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
First and foremost, Edgar would try to get rid of the child in Shelia's womb."Miss Miles, please follow me."A maid came up to lead her upstairs.Shelia hesitated, but with no viable alternative, she reluctantly complied.As they reached the room, she attempted to make a run for it, only to find that the maid had already locked the door behind them. The door was designed to be impenetrable from the inside, leaving her trapped."Open the door. Open the door!"Shelia pounded her fists against the solid wood, but the maid remained unmoved."Mr. Odom said you need to rest, Miss Blair. The doctor will come soon."Shelia's heart was gripped by fear as she listened to the distancing footsteps. She didn't know what Edgar was up to.She quickly retrieved her phone, dialing Juan's number. The call wouldn't connect. She tried Joe next, only to find that he had also blocked her.Panic set in as she understood the extent of her isolation. Edgar was a powerful man, so calling the police w
The bodyguards at the entrance were intimidating.When Debra handed over her invitation, she worried there might be fingerprint scans or facial recognition. That would make things tricky.But the guards barely glanced at it before waving her through. Debra was surprised by how smoothly things went.This castle was one of the top three landmarks overseas, and it had never been open to the public. During the day, it was a tourist attraction. But now, someone managed to host a private banquet right there.Once inside, she was faced with one more hurdle. Rows of scanners stood ahead, all meant to detect any restricted items.Debra was carrying no gun, but Marion had given her a Bluetooth earpiece to stay in contact.To minimize suspicion, they decided to enter separately. She would go in first, and he'd follow shortly after.She hesitated for a moment before taking off the earpiece and tossing it into a shadowed corner.Just as she stepped forward, someone in front of her triggered
When they entered the dream, the gems were real.Fermin had woken up faster than them and taken the gems. Then he must have found a way to hide them or hand them off to someone else.In other words, this whole thing was planned. "If that's the case, Mrs. Houston and the others are in danger," Barton said anxiously, realizing someone in their group was a traitor.The Illuminati couldn't have collected so many rare stones for nothing. There had to be a scheme."I need to think this through," Andrew muttered, pressing his forehead.Barton noticed his pale face and immediately stepped forward. "Sir, are you having another episode? William said you shouldn't stress yourself out. I'll get your medicine.""Come back," Andrew said. "I'm not taking any medicine right now.""It won't work, sir. The doctor warned you against thinking too much. That's why you left Seamar City to enjoy peace. Mrs. Houston has Mr. Houston looking out for her. You don't need to worry, sir."Andrew had thoug
Michael chuckled, "You probably won't believe this, but after I finished work, I found this thing right outside my door.""What?" Debra was shocked.Michael explained, "Since that night you asked me to keep an eye out, I reached out to a few international contacts. But I came up empty. Then, the very next day, this thing was sitting outside my door."Debra mused, "So, you think someone knew you were investigating, so they gave you a shortcut?""If that's the case, then the organization must be massive, and the entertainment industry could very well be their way of spreading their influence," Michael said.A lightbulb went off in Debra's head.At those banquets held by the Lowe family, most of the guests were from the entertainment industry. Whether they were once-famous stars or rising ones, these celebrities were typically the targets of wealthy businessmen.If the entertainment industry was being used to spread Illuminati teachings, then it wasn't the stars trapping the rich m
When the bathroom door opened, Debra was soaking in the bathtub.She asked awkwardly, "Uh, where's the towel?"It was her first time staying in that house, and she hadn't expected the towel not to be in the bathroom.Marion was relieved to see her fine. "I'll get it for you."He walked over to grab the towel, then entered the bathroom and draped it over her shoulders.Her cheeks looked rosy, maybe because of the heat in the bathroom.Worried about her injury, he gently lifted her out of the bathtub. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Their breaths mixed as she was held close to him.His arms were robust, easily lifting her with no effort."Are you tired?""I-I am.""Then lie down and let me serve you."He kissed her forehead, but she tapped his shoulder. "Hey! I just finished my shower."It was getting dark. Marion ordered takeout, all of Debra's favorite dishes.Her body was sore all over. She didn't want to move, and Marion had to feed her.Leaning on t
"Marion, what are you doing?" Debra shot him a warning look.Marion shrank back."Alright. I'll call again when I get there," Michael said."Okay." Debra ended the call and looked up to see Marion's frustrated look."I'm hungry," she said, pecking him on the lips.Marion lost what little control he had left. He tilted her chin up, pressed a hand to the back of her neck, and kissed her deeply.It wasn't until they were both breathless that he finally pulled away."Let's go eat," he said.Debra glared at him, knowing he was doing that on purpose."Well, I'm not that hungry anymore," she said deliberately.Marion looked back and met her limpid eyes. His lips, slightly swollen from his kisses, were soft and inviting like ripe cherries."I am hungry, though." His voice was low, teasing.This time, his kisses were slow, lingering. His lips trailed down to her neck, and their breaths both quickened.Debra's silk nightgown slipped down to her waist, the lace straps of her undergar
The doctor and nurses led Liza out of the room.She could tolerate it as long as they didn't use electroshock therapy.Fermin was left alone in the room.The moment the door closed, he shouted, "Hey! Where are you taking my sister?"But his head hurt too much. Instead of pressing further, he sat there, curiously scanning the room.His expression and actions didn't look fake."Sir..." The butler hesitated."Keep him locked up." Bert struck the floor hard with his cane.They couldn't let him out until they made sure Fermin's personality was gone."Understood." The butler followed Bert out of the room.Beyond the reach of the security cameras, the corners of Fermin's lips curled into a faint smirk....Debra curled up in Marion's arms.He never slept more than four or five hours a night. Any longer, and he'd wake up on his own.She shifted, rubbing against him."Want to sleep a little longer?" he asked gently.Debra opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I
The sounds of violent banging echoed through the enclosed room.Despite the nurses' best efforts to hold him down, Fermin pounded the bed in agony."Strap him down," ordered the doctor.The nurses quickly bound Fermin to the operating table.Behind the one-way mirror, Bert watched with pain. His hand gripped his cane tightly.Electroshock therapy was one of the most dangerous treatments. But it was the only way to make Fermin believe he was dead, allowing his personality to enter a dormant state."Sir, maybe we should leave for now," the butler suggested, unable to watch any longer."I can't, not when Fermin is still inside," Bert replied, his voice heavy.He didn't want Fermin to suffer or go out to hurt others."Fermin!" Liza stumbled down the stairs, nearly falling in the process.Several servants, who were chasing after her, stopped at the entrance since they were not allowed in there.They had sealed off the elevator, but Liza, in her desperation, had chosen to take the
Once everything was settled, Marion walked back to the living room and lifted Debra off the sofa.For over a month now, Debra hadn't needed to walk on her own."If you keep pampering me like this, my legs will be useless.""It's fine. I'll carry you for the rest of your life."He was confident in his strength. Even when he was old, he believed he could still lift weights without breaking a sweat.Debra was light. He had no trouble lifting her at all.The bedroom was dimly lit. Marion gently laid her down on the bed and lay beside her.Debra smiled, "You're always watching me sleep. This time, let me watch you.""Okay," Marion agreed, placing her hand over his chest.Soon, Debra heard his steady breathing.Marion was a light sleeper. The slightest movement would wake him.Debra stayed still, quietly watching his sculpted face, straight nose, plump lips, sexy Adam's apple, and well-defined collarbone.Suddenly, he murmured, "How am I supposed to sleep with you staring at me l
When she woke up the next morning, Debra instinctively reached out to feel around.She muttered, "Marion, what time is it?"There was no response. She opened her eyes and found Marion wasn't in bed.After a quick wash, she went downstairs.Marion, who had come back from his mission, was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up."You're up so early," he said, noticing it was only 7 a.m.He had gotten used to Debra's routine."Breakfast is ready. Come eat," he added, setting two sandwiches and a bowl of oatmeal on the table.Since Debra's injury, her health had been poor. While in the hospital, she'd repeatedly had fevers. Recently, she could only eat light food.She had slept deeply last night, probably because she was exhausted.After she took her seat, Marion sat next to her and began to gather her hair into a bun."You're getting better at this," she chuckled."Anything for you," he replied with a smile.A bodyguard came in and repo