something in his throat.The next second, blood gushed from his mouth.The butler was alarmed. "Sir!"Outside, Liza looked back at the house, worried about Bert.He was too old to handle such a shock.Fermin brushed it off. "Don't worry about him. Get in the car."Liza reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.She'd try to talk to Fermin w
Bert's face darkened as a loud noise echoed from outside the basement.A group of masked men had blown open the basement door.Fermin's shackles were quickly removed, and then he vanished from the surveillance footage.On the second floor, Bert had instructed that Liza be kept under guard to stop her from running around.Sitting on the bed, Liza was worried about Fermin when a sudden loud noise came from outside."Who's there?" She turned pale from fear.When she got up to check, she saw Fermin standing at the door.He had changed into a black shirt, and his face was no longer the mess it had been the day before. Even his stubble had been neatly groomed.He opened his arms with a smile, "Come here.""Fermin." Liza rushed into his arms, hugging him. "Did Dad let you out?"Fermin playfully ruffled her hair. "He didn't let you out, but you still managed to sneak down to the basement. Weren't you afraid of his punishment?""I was worried about you," Liza replied, but her express
Late into the night, Debra leaned against the head of the bed, waiting for Marion to come back after washing his hands.But then, the showering sound echoed from the bathroom.After a while, he walked out. His hair was still damp, and the bathrobe hung loosely on him, revealing his toned muscles and perfect V-shaped lines.The dim light from the bedside lamp reminded Debra of the banquet earlier.Her face flushed. She instinctively reached for the light switch to break the mood, but Marion grabbed her wrist.His palm was warm, and under the soft light, there was a glint of desire in his deep eyes."I'm clean," he croaked, having washed off the scent of blood.In fact, before leaving the castle, he had already changed into a new jacket, worried that Debra might catch the disgusting smell of blood."Alright," she said shyly, a bit overwhelmed by his strong desire.Marion smelled faintly fresh. Different from his usual tobacco, this scent was clean and pure."Don't hurt yourself
"See you around," Michael said, smiling at Marion.His action got under Marion's skin. Taking a deep breath, Marion turned off the stove and took the eggs out.Debra glanced at him. "You seem hostile to Michael.""He's not worth my time," Marion replied flatly, peeling the eggs.Then he walked over to her and gently pressed the egg against her injured spot."This will help reduce the swelling. You went too hard on yourself. It's gonna hurt tomorrow.""Michael was just messing around. Don't be fooled by his innocent look. He's got a mischievous side. I think he just wanted to see if you cared about me. He wasn't trying to provoke you."Marion hummed in response, seemingly unbothered by it.He looked down at the bruise and sighed, "He wasn't wrong about one thing.""What is it?""I failed to take good care of you.""That was my doing. It wasn't your fault.""My job is to protect you. I can't let you get hurt even in the slightest." Marion pinched her nose. "I'll carry you to