The director, acutely aware of Cathryn's status, maintained a respectful demeanor towards her. Cathryn approached Juan, greeting him with a polite nod. "Mr. Nichols."Juan hummed in response.Cathryn glanced around the set before inquiring, "Where is Mrs. Nichols?"Juan's heart constricted slightly. The director quickly interjected, "Ms. Frazier isn't here today because she's not feeling well.""Oh, that's a shame," Cathryn replied, taking her seat in the special guest area. As today's honored guest, she had been looking forward to controlling Debra's debut. It was indeed a pity that Debra wasn't present.Seeing that no one else was speaking, the director wisely moved on to other tasks, and the show continued as planned.The female trainees from the trainee team took the stage, their energetic dance routine eliciting excited cheers from the audience.Debra sat in the most conspicuous spot, wearing a mask to conceal her identity. She clapped slowly, her eyes not on the performe
The words that were supposed to help Debra seemed to only push Freya further into her madness.Juan, realizing this, shouted, "Shut up!"Cathryn was scared into silence.Edgar asked Freya sternly, "What do you want?""I just want to destroy her and this show," she shouted, her voice shaking with emotion. "I've sacrificed so much for this show. But just before it started, I got kicked out and was required to pay a huge penalty. You made me do this."Debra, surprisingly calm, just smiled and spoke quietly."It was Cathryn who made you do this, right?""It has nothing to do with anyone else. I want your life.""If you take my life, Oscar won't like you. You won't continue with the show, and you'll still face the penalty. Who's going to pay that? I think it's Cathryn."Freya's grip on the knife loosened slightly, her resolve wavering. Debra pressed on, her voice steady and reassuring."Now that the show is ruined, Cathryn's demand was probably for you to kill me. She'll pay the p
Cathryn watched with bated breath as Freya held the knife, anticipating the moment she would stab Debra.But to her dismay, Freya's hand dropped. The instant Freya ceased her threat, security guards stormed in, seizing her and pulling her away from Debra.Debra took two hurried steps back, and Juan rushed over to check on her. His gaze lingered on a red mark marring her collarbone.He froze, and Debra adjusted her clothes. "I'm fine. Thank you, Mr. Nichols."She pulled away from him. Cathryn was disappointed, her eyes fixed on Freya. She couldn't comprehend why Freya hadn't followed through with their plan.Freya, in turn, shot Cathryn a cold, knowing look. A hint of panic flickered across Cathryn's face as she realized the potential consequences if Freya ratted her out.Even if her words were seen as false accusations, they might alert Debra."Mr. Nichols, what should we do with her?" one of the security guards asked.Juan replied sternly, "Take her away and send her to the
"Yes."Debra saw no reason to hide it from Juan any longer. She took a deep breath and said calmly, "I hope we can proceed with the divorce as soon as possible."Juan felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. It was so intense that he could hardly breathe."Does it have to be this way?"Debra paused mid-step, her back to him. Slowly, she revealed the harsh truth. "Juan, I don't love you anymore."Those simple words felt like a dagger twisting in his heart. He instinctively clutched his chest, the pain almost unbearable.As the head of the Nichols family, he had weathered many storms and losses, but he had nearly forgotten the raw, aching sensation of heartbreak. Until now.Debra went on to leave, her expression serene. Before uttering those words, she recalled the first time she met Juan and how he held her hand, guiding her forward.She had truly loved him, but that love belonged to a different lifetime. Given a second chance, she refused to repeat her mistakes.Her love for Ju
Freya's request made Debra laugh. "Debut?""I've worked so hard as a trainee. My talent is unparalleled. I could have debuted by now if it weren't for you. I'm coming back. I belong on stage," Freya declared, her eyes blazing with a mix of rage and desperation.But Debra could see right through her. "Tell me, Freya. Have you been working hard for your career or Oscar?""Of course, it's...""You saw me talking to Oscar and recklessly slandered me. Are you sure it's not Oscar who made you want to be a trainee?"Women like Freya, who appeared aloof and unwilling to open up, were often proud. Their actions were driven by a desire to attract attention, especially from those they admired.Debra continued, "Your so-called dream is to get Oscar to notice you and stand alongside you. But despite all your efforts, you can't even confess your love to him.""Enough!" Freya snapped. "What do you know?"Debra remained indifferent in the face of her anger. "Okay, you can debut.""Really?" Fr
Debra was surprised by Oscar's words.His ears were tinged with red, a sign of his nervousness. It was clear that he was not accustomed to showing concern for others."Are you concerned about me?""Looks like you're fine. I'll head off.""Wait.""Anything else?" Oscar stopped in his tracks."This is a good chance. Have all the trainees terminate their contracts," she said, holding out a bundle towards him.Oscar's eyes widened as he took the bundle and realized it contained twenty bank cards."What's wrong?""Is the money enough?""It's just right. Have them sign the termination papers, and I'll take care of the rest.""Alright."Oscar left, and Debra smiled.Oscar's behavior reminded her of the first time she met Michael. But unlike Michael, who was always full of schemes, Oscar was a clear-eyed college student, straightforward and honest.Meanwhile, Henry was in a state of panic. In front of him were the termination contracts from all the male trainees."Mr. Cameron, w
Debra's plan was well laid, but Andrew flashed a smile."If Edgar knew you played him like this, draining all his investment funds, he wouldn't let you off easily.""It's just a few billion. The president of the Odom Group shouldn't be holding a grudge over that, should he?"Debra shrugged, but deep down, she knew Edgar would eventually discover her scheme.Although the Potter Group and the McKinney Group had business dealings, Edgar remained oblivious to the fact that Debra was the one pulling the strings behind the McKinney Group.Naturally, he wouldn't have suspected her involvement in luring away the trainees and sabotaging the program.But secrets had a way of surfacing, and Debra knew her earlier boasting in front of Edgar would make him wary and suspicious. However, she was prepared to face the consequences and go head-to-head with him if necessary.Andrew leaned back in his chair. "Training those trainees cost me a lot of money."Debra sat down across from him. "Isn't a
Juan had withdrawn his investment, yet Debra seemed unfazed. This could only mean one thing. Someone else was secretly backing Debra.Edgar had underestimated her, but it was becoming increasingly clear that she was a force to be reckoned with.A soft knock at the door heralded the arrival of a maid. "Sir, Mr. Blair and Miss Miles are here."The mention of Declan brought him a sense of relief, but learning that Shelia had come too caused his lips to curl into a sneer.'Shelia has gone to plead with Melody behind the scenes, showing no signs of submission. It's high time I teach her a lesson.'"Tell them to wait for me in the front hall," Edgar instructed."Sure, sir," the maid acknowledged, swiftly retreating.Edgar stood, adjusting his sleeves with a sense of purpose. He needed to meet Shelia and have a serious conversation with her.Shelia sat down at the table, her eyes wandering nervously around the room. After a moment of hesitation, she turned to Declan. "Dad, can't we ju
"I'll get it done by tomorrow noon," Marion replied."No." Andrew shook his head. "Everyone needs to be gone right after the funeral."Marion nodded. "Have Barton give me a roster. I'll make sure no one stays behind."Andrew added, "Also, I need your help gathering forces and weapons.""Don't you have weapons?""We do, but we need more. And Debra will stay with me tomorrow. Do you have a problem with that?""Can I?""No, you can't."Debra tugged at Marion's sleeve. "You'll be busy tomorrow, and I'll be safer with Andrew."Marion understood her point. "I'll leave someone to protect you.""No, you can't," Andrew insisted. "No one else stays."Marion frowned. "What are you planning?""Barton will assist you tomorrow. Come back at six in the afternoon," Andrew said. "Everything is arranged. You can go rest now."Debra chimed in, "I still don't understand."Marion cut her off. "Got it. I'll handle everything."He took Debra's hand and led her to leave.Debra asked, "Why didn
At the Potter Mansion, Marion was bandaging Debra's wound.She saw his careful look and teased him, "Relax. You're hurting me more like this."He stiffened, and she smiled, "I'll do it myself."She reached for the bandage, but he gently stopped her hand. "You don't have much time to heal."She nodded. "I know."Marion looked up. "I believe they'll make a move soon.""I have the same feeling.""So, we need to come up with a plan.""Indeed."Debra's voice dropped even lower. The past few days, she had been feeling like their time together was running out. Jeffrey's appearance was a threat to their lives.Among them, only she knew about rebirth. If Jeffrey managed to reset everything, she didn't know if they could still remember everything that had happened. She and her friends might forget each other.She didn't want to lose Marion or any of her friends.Marion took her hand. "Rest for a few more days and leave everything to me.""Okay." Debra nodded.Barton knocked on the
"No." Liza shook her head. "I'm just curious."Fermin put a finger on his lips and whispered, "Kids shouldn't be so curious."Liza stopped talking and left with him. She noticed the guards' fearful looks and asked, "Why are they all so scared of you?""The weak fear the strong. That's the rule of society." Fermin paused, looking at her. "But you don't need to worry. With me around, no one can bully you."Liza leaned forward. "Can you make peace with Debra and her people?""Oh?""You shot her.""Look, I didn't kill her for your sake.""But she was kind to me.""So, I only shot her in the shoulder.""That makes me upset.""Well, next time, I'll let her shoot back."Fermin opened the car door, placed her favorite pink pillow on the seat, and adjusted it to her liking before letting her get in. Then he helped her buckle up.Liza pouted. "You're making me lose all my friends."Fermin, driving with one hand, asked casually, "Who is more important, your friends or me?""You're
Feeling someone behind him, Fermin swiftly turned and struck out.Juan dodged but saw a dagger hidden in Fermin's sleeve."Mr. Eaton, aren't you being a bit too cautious?" he said.Fermin smiled, but his voice was cold. "I don't like people sneaking up on me. Next time, this knife might slit your throat."Juan threw his hands up. "I mean no harm."Liza tugged at Fermin's sleeve. He looked down at her and slowly lowered the dagger. "I'm taking her with me. If Jeffrey has any problems, he can talk to me."He went inside and grabbed Liza's suitcase."I don't..." she protested."Don't want to go?" Fermin pinched her cheek. "Say that again."Liza held back her words. "I'll go with you."Satisfied, Fermin let go of her cheek.Juan suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Eaton, do you have time for a private talk?""There's nothing to talk about between us," Fermin said flatly.Liza glanced at Juan and blurted, "Just talk to him."Fermin raised an eyebrow. "Why do you speak up for him?""I nee
"I can cover your airfare," Juan replied."I'm not leaving," Liza sulked. "I'll stay here. Tell Fermin to come see me, or I'll..."Jeffrey's voice came from upstairs. "Or what?"Liza shivered and looked over. The man was looking down at her from a commanding height.She had seen Jeffrey in that cave, but she hadn't felt anything unusual at the time. Now, his presence was so overwhelming that she found it hard to breathe.Jeffrey then turned to Juan. "Miss Eaton is a guest. Give Fermin a call and tell him to come over."Juan nodded and ordered the maid, "Prepare a room for Miss Eaton."The maid quickly went to prepare the room. Liza restrained her arrogance and followed behind the maid.Late at night, Liza was tossing and turning. There wasn't even a bottle of water in the room.Suddenly, footsteps in the hallway broke the quietness of the night.A wave of fear swept over her. She was afraid that some freak from the Nichols family would come to harm her. She quickly ducked bac
Under the cover of the night, Liza slipped out with her suitcase.When Randy sent someone to take Liza to the airport, they found her room empty."Did you check the surveillance footage?" Debra asked upon hearing the news."An hour ago, she left with her suitcase," Erica replied.Randy sighed, "She just can't stay put. Going home was the best choice for her."Debra wasn't so worried about it. "Cancel the ticket. No matter where she goes, she won't be in danger.""Why not?" Erica was puzzled."She's Liza Eaton. Most people won't dare touch her. And since she's Fermin's sister, Jeffrey won't harm her. Just have someone follow her and make sure she gets back to Fermin."Erica sighed, "Now we have to clean up her mess. Doesn't she ever use her brain? If Fermin listened to her, he wouldn't have shot you in the first place.""What can we do? She's a rich girl who has never known real hardship." Randy shrugged, turning to Debra. "I'll let my people follow her.""Good," Debra replied
Randy didn't argue with Liza, knowing it was Bert's trick to comfort her.But everyone else there could see the truth.Fermin must have cracked under the pressure of growing up in the Eaton family and developed a second personality.Debra still felt something was off. The Eaton family had been keeping this whole thing under wraps. There had to be more to it.Erica muttered, "No wonder the media never reported anything about twins. Turns out Garland doesn't even exist."Liza sighed, "I've told you everything I know. I just want to apologize on Fermin's behalf. Debra, I don't think he really wanted to kill you. He..." "He was just blinded by greed and desperate to find the treasure?" Randy chimed in.Liza hung her head. Given the influence of the Eaton family, they didn't need any treasure. With the time and effort spent searching for it, they could've closed countless big deals.And yet, Fermin still went ahead with it.Debra concluded, "It doesn't matter why he did it. Fermi
Marion and Debra came down the stairs hand in hand.Randy teased, "Well, well, look who finally decided to get out of bed."Marion tossed an apple to him. Randy caught it and wiped it on his shirt. "Hey, don't waste food."Debra noticed Oscar, Chace, Theda, and Robert were all there. She stepped forward and said, "It's rare to see everyone together like this."Drake said, "Thanks to you, we're all on the same team now."Erica frowned. "We chose to be on this team."Drake shrugged. "I was speaking the truth."Just then, Liza quietly came downstairs. Everyone fell silent."Debra, I'm sorry. I didn't know Fermin would shoot at you," she muttered."I kept him close. It's not your fault," Debra replied."I thought he wouldn't show up," Liza said, her voice trailing off."I'm not mad at you. But I want to know more about his condition," Debra replied.Liza lowered her head and began to explain, "Actually, I had two brothers. My mom was pregnant with twins. One of them died, but h
Marion looked at the bandages on the table. "Weren't you just crying from the pain a second ago?""It doesn't hurt when I remove it myself. But when you do it in front of me, I feel bad and want to cry," Debra replied.Marion didn't know what to say. He sprinkled some medicine on her wound, and she immediately felt a cool, soothing sensation."Did you used to eat candy when you were hurt?""No.""Huh?""I don't like sweet stuff. It's Drake. We used to go on missions together. He was hot-tempered and often got hurt. He didn't bother carrying any candy, so he'd always stuff it in my pocket. I didn't know if it worked or not, but it seemed to help him.""No wonder.""There you go. Just rest for now. Don't think about anything.""Alright." Debra lay down but poked her head out from under the blanket. "Aren't you curious about how I made it back?""I don't want to ask.""Why?"Everyone else had been eager to know.She noticed his frown and said, "Actually, it was..."Marion qu