"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
Debra swiftly pulled out a stun gun as Juan was about to tear her clothes.Juan collapsed on the floor, his face flushed red.Rubbing her temples, Debra muttered to herself, "If this isn't handled properly, it could affect his health."Dragging Juan towards the bathroom, Debra drew a tub of cold water. After confirming it wouldn't be lethal, she started removing Juan's clothes.But just then, Juan opened his eyes.Debra froze in mid-motion. 'Damn! Looks like the stun gun isn't strong enough.'"Listen, I'm trying to help you, nothing more," she said, raising her hands high.The effects of the drug still lingered, but the shock had jolted Juan awake a bit."Get out!" he croaked.Debra ran out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.Soon, the sound of running water filled the bathroom.Seizing the opportunity, Debra went upstairs. As she reached the guest room, a strange fragrance greeted her.It was mixed with the aroma of the essential oil Juan often used for better sl
"Really?" Carrie's eyes lit up, but soon she deflated. "Someone so impressive wouldn't be interested in me. I wonder why he's here at our school. Can't be to pick up his girlfriend, right?"Shelia quickly thought of Debra.At the auction, Marion had defended Debra, so something might be going on between them.Sure enough, after Debra and Randy came out of Building #2, they headed towards Marion's car together.Marion even courteously opened the car door for Debra.This scene left Carrie stunned. "Isn't she a mistress trying to steal your boyfriend? How come she's getting into someone else's car? Does she know Mr. Houston? Unbelievable!"Shelia felt jealous. 'Why does Debra always have men surrounding her?'Inside the car, Randy naturally took on the role of the driver."You called me over so urgently. Did you find out who anonymously spread the rumors?"Marion was always so efficient."The ID was newly registered, but we managed to track down her IP.""Where is it?""Right
Liza grinned cheekily, "My allowance has gone up every year, but don't lose heart. I'll tell Dad to raise your allowance too."She looked at Garland's sullen face and patted his shoulder. "Cheer up. I'm off shopping."She leisurely hummed a song and skipped away.Far away in Seamar City, Robert was reporting his duties to Theda."These past few days, most of the McKinney Group's clients have jumped ship and joined us. Now that their artists are on hiatus, we can grab their endorsement deals. Within a month, we'll swallow up all the resources they're holding onto," he said."Is Debra doing nothing about this?" Theda asked."She did," Robert replied. "Michael has been working around the clock. Debra's trying to use him to salvage the situation. But it's not working.""Michael may be their ace, and Debra's relying on him to secure only luxury brand endorsements. But if she doesn't care about the smaller deals, we'll take them," Theda said, tapping her chin. "Without clients or reso
On a beach overseas, Debra lay on a lounge chair.In front of her was the blue sky, white clouds, and the endless ocean. The golden sand glittered in the sunlight.She wore sunglasses and flashed a peace sign for a picture before posting it on social media.In the picture, she showed half her face, while the other half captured their artists building a sandcastle.The caption read, [Blue skies, white clouds, the ocean, playful employees, and a boss you'll never have.]The comments section quickly exploded.[I know team building, but I've never heard of a boss taking their employees abroad for it. I want such a boss.][Girl, you just took away all my idols.][The McKinney Group's artists have all gone on break. My happiness is gone.]...In floral trunks, Garland was grumbling while digging in the sand with a shovel, "Your wedding hasn't even happened, and you're already on a honeymoon? You can have your honeymoon. Why let me arrange everything and foot the bills?"Liza heard
Erica chimed in, "Right now, with half the entertainment industry's resources in their hands, their artists are already strained. If they take our deals too, those artists will be run into the ground. Even if they worked 24/7, they wouldn't be able to handle that kind of workload.""To capitalists, artists are just tools to make money. They couldn't care less about how the tools feel. And since those artists are mostly rookies, their rates are relatively low. After layers of exploitation, the pay they take home won't match the work they're doing," Debra replied. "Meanwhile, our artists are enjoying paid vacations for two months, traveling and relaxing. Do you think the Buchan Group's artists will feel okay with that? These are skilled professionals, but they're stuck doing assembly-line work. With such intense workloads, their performance will inevitably suffer, and the quality of their work will drop. For artists, no good work means no staying power. Their popularity will fade, and a
"She's probably trying to catch us off guard with this move," Debra said, calming down. "She's pushing her artists to work nonstop, taking on every gig they can get. By marketing them so aggressively, she's maintaining a temporary buzz. Advertisers will shift their partnerships from our artists to hers. If we lose most of our clients all at once, it'll throw our company into chaos. That's when she will swoop in."Andrew muttered, "So, it's a mind game? Theda knows how to play dirty."But Erica still looked troubled. "Now we know what she's doing. What can we do? Just sit by when she steals our clients?"If they lost their clients, their artists' commercial value would plummet. That would be a heavy blow to their business. Their revenue would dive, and they would lose their standing in Seamar City.Debra smiled mysteriously, "If Theda wants to disrupt us, we'll meet changes with constancy.""What do you mean?" Erica was puzzled."Didn't Michael just say that artists aren't machine
Compared to those mass-produced artists, these people under Theda's management had been trained for years.They were different from those who debuted just because of their looks. These people were versatile and unique in their own ways.Randy mumbled, "I've tried my best, but every time we fight back, they come up with something new. The advertisers we worked with before saw the momentum behind their publicity. Plus, their new talents were cheaper, so they all switched sides. Our ad revenue has dropped significantly. Even our commercial street has to feature ads for those Buchan artists. It's like quenching a thirst with poison."Erica chimed in, "This is the least we can do. Their artists are riding the tide. It makes sense that advertisers would go for them. We can't just tell people not to run ads for them."Debra nodded. "Advertisers choose who's trending. And those newcomers are popular and affordable. Michael is better but beyond the average advertisers' reach."Erica got an
Soon, the interrogators came out of the room. It seemed they wouldn't get any answers today.Kale had been waiting outside the station.When Drake and Debra walked out, he quickly went up."Boss, the plane tickets are ready.""Good."Before getting into the car, Drake said, "I'll give you an answer within three days. Don't forget our bet."Debra shook her head, surprised that he took that lopsided deal so seriously.Her phone rang with a call from Erica. "Check the news!"Debra, sensing her urgency, opened the news app.The top headline was about Buchan Entertainment. The article showcased a lineup of attractive artists and members of popular bands.Randy's words resurfaced in her mind. When she had just returned to Seamar City, he mentioned that a surge of artists had become wildly popular, rivaling the fame of Michael back in the day.Since Oscar left the entertainment industry to take over the Odom Group, these artists had been gaining even more momentum, almost as if the
"You think I'm scared of being caught?" Drake tried to pull his arm away, but Debra held on tightly.In the end, Drake snapped, "Fine! I won't go."The police were already closing in. Running now would only make things worse. Being dragged back in cuffs wasn't exactly appealing.Debra let go of him and smiled cheerfully, "Thank you for your cooperation."Pedro personally led the operation. Within minutes, the officers subdued the six thugs and loaded them into the vans.Pedro glanced at Debra and pointed at Drake. "About Mr. Lowe..."Debra explained, "Mr. Lowe is a witness. He's cooperating with us to clear his name and assist in solving this case. Isn't that touching, Mr. Hardy?""Thank you, Mr. Lowe. Much appreciated," Pedro said gratefully.But then he scratched his head and added, "Well, since Mr. Lowe is a witness, he'll need to come to the station for a statement. I know it's inconvenient, but I'm sure a generous and upright person like Mr. Lowe won't mind, right?"Befor
"I'll talk. It was Matthew Ledger. Please, spare me, Mr. Lowe," Silas said, terrified.He was just a small-time worker running errands for the bigshots.Drake narrowed his eyes, not expecting Matthew to be so bold."Boss, what should we do with these people?" Kale asked."Bind them all up." Drake glanced at the boat. "Stuff them in there, along with the machines, and send them to the West Factory. We'll go meet Matthew.""Yes, boss." Kale gave orders to cram those men into boxes.Among the group, six men suddenly pulled out their guns. "Don't move!"Debra saw it and opened the car door.Looking nothing special, these people had blended into the crowd and acted only at the critical moment.Debra knew that the shipment of so many machines couldn't go unsupervised. She hadn't noticed anyone hidden earlier, but it turned out they'd been embedded within the group.Clearly, whoever was behind this had infiltrated Drake's company."Stand back!" The six men grouped, scanning their s
Presumably, Silas had smuggled out countless machines and made a fortune over the years.Drake pulled out a bank card and said, "There's not much in here, but it's got 300-500 thousand dollars. I'd appreciate it if you guys could help carry all the machines down. Consider this a tip."Everyone was excited to hear that. It was easy money to make.The leader quickly ordered his men to unload the cargo. Drake handed the card over and glanced at his watch.Then he looked over at the car parked 100 meters away from the dock.Inside, Debra rolled down the window but had no intention of stepping in. She was simply enjoying the show.The men brought down the boxes, emptying the cargo ship.Drake nodded and said, "Thanks, everyone."The leader laughed, "No worries. You've already paid us."Drake smirked, "It's for carrying the evidence down."Before those men could react, Kale and his team sprang from their hiding spots.Realizing it was a trap, the men tried to flee, but Kale's peop