Hannah's gaze swept over the crowd. "Debra went to find Oscar because I told her to. Who said anything about them dating?""What?" Freya staggered back, shock written all over her face. "But just now, it looked like they were... "Her voice trailed off as she replayed the scene in her mind. Debra and Oscar hadn't shown any signs of affection. It was just Oscar's protective stance that had set her off.Debra's voice was sharp enough to cut glass. "You're just jealous. You're the one who wants to keep Oscar all to yourself.""That's a lie!" Freya tried to argue.Debra snorted, "You don't even dare admit that you like someone. It shows that your feelings are trivial. No wonder Oscar doesn't even look at you.""You...""You messed up, and out of jealousy, you slandered me and Oscar. But have you ever thought that if this slander becomes true, you're not just driving me away, you're also ruining Oscar's future? You're so selfish. Why should he like you?"Freya crumpled, her shoulder
Freya leveled a warning glare at Debra. "I suggest you stay away from Oscar. His mother is not someone you want to mess with."With that, she pushed her suitcase and stormed off.Debra's mind whirred like a well-oiled machine. If Oscar was an illegitimate child, then his mother must have been the mistress of the Odom family patriarch.A plan began to form in her mind.Across town at the Nichols family's residence, Hester was dutifully massaging Melody's shoulders. "Juan hasn't been home lately. Shouldn't we call him?""He's becoming more and more disobedient," Melody huffed, guiding Hester's hands away. "His heart is with Debra. You need to step up your game, Hester. Then he'll have to marry you."Hester bit her lip, her eyes downcast. "But it's not that simple. Juan..."She was still in college, young and attractive, with a pleasant personality, but Juan had always been indifferent to her, treating her like a stranger.Melody said meaningfully, "Men are all the same. Find the
Melody's face clouded over. She shoved Shelia aside, her voice shaking with anger. "You shameless woman, how dare you show your face here again?"Shelia stumbled, falling to the ground. She'd chosen her outfit carefully. The long, form-fitting dress accentuated her swollen belly.Melody's gaze softened at the sight of the bump, but her voice remained stern. "I took you in and gave you a haven to have your baby. And this is how you repay me? You carry Juan's child and turn to another man? You're a disgrace."Shelia bowed her head, tears streaming down her face. "I was forced into it. I love Juan, you know that. The Odoms took me away, saying they knew where my father was. I had no choice."She sobbed, her shoulders shaking. Melody frowned, her expression wavering. "Is this true?"Shelia nodded pitifully. "I made a mistake, but it's because I never had a father. I just wanted to find him."Melody had seen the news, knowing Shelia's father was the head of the Blair family. Declan wa
"Is something wrong?" Debra asked.Sophie wouldn't come to find her for nothing.Sophie glanced around, and Debra said, "Come with me."Debra led Sophie to an empty meeting room, handing her a cup of tea. "Now you can speak."Sophie took a deep breath before speaking. "It's Miss Miles. She came back."Debra was surprised. 'Shelia is supposed to be with Edgar. Why did she suddenly return to the Nichols family?'She said nonchalantly, "Sophie, I'm no longer Mrs. Nichols. You know I'm in the middle of a divorce with Juan. It's only a matter of time."Sophie persisted, "Shelia isn't a good woman. Mr. Nichols was only under her spell before. He was drugged and..."She knew this was an unsavory topic but felt compelled to speak up. "I've seen how you care for Mr. Nichols since the day you entered the house. Now Mr. Nichols only wants you, and I don't want to see Shelia ruining everything, so...""I understand. You want me to reconcile with Juan." Debra shook her head gently. "But fr
"What did you say? Shelia isn't a Blair?"In the opulent bedroom, Sophie dropped the bombshell.Melody's eyebrows shot up. "Where did you hear this?"Sophie leaned in, her voice a conspiratorial whisper. "Rumors are flying, but we can't take any chances. Not with Miss Miles carrying Mr. Nichols' child. We can't have some woman of dubious background waltzing into the Nichols' family."Melody nodded thoughtfully. The identity was crucial. If Juan married a supposed Blair, only to find out later she wasn't, it would be another blow to the Nichols family."Send an invitation to the Blair family in my name. Ask Declan for dinner at the Royal Grand Hotel tomorrow night.""Will do."Sophie scurried off and secretly texted Debra.Debra read the message with a smirk. She'd already dug into Shelia's past, so Melody's invitation didn't surprise her.But she needed to beat Melody to the punch. Shelia was using her supposed blood ties with the Blair family and the baby to worm her way into
Debra spoke meaningfully. "Oh, by the way, Melody has started to suspect Shelia's identity. I'm sure you'll be receiving a call soon to arrange a meeting so she can conduct her interrogation. Melody is old and cares about status. I hope that won't bother you."She stood up and signaled to the waiter. "There's no need to serve the food. Please pack everything up for Mr. Blair to take away. I believe Declan has lost his appetite, at least for dining with me."The waiter nodded, though his expression revealed confusion. Debra didn't wait for a response, turning on her heel and leaving the restaurant.Declan slammed his fist on the table, his face contorted with displeasure.Debra knew what Declan was thinking. Whether Shelia was his daughter or not, he had clearly made up his mind. After the humiliation Melody had dealt him, he wouldn't let this go easily.Melody's pride was legendary, and tomorrow's dinner invitation promised a spectacle worth watching.Outside the Royal Grand Hote
Melody's words sliced through the air like a sharpened blade."Hmph, how can you expect me to greet you with a smile when you've stolen Shelia away?"Declan had initially harbored doubts about Debra's claims, but the scene unfolding before him was swiftly dispelling them. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of life Jade would have if she married into the Nichols family.Next door, Debra continued her meal at a leisurely pace, while Randy and Erica, who had been engrossed in conversation earlier, now quietly munched on seeds.They exchanged glances, silently acknowledging the poor soundproofing and their unexpected entertainment.Debra felt a sense of satisfaction as she perceived the escalating tension. Had Declan come alone, Melody might have feigned kindness and engaged in polite conversation.But Declan's decision to bring Edgar was a clear sign of disrespect toward Melody. And if there was one thing Melody didn't handle well, it was disrespect.Declan slammed his hand on t
Declan stormed out of the room, leaving behind a wave of stifled laughter from the eavesdroppers in the next room.It was hard to believe a supposedly philanthropist could argue so bitterly with a renowned old lady.Randy was holding back laughter so hard that his face was turning an interesting shade of red.A loud crash echoed as Melody, in her rage, upended the table. The sudden noise startled everyone, and a waiter rushed in to clean up the mess. Only then did the suppressed laughter burst forth."I didn't expect Melody could be so harsh. She was almost cursing," Erica said. "This is the juiciest thing I've ever heard."She turned to Debra and continued, "This has dashed Shelia's hope of marrying into the Nichols family."Debra raised an eyebrow. "With things having turned out like this, Melody has no more reason to keep Shelia around."In truth, someone like Jade would have been a prime marriage partner for the Nichols family. Her age was suitable. Her family background was
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
Debra pulled up to the East Dock.To avoid being recognized, she stayed in the car and motioned for Drake to go ahead.Drake glanced at the row of thugs standing on the dock. His expression darkened. "Why didn't you tell me there'd be so many people?"Debra shrugged. "Relax. Most of them are your people. You show up, and they'll fall in line."Drake was speechless but got a picture of the situation. Many of the thugs bore distinctive tattoos of the Lowe Group. They were undoubtedly traitors who had infiltrated his ranks.Selling his machines without his permission was a serious offense.He got out of the car and made a quick call before heading toward the group.The leader of the thugs was a burly man in his forties. Both of his arms were tattooed. He frowned at the sight of Drake. "What is your boss thinking? Sending one guy to pick up the goods?"The shipment was an entire boatload of machines. The unloading work alone would need at least 20 workers.Drake had pulled a cap
"Yeah." Debra nodded."Huh? Aren't you a spoiled rich lady? I thought you were like my sister, never lifting a finger for anything," said Garland.Liza grumbled, "Says who? I can make chocolate.""Right, if melting chocolate and putting it into a mold counts," Garland scoffed.Andrew suddenly lost his appetite. He put down his fork and knife. "Barton, pack the food and send it upstairs. It's too crowded down here. I can't eat like this."Randy protested, "Wait. If you take the food away, what are we going to eat?""Didn't you and Erica already eat at the hotel? You probably don't have room for a second dinner," Andrew replied blandly.Randy blushed when their date was exposed. He jumped up and rushed up the stairs.Erica casually whistled as she strolled upstairs.Liza and Garland were puzzled.Debra watched Andrew leave and sighed. 'Sure enough, it's not easy to pacify him.'Marion saw her frustrated expression. "Did you upset him?"Debra explained what had happened during