Chapter 420

Debra pondered the underlying meaning behind Marion's words.

The story swirling around was indeed the stuff of legends, but something didn't add up.

With the Houston family's vast empire, tracking down Marion should have been a cakewalk. Yet, for sixteen years, no one had found him. And in all that time, not a whisper of the Houstons surfaced in the tale.

"Do you know how my family rose to power?"

"The military?"

The Houston family had always leaned on their military might to build their business. Over time, they'd gone legit, but their roots remained firmly planted in the armed forces. Even now, their old loyalists held sway in major military units.

"Debra, the reason I couldn't always be by your side was because I had to follow orders from the Houston higher-ups. But now that I'm in charge, that won't happen again," he said, squeezing her hand. "I'll protect you from all sorts of harm."

Debra didn't press further. She understood Marion was trying to keep her safe and to keep h