Eve hadn't even laid eyes on Tracy before the security guards manhandled her like a ragdoll.In the blink of an eye, a man in a crisp butler's uniform stood before her. Eve wrenched herself free from the guards' grasp, her voice shaking with rage and humiliation. "How dare you lay your filthy hands on me?"She frantically brushed at her clothes, as if their touch had left a stain. "You must be the butler. I demand to see Mr. Nichols. He should know how his staff is treating his guests."She was a rich lady, and no one had disrespected her like this before.The butler looked down his nose at her, his voice dripping with disdain. "Mr. Nichols is not for anyone to see."He signaled the guards with a flick of his wrist. "Miss Blair has expressed her displeasure with this outfit. Remove it.""Yes, sir."The guards advanced on Eve, their hands grabbing at her designer dress. She paled, her eyes wide with terror. The sound of ripping fabric filled the air as her haute couture gown was
Debra and Juan were to maintain the facade of a happy couple in public.Post-divorce, neither could have any lingering claims. She was explicitly forbidden from tarnishing the Nichols family's name. And to keep up appearances, neither party could remarry within a year.She couldn't help but laugh. "Juan, this is absurd.""I've already signed," Juan stated, his voice as unyielding as stone. "These are my conditions. Meet them, and you'll receive a ten-billion-dollar settlement."Debra knew Juan's resolve was set in stone. This was the biggest compromise he could make."And what about Shelia? Today's supposed to be your engagement announcement.""I never said today was about an engagement."Realization dawned on her like a harsh light. Juan wasn't planning to announce his engagement to Shelia. He was staging a reconciliation with her instead.Her brows furrowed. "What's your endgame, Juan?""That's not your concern. Leave it or take it."Debra stared at the agreement, the weigh
The moment Edgar strode into the room, Declan's face flushed a shade of crimson.The history between the Blair and Odom families was no secret, and the Blair family's recent actions had left the Odoms smarting from public humiliation.Declan's smile was more a grimace, but with all eyes on him, he steeled himself and extended a hand. Before he could grasp Edgar's, the latter withdrew and asked, "Where's Jade?"To the casual observer, Edgar still cut the figure of a man hopelessly in love. The room buzzed with whispers as Shelia descended the staircase.Clad in a couture gown that shimmered under the chandeliers, and dripping in jewels that could fund a small nation, Shelia commanded attention.Guests flocked to her, their congratulations echoing through the marbled hall.Having attended many events with Juan in the past, she smiled politely in poise, as if she were already the future Mrs. Nichols."Dad," Shelia cooed, sidling up to Declan.He beamed with pride, patting her hand
The ladies from high society buzzed around Shelia like bees to honey, their glasses clinking in endless toasts.Ashley, eyes darting about like a hummingbird, spotted her chance and swooped in. She plucked a glass of wine from a nearby tray and offered it to Shelia with a gracious smile."Miss Blair, your reputation precedes you. I must say, the rumors don't do your beauty justice. Please, allow me to toast to you," she gushed, downing her wine in one smooth motion.Shelia raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar face. "And you are...""Ashley Steele, formerly a trainee at Potter Entertainment," she introduced herself, batting her eyelashes with practiced sincerity. "I've always admired you, Miss Blair."Shelia was unmoved by the flattery. As the newly discovered daughter, she was more accustomed to envy than admiration.Still, she played along. "A trainee at Potter Entertainment? Then you must be acquainted with Debra."The name dropped like a stone in a pond, ripples of tension spr
Ashley's words were like a grenade tossed into the midst of the gathered elite, leaving them stunned and speechless.Shelia gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "I never knew Debra was like that."Ashley whispered, "Miss Blair, there's so much you don't know. Some people might look like they're cut from fine cloth, but underneath, they're just cheap polyester."The other ladies immediately voiced their disdain toward Debra and their support for Shelia."Well, after tonight, Miss Blair will be Mrs. Nichols. No matter how many men Debra warms her bed with, Mr. Nichols won't even spare her a glance.""That's right, Miss Blair. You're a rare gem, beautiful and pure. Debra, well, she's just a woman of the world. Mr. Nichols is lucky to have you.""Isn't that so? Miss Blair graduated from Arcane Academy on her merit, while Debra had to sneak in through the back door. That alone speaks volumes about her character."Shelia basked in the glow of their praise. Her smile was as radiant as
Declan's voice boomed."Today, I demand an explanation. What have you done to Jade? She was committed to marrying you and even lost a child over you. Is this how you repay her?"His outburst was met with Juan's cold stare. It sent a shiver down his spine.The weight of Juan's presence pressed down on him."Juan, you promised me that we would get engaged. Why? Did Ms. Frazier say something to you?" Shelia sobbed.Her eyes already rimmed red, she turned to Debra. "Ms. Frazier, if I have ever wronged you, please forgive me. I beg you, don't take my Juan away. I can't live without him."Her voice trailed off as she swayed, collapsing into Declan's arms. He staggered, barely managing to keep them both upright.Summoning his courage, Declan addressed Juan, "Mr. Nichols, look at my daughter. Don't you owe us an explanation?"All eyes were on Juan. He took Debra's hand, his voice steady and clear. "I never intended to divorce Debra. As for the rumors of an engagement with Miss Blair, I
"I..." Ashley panicked."Really? Funny, I don't recall any of this," Debra said. "Miss Steele, is there any truth to these wild accusations?"All eyes swiveled to Ashley, who quickly adopted an expression of wounded innocence. "Miss Blair, how could you say such things? I never said such things.""You did! You all heard her!" Shelia screeched, her finger jabbing accusingly at the circle of socialites.However, none of them stood forward to say anything. Shelia was isolated and desperate, while Declan pressed his lips into a thin line.Debra's smile widened, a picture of sympathy. "It seems Miss Blair is not quite herself today. My plans to remarry Juan have been set in stone for some time. Perhaps the recent loss of her child has affected her mental state, causing her to speak so irrationally.""I'm not being irrational," Shelia protested, her voice rising to a shrill pitch.Debra clucked her tongue, a sound dripping with faux concern. "Joe, be a dear and drive Miss Blair to the
The room erupted into chaos as soon as the words left Jade's mouth.Shelia scoffed, "Ridiculous! Why on earth would I take your ring?"Jade's eyes blazed with a hatred so intense it was almost palpable. "You used my ring to bribe the warden and secure your early release from prison."Shelia's stint in prison had been a scandal that rocked high society. Now, with the sordid details being dredged up, the room buzzed with whispered speculation.Shelia remained unruffled. "Since you're so eager to cast aspersions, perhaps you'd like to explain how you ended up in prison in the first place."Jade faltered, her cheeks flushing a guilty shade of crimson."Cat got your tongue?" Shelia pressed, turning to the captivated audience. "She was arrested for prostitution."The crowd recoiled with revulsion.Shelia enjoyed their reaction, turning back to Jade with a look of triumph. "You were jailed for selling your body, and when the other inmates made your life a living hell, I protected you.
"Robert Fitchett," Robert confessed, swallowing his pride.Debra nodded. "Okay. Robert, were you working for Shawn, just like Marion and the others?""Wouldn't it be better if you asked him directly?""Why did you want to kill Marion?""You made it difficult for Theda.""Is that the reason?" Debra raised an eyebrow. "Well, you care about her so much."Robert looked away and said, "She is the best woman I've ever met.""I'm not interested in your love story. I need you to explain why you risked your life to try and kill Marion.""You don't know?" Robert sneered. "Marion has been thrashing the Buchan Group. He wanted to clear obstacles for you, and you're telling me you didn't know?"Debra frowned. "When did this happen?""Since the day you handed the share transfer papers to Theda," Robert explained. "The Buchan family has been getting crushed. Are you telling me you didn't know Marion was after the shares? If Theda didn't hand them over, he would've hit her family hard. Her s
Debra booted open the door to the hotel room and stepped in with several bodyguards.Robert had been handcuffed and was tied to a chair. The blood was oozing from his injury which was inflicted on him by Erica.A guard went over and applied a basic bandage to him. Debra walked over and pressed her finger onto his wound.Sweat instantly broke out on Robert's face, and his lips lost all color."I'm not a complicated person. The only thing I'm good at is protecting my own," Debra said coldly. "Marion is in the operating room right now, fighting for his life. I'm going to make you feel the same pain he's going through."She signaled for the cart to be pushed over. The breakfast Robert had sent to them earlier was now laid out.Debra picked up a cup of coffee, walked over to him, and pinched his nose. She poured the entire cup into his mouth in one go.Robert's shirt was soaked, his whole appearance a mess. Yet he remained expressionless, as if he was incapable of feeling anything.
The bodyguards grabbed Robert, who had been stabbed in the lower abdomen.Erica intended to hit him again, but Debra quickly shouted, "Randy, call an ambulance.""On it." Randy dialed the emergency number right away.Debra glanced at Drake, who looked troubled. "Marion got injured at your place. I demand an explanation."Drake knew she misunderstood, but he was unwilling to bow his head. "I've always wanted to kill Marion. I did this. Come for an explanation anytime you want.""Boss..." Kale tried to intervene."Shut up!" Drake snapped. "You can take Marion away. We'll settle this score another day."He turned and left with Kale.Debra didn't have time to deal with Drake. She looked down at the unconscious Marion, feeling anxious. This was the first time she had seen him so badly injured.Outside, Kale couldn't help but ask, "Boss, this has nothing to do with you. Why did you take the blame?""She already thinks I'm involved," Drake replied. "It doesn't matter if I admit it o
Marion glanced at his trembling arm, wracked with pain. The blood trickling from his wound had turned black."Marion, tell your woman to behave herself," Robert said, his tone eerily calm. "If she keeps going against Theda, I'll kill her."The poison began to paralyze Marion's nerves."Or," Robert continued, "I could deal with you now, then take care of her and her friends. It'd save me a lot of trouble."Marion's eyes darkened. He tried to push himself off the ground, but the venom coursing through him forced a mouthful of blood to spill from his lips.Robert strode toward him, the blade in his hand glinting coldly."Hold it!" Drake called out. "You told me you wanted to talk to Marion. I gave you the chance. But killing him here? That's a mess I don't need.""That's your problem," Robert replied flatly. "I'm here to kill, not worry about your headaches."He glanced down at Marion, who was barely holding himself up. "Don't worry. Your friends and your woman will be joining you
Debra didn't understand why Andrew gave her such valuable gifts. They were too much as wedding gifts.The next morning, they were sprawled out on the bed in different positions. Garland and Randy were sound asleep on the nearby sofa.The first light of dawn shone on Debra's eyes. She woke up groggily and saw the bed covered in opened gifts. Erica and Liza were lying next to her.She remembered that they had spent the night opening gifts and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion."Marion?" She looked around but only saw Marion's jacket draped over her.An attendant knocked on the door, the noise waking up the others in the room.Randy jumped up from the sofa. "I'm done opening gifts. No more."Erica rubbed her eyes and got up from the bed. "What are you shouting for early in the morning?"Debra spoke toward the door. "Come in."The attendant entered, followed by a staff member pushing a food cart."Madam, we're bringing you breakfast per Mr. Houston's orders.""Breakfast? Wh
Debra remembered the ring she had taken from Melody's hidden stash. At the time, she had noticed the ring was valuable but hadn't thought much deeper about it. Now there might be a connection to it. Erica said, "That gemstone is valuable. It could be an heirloom of the Potter family. You should ask Jordan about it. Find out where it came from."Debra shook her head. "I want to, but all of Jordan's accounts have been deactivated. No one can get in touch with him now."'Except for Andrew.' The thought of him made her feel regretful. He hadn't stayed to celebrate the wedding."By the way, where is Andrew's gift?" Erica asked, looking at Randy and Garland.They had been receiving gifts that day.Garland pointed to a folder nearby. "These are gifts, right? I thought it was just a list of dowry items.""What? You looked through them?""No. But the stack of papers was thick. I could tell just by touching it."Garland grabbed the folder and handed it to Debra.Debra felt the con
Erica stepped forward and started opening the gifts. "There are so many gifts. My hands are going to be sore from opening all these."Marion interjected, "Open them somewhere else. Don't interrupt our wedding night.""No way. The biggest event on a wedding night is opening the gifts," Randy chimed in. "You can go to sleep once we're done."Marion wanted to kick them out, but Debra spoke eagerly. "It sounds fun. Let's do it, Marion."Marion couldn't reject her proposal. "Alright."The five of them sat on the bed, with Marion helping Debra collect the opened envelopes."This one is from the postal bank. This one is from the commercial bank, and that one is from the agricultural bank," Erica muttered, sorting them.Debra was surprised to see so many bank cards."Wow, someone sent cash," Liza laughed, holding up an envelope. "Which idiot did this? 500 dollars? That's a lack of respect.""That idiot is me." Garland snatched the money, stuffing it into his pocket. "Who knew these bi
"What the heck?" Debra felt the envelope and found a key hidden inside.She held the key in her hand and looked at the address again."A house?" she muttered incredulously.By the time Debra walked out of the hotel, Drake was nowhere to be seen. Only a car was parked by the entrance.Marion stepped out of the car, wearing nothing but a black shirt. He walked up and took her into his arms.He was reeking of alcohol, and she muttered, "Stop messing around. People are watching.""Let them watch," Marion chuckled. "They don't have a wife as good as mine.""Knock it off," Debra said, feeling the driver's gaze on them.Just as she pushed Marion away, he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her off the ground."Hey! Are you drunk and acting crazy?""Who says I'm drunk? I just like you so much."He then carried Debra into the car. The driver cleared his throat and pretended not to see anything.Back at the wedding venue, Garland and Liza couldn't find the bride and groom any
Debra didn't expect Erica to be so eager to open the gifts."How about you open them for me?""No way. That's something you have to do yourself. You never know, you might open a gift and find the price of an entire building inside."Debra couldn't help but laugh. She knew all the guests were wealthy and wouldn't be stingy with their gifts. But finding the price of a building in a gift? That seemed a little crazy.Just then, an attendant knocked on the door."Come in.""Madam, Mr. Houston said he's waiting for you in the lobby.""Got it. I'll be right there."Debra had changed into a more comfortable black dress. As she walked toward the lobby, an arm suddenly draped around her neck and pulled her into a corner.In reflex, she bit down on the arm, and Drake cried out in pain.When Debra realized it was him, she quickly released her bite."What are you doing?""What are you doing?""Sorry. I've had a bit of a reflex from being kidnapped before. I'll be gentler next time."D