"Marion, are you crazy? How could that piece of sewage area be worth billions?"Even if they used it to launder money, it wouldn't be worth ten billion dollars.Randy gestured as if to pat Marion's forehead, but Marion swatted his hand aside. "The municipality has issued a document.""What kind?" Randy scratched his head, clueless.Debra explained, "For urban environmental protection and greening, the municipality will fund the redevelopment of all sewage areas. So, this place will soon become a greenbelt, and I won't need to spend a dime.""For real?" Randy was skeptical."Additionally, I'll receive a two-billion-dollar subsidy for corporate development," Debra said."What?" Randy stood up from his chair.Marion calmly added, "Moreover, the surrounding land was owned by the real estate tycoon, Mr. Stephen. For this conversion, he has started a new project to transform the area into high-end residential and commercial developments.""Are we talking about a major redevelopment
Debra, who had kept her phone on mute the whole way, took it out and saw two missed calls from Ralph.She raised an eyebrow. "He sure finds out things fast."Randy asked curiously, "Who is it?""My uncle," Debra replied. "Looks like I won't be going back to school today. Could you guys take me to his home?"They understood what she meant.Ralph wanted a piece of the cake."I'll take you there," Marion said.Debra was surprised.Marion didn't have to do this for her."What? You don't trust my driving skills?""How could I? I just feel bad troubling you so many times."Randy couldn't hold back a laugh. "Really?""I'll never forget your help," she said, glad to have Marion escort her.Marion drove her to the Frazier family's house and even opened the car door for her.Word of this quickly reached Rosalie's ears.Rosalie couldn't believe it. "Who did you say? Marion Houston?"The servant nodded.Ralph heard it and asked, "What's going on? Marion is here? We've never offend
Rosalie was not happy about the revelation, but she didn't think Debra would reject Ralph's request.That was a piece of land measuring 60 thousand square meters.She didn't want Debra to benefit from it.Debra feigned surprise. "Green zone? Why wasn't I informed?""Because you've never been involved in these matters. Ralph is looking out for your best interests. This large piece of land will make us rich," Rosalie said, her eyes sparkling.Anyone with brains knew the value of the land once the municipal document came through.Debra sighed, "Ralph, why didn't you tell me earlier? It's too late now.""What do you mean?" Rosalie tensed up.Ralph stammered, "You wouldn't have...""I sold it three hours ago.""What?" Rosalie exclaimed."In fact, I bought it on a whim. Later, I regretted it because it turned out to be in a sewage area. It was a hot potato I was trying to sell, but there were no buyers until Marion found me today. He wanted it, and afraid he'd change his mind, I s
"I've reserved a private room at Maple Hotel. Come on and get in the car," Marion said."Thank you!" Debra said.In the afternoon, Juan was headed to a banquet with Joe. As they passed by Arcane Academy, he glanced at the students bustling on campus, and Debra's image involuntarily came to his mind."Pull over," he said.He surprised himself by giving that command.Joe promptly pulled over and asked, "Sir, do you want to pick up Miss Miles?"Juan remained silent.Joe asked again, "Should I call Mrs. Nichols?"Juan lifted his head, his eyes cold in the rearview mirror. Joe immediately shut his mouth.At the school gate, Wendy spotted Juan's car and nudged Shelia. "Shelia, isn't that your boyfriend's car? Is he here to pick you up?"From afar, Shelia recognized the license plate and blushed at Wendy's words.Carrie teased, "Guess you can't dine with us today. Next time, you're treating.""Okay, I'll catch you guys later," Shelia chirped, hurrying towards Juan's car.It had b
"Check out the menu and see if there's anything you like," Marion said, handing the menu to her.Debra casually browsed through it. "Let's have everything Randy mentioned."Marion chuckled, and Randy exclaimed, "See? Marion never picks wrong! Those are all your favorites!"Debra looked at Marion, who didn't seem inclined to explain."Sorry sir, the crab just ran out. We can offer you a substitute of equal value. How about..." The waiter trod carefully, not wanting to upset Marion.Randy frowned. "What's going on? I made a reservation in advance. How can it be unavailable?" He prided himself on managing such matters impeccably, and this was like a slap in the face."We're really sorry, but the crab was already reserved by another guest. The clerk made a mistake, and we could compensate you with two other dishes. Please accept our apologies, sir.""Is this a matter of compensation? Who reserved it? I'll go speak to them!" Randy said.Debra stopped him, saying, "It's okay. The c
Dave was puzzled.That was great news for the real estate industry, and everyone in the business had learned about it.Juan furrowed his brow as he realized he hadn't contacted Debra since this morning."Mr. Clark, let's drink."Shelia knew Juan was thinking about Debra. She poured him a drink despite her uneasy feelings.Juan stood up abruptly and left the private room without a word."Mr. Nichols?"The room fell into confusion, and Shelia fretted.She found it hard to believe the land had ended up in the green zone.In the bathroom, Debra finished washing her hands and noticed her phone vibrating on the sink. Seeing it was Juan calling, she answered, "What's up?""Where are you?" His tone wasn't friendly.Confused why he was upset again, she replied, "Having a meal with friends. Can it wait until tonight?"Shelia's timid voice came from the other end. "Juan, come back. Everyone's waiting for you."Debra hung up without another word.She found it absurd that he asked abo
Shelia returned to the room, her pale face catching attention.She struggled to compose herself as she sat down. Juan noticed her pallor and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"In a hushed voice, Shelia replied, "Mr. Nichols, I-I think I just saw Debra.""Debra?"Shelia nodded, hesitating as she continued, "Not only did I see Debra, but I also saw the two men from the auction the other day. One of them seemed very close to her."One name instantly came to his mind: Marion.His eyes glinting with coldness, Juan stood up and strode towards the door.Shelia followed him, leaving everyone else bewildered."It's right ahead," she pointed, leading the way.Juan pushed open the door to the private room and saw Marion and Randy inside. They were toasting each other.Randy looked puzzled. "Juan?"Disappointment washed over Shelia as Debra's absence registered. But soon, she noticed the third set of utensils on the table. "Mr. Nichols, the utensils are still here."Juan also spotted the
Caleb doted excessively on Erica."I'm sorry, Miss Mathis. I didn't mean to. I...""Enough!"Erica frowned, turning her attention to Juan. "It's you, Juan. You better keep your mistress in check. How dare a poor student who latched onto a wealthy man be so insolent in front of me?"Being labeled a mistress, Shelia couldn't hold back her anger. But before she could retort, Juan intervened with a grim expression.Shelia was frightened by his demeanor, not daring to utter another word."It's a misunderstanding. Let me cover the expenses of your meal. Please don't take offense.""No need! The Mathis family is rich enough."Erica bluntly rejected his offer. "I'll remember this. Show them out!"Several bodyguards then escorted Juan and Shelia out of the room.Juan could easily handle these people if he chose to fight. He didn't because he was in the wrong.Once outside, Juan looked sullen."Juan, I really didn't..." Shelia started."Alright, let's not talk about it again," Juan
Debra tactfully suggested, "Your influence in Orkgate is undeniable, but sometimes you can be a bit misguided. Why don't we...""No. I'm doing this alone," Drake refused, heading toward his study.Debra was speechless. If Drake took things into his hands, Orkgate would be turned upside down. If he stirred the pot too much, the target would surely flee the city. She couldn't let him act so recklessly.Kale had just escorted Garland and Liza to the guest room.Seeing Drake return, he asked, "Boss, are you sure about letting them stay here?""Why not? It's not like we're short on guest rooms," Drake replied dismissively.He then ordered, "I need you to gather information on every business in Orkgate, big or small, whether they're our partners or not. Get their details and map out their network. Don't miss a thing."Kale blinked. "Every business? And their network?"Orkgate was vast and bustling, with countless businesses. Compiling all that information would take weeks, even with
That was a jab at his intelligence.Drake sulked, "Who are you insulting? Of course, I noticed.""You did?" Debra said. "I thought you were scared of Fermin's status, so you didn't kick them out.""I was just being kind for your sake," Drake stated. "If they were not your friends, I would have kicked them out long ago."Unhappy about her challenge, Drake turned to leave.Debra quickly stopped him. "Take it easy. I was just kidding. I'm sorry, okay?""It's too late. Apology unaccepted," Drake scoffed, shaking off her hand.But then, something occurred to him, and he asked, "Wait. You'd never apologize to me for no good reason. What do you want?""Well, I need a favor," she replied."No way." Drake covered his ears. "Whenever you come to me, it's never for anything good. I've already been more than generous in letting you and Marion stay here. Don't push your luck.""I won't be so absolute." Debra swatted his hands away from his ears. "Isn't Orkgate your territory? Do me a favo
"You've misunderstood. That's not what I meant," Debra explained."I think that's exactly what you meant," Drake interrupted. "You can forget about it. Since I've already agreed to let Marion recuperate here, you're not backing out. None of you are leaving until Marion fully recovers."He turned to Kale and ordered, "Go prepare rooms for Miss and Mr. Eaton. We're not short of guest rooms."His gaze shifted to Debra, his tone dropping to a menacing warning. "Make sure they behave themselves in my house."Debra reassured him, "Don't worry. We're all nice people here."Liza rolled her eyes, uninterested in the exchange. As long as there was good food and fun, she couldn't care less about the rest.But Garland's expression tightened with discomfort. If he stayed there, it would be difficult for him to update Juan on Debra's situation.It had already been days, and Debra still hadn't gone back. Juan must be worried sick.While Garland wrestled with his thoughts, he suddenly felt a g
Behind Liza, Drake spoke up. "That's right. Who would dare lay a hand on Miss Eaton? That would be suicide."Liza crowed, "Tell me about it."Drake's eyes grew even colder. Debra, aware of Drake's disdain for the arrogant heirs of wealthy families, feared he might lose his temper.She quickly intervened, "Mr. Lowe is kind enough to take us in, and he was once engaged to you. You should be more polite.""Exactly," Garland chimed in. "You should learn from Mrs. Houston and be humbler."Liza was unimpressed. "But Dad said a girl should be tough and not let anyone push her around. Should I listen to you or Dad?"Garland was at a loss for words. From a young age, Bert spoiled Liza, giving her the best of everything and ensuring she never faced any hardship.This upbringing had made her arrogant and willful, believing her family name could protect her from anything. It had, except for that one time when she helped Cathryn and incurred Marion's wrath.In fact, Bert was contemplating w
Liza ignored Garland and said, "I don't believe it. Bring them here."Not interested in arguing with her, Drake said, "They're upstairs. Go find them yourself."Garland hadn't expected Drake to be so accommodating this time. He grabbed Liza's arm and urged, "Let's go upstairs."Liza remained skeptical as she headed upstairs. Drake couldn't stand the sight of her and walked back to his study.Not knowing where Debra was staying, Liza asked Kale, "Which room are Debra and Marion in?"Having been insulted by her earlier, Kale shrugged. "Can't recall the room number. You'll have to figure it out yourself.""Is this how you treat your guests? If my brother is mad, you're in trouble."Garland's eyes widened, and he groaned inwardly, 'Making trouble for Drake? That's suicidal.'"Liza, calm down. You can't go around threatening people." Garland forced a smile, trying to ease the tension. "The second floor isn't that big. It won't take us much time to find out."He then dragged her tow
"What do you mean my chef can't make fish soup?" Drake was confused.Then he realized that Kale must be behind this. His face darkened as he called out, "Kale, come in."Kale knew he couldn't keep this a secret for long, but he hadn't expected it to be exposed so quickly. With his head down, he entered the room. "Boss.""What's going on with this fish soup?" Drake demanded."I saw how you craved the soup, so I asked Mrs. Houston to make it.""And you used my name?""Yes."Drake wanted to curse, but with Debra still around, he held back."Get out."Kale turned to leave when Drake called out again, "You too."Debra was speechless, but she hadn't planned to stay anyway.Watching her go, Drake felt a heaviness in his chest. Kale, already at the door, tried to reason, "Boss, actually...""Shut up and get out!"Kale quietly closed the study door behind him.Suddenly, an angry voice rang out. "Where is he? Drake, show yourself!" Liza stormed in, followed by Garland, who caut
Kale tossed the fish onto the cutting board.Debra laughed, "What's going on? Running out of chefs?""We have chefs," Kale replied without missing a beat, "but none of them know how to make carp soup.""It's simple to make. What kind of chefs are they?" Debra reasoned."I'll come back for it in half an hour. Thank you for your help," Kale said, leaving the kitchen.Their whole exchange was simple and dry. Debra looked down at the fish and shook her head.Time passed, and eventually, Kale returned as promised. Debra, having simmered the soup for 20 minutes, handed him the steaming pot."There you go. But fish soup is a bit too nutritious for breakfast," she said."Thank you for your concern, Mrs. Houston," Kale said, his tone oddly formal.He quickly took the soup upstairs.Upstairs, Drake glanced at the fish soup and asked, "What's this?""Fish soup made by Mrs. Houston," Kale replied."Debra? She made this for me?" Drake raised an eyebrow. "Since when is she so kind to me?
"Why is that?" Debra asked."I've grown used to life here. If I leave, I don't know where I'll go or if I'll find work. I don't even know where I'll live," Lara replied. "Mrs. Houston, you're right. I never sought revenge because, deep down, I'm selfish. If Drake dies, I'll lose the stable life I have now. I don't dare to face the uncertainties of the future."Debra nodded knowingly. It was hard to go from extravagance to frugality. If one had seen much of the world, they couldn't go back to being a frog in a well.Even though Drake kept Lara by his side for his purposes, she had enjoyed luxuries that ordinary people couldn't dream of.Despite being a maid, Lara ate gourmet meals, lived in a nice room, and witnessed the extravagant lifestyle of the upper class.She didn't have anyone to rely on and had no good education. Leaving Drake would only make her homeless.From the beginning, she and Drake had a mutually beneficial relationship. There was nothing to hate about it."It's
Kale explained, "The only place open for delivery at this hour was a small joint, and the soup has gone cold in the chilly weather. Cold fish soup always turns fishy."Drake's face twisted in disgust. "Toss it. File a complaint.""Yes, boss." Kale picked up the fish soup and dumped it back into the bag.Drake stared at the documents on his desk, muttering, "A pampered lady knows how to make soup. What a surprise!"Then he suddenly remembered that Debra not only knew how to make soup but was also good at playing the piano, dancing, and manipulating people. It had been almost a year since they first met. He had kidnapped Debra multiple times but had never gained any advantage. Instead, he had lost a lot."She's my nemesis," he declared seriously.If Debra wasn't his nemesis, she couldn't have played him like a fool. Ever since she appeared in his life, he had been nothing but unlucky.His estate in Seamar City was burned down. One of his fiancées was dead, and the other publicly b