Andrew turned to look at Debra, his gaze assessing.Debra asked, "Is something wrong?"Andrew pressed her lips into a thin line, reaching out to button up Debra's coat."It's cold. Go home.""Alright."Even in his wool sweater, Andrew looked drawn.Debra whispered, "I'm sorry for troubling you today."She should have realized that Andrew wasn't well. The late-night chill was biting, and she had selfishly dragged him out there to satisfy her curiosity."Curiosity is natural," Andrew said, reading her thoughts. "If I hadn't brought you tonight, you probably wouldn't have slept well."Debra wheeled him forward. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Is your family's ancestral hall like ours?""Similar," Andrew replied. "Our families are locals. The Houstons and the Osbornes came later."Debra nodded. "Could there be secrets hidden in the ancestral hall that we don't know about?"Andrew's tone was noncommittal. "Maybe."Debra understood the subtext. If there were any secrets t
Andrew's car pulled up outside the apartment building.Debra got out with a heavy heart. When she reached the entrance, the security guard hurried over, his voice urgent."Ms. Frazier.""What's up?""You've got a visitor. He's been here for over an hour," the guard said, jerking his thumb toward the reception room.Through the glass, Debra saw Marion sitting inside."I don't know him. Tell him to leave.""Okay."The guard nodded, starting to turn away before Debra's voice stopped him. "Wait.""Ma'am?""Let him in."The guard blinked, thinking he had heard wrong."Ms. Frazier, if he is bothering you, we can help you drive him away.""No, he's my boyfriend.""Huh?"The guard's jaw dropped. He glanced down at his phone, where a news alert blared the reconciliation between Juan and Debra.However, the one in the reception room didn't look like Juan.He scratched his head and went back. "Mr. Nichols, your wife will see you now.""What did you call me?""Mr. Nichols?"Mar
Marion's brows knitted together as he spoke softly."I'll tell you everything you want to know. No more secrets."He cradled her face in his hands and planted a soft kiss on her forehead."There's nothing and no one more important to me than you. But there's something I need to do.""Andrew told me you were investigating your parents' deaths.""Not just that.""What else?""Your parents too."Debra squeezed her hands and asked nervously, "Who killed my parents?"Marion looked into her eyes and then glanced away."What did Andrew tell you?""He said he didn't know. But I didn't buy it. The Potter family has the best intelligence network in Seamar City. There's no way he doesn't know who the killer is.""He just wanted me to be the one to tell you.""How thoughtful! It seems like he genuinely wants to help us reconcile.""It seems I owe him a proper thanks."The pot in the kitchen began to boil over. Marion patted Debra's head gently."Wait in the living room. I'll tell y
The gambling debt was just the tip of the iceberg. It seems that Ralph has been a pawn in a much larger game. The organization behind it failed to sway your father, so they targeted Ralph.""Under Ralph's leadership, our family has been on a downward spiral," Debra mused. "Was their goal to destroy us?"Looking back, the Frazier family's decline began with Ralph. His gambling debts had nearly wiped out their centuries-old fortune.The organization had orchestrated it masterfully, swallowing the Frazier family's business in just a few years. It was chilling."The evidence we have now points to Ralph bribing a driver, Jaycob Ewing, to cause a fatal crash. But with Jaycob and your parents dead, there's no concrete proof. Who would suspect a bribe that led to the driver's own death? It seems unreasonable."Marion paused and added, "Andrew's people found Jaycob's son, who had leukemia. Jaycob took the bribe because he desperately needed money for the surgery. It was a matter of life an
"That can wait," Debra said, turning to leave.Marion swept her off her feet and carried her towards the bedroom. Debra's face flushed with irritation."Marion, put me down.""No way.""Don't be a jerk.""I'm never a gentleman."Debra's protests died on her lips as she was gently deposited onto the bed. Marion's kiss was soft, yet it ignited a fire within him. He brushed his lips against her cheek, his voice a low rumble."Let me stay with you tonight. I won't touch you.""Not touch me? Then what are you doing now?"She pushed him away, turning her back to him. Marion wrapped his arms around her from behind, his breath warm on her neck. "I'm just kissing you, nothing more."Debra felt a sense of déjà vu and sighed. "Fine. But if you touch me tonight, you won't be in my bed again."Marion's body tensed, and Debra could feel the battle raging within him. Satisfied with her teasing, she closed her eyes.Marion held her tighter, his desire a war he was determined to win. He kis
Marion stood outside the bathroom, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness.After Debra came out, he drove her straight to the prison, where Pedro was already waiting.Pedro led them inside. "We keep all personal items in storage. Since you're here to see Mr. Frazier's belongings, I'll have them brought out immediately."A guard approached, depositing a tray on the table. On it lay a meager collection of items: a set of clothes, a wallet, and a car key.Debra frowned. "Is this all there is?"Pedro nodded. "That's everything."Debra's brows furrowed as she touched the clothes Ralph had worn upon his arrest. Suddenly, her fingers caught on something hard. She flipped the jacket over, revealing a faint outline on the chest area.A dense seam formed a small square, almost invisible to the naked eye. She tore it open, and an old key tumbled out."Yes, this is it," Debra murmured, recalling the lock the key fit perfectly."Glad you found what you were looking for," Pedro said.
Ralph took a deep breath."Yes, the key is mine. It's just a regular key to the warehouse. Nothing valuable.""To the warehouse or the ancestral hall?"Ralph's expression shifted, and Debra pressed on."I don't want to beat around the bush. Did you steal the key from my father?""Preposterous! He gave it to me."Ralph stood up in agitation, but Marion stared him down."Sit down."Ralph's bravado deflated like a punctured balloon, and he timidly sat back down."Debra, even though I did bad things, I'm still your uncle. How could I steal from my own brother?""To pay off gambling debts, what wouldn't you do? If you could harm me, you might not hesitate to harm my father."Ralph's face darkened. "What do you mean? Suspect that I was responsible for his death?"Marion's voice was like thunder, his expression stormy. "It seems you won't speak honestly."Ralph was frightened, gritting his teeth. "Fine, whatever you think. I won't be able to get out anyway. Put the blame on me. I
The Frazier family, with its wealth and prestige, was governed by ironclad rules.Debra knew her father was a man of principle, unyielding even for his brother. Ralph's gambling was more than a personal failing. It was a rot that could harm the entire family. And it did.Ralph's face contorted with anger, his silence a damning confession.Debra pressed on. "I'm asking you one last time. Did you kill my father?"Ralph lost his nerves and shouted, "Yes. I did it. He was so stubborn. He found out about my gambling and decided to cast me out. I'm his brother. I just needed to borrow money, but he scolded me and threw me out. That's my family too. Why was he so harsh to me?""You were gambling, and my father kicked you out according to family rules. He did nothing wrong. Look at what you've done to the Frazier family. And you killed my father for that?"Hearing the truth from Ralph's mouth was a bitter pill to swallow. For years, he had been a second father to her. Betrayal stung like