Marion was teaching Debra with utmost seriousness. He stood behind her, grasping her hands firmly."Focus on your target," he said, "and keep your hands steady."Debra stared at the bullseye in the distance, trying to steady her breath. Under Marion's guidance, she fired her first shot.The sound of the gunshot echoed through the room, startling Randy, who was about to enter with tea."Oh my goodness, you're already shooting."The recoil from the handgun made Debra's hands go numb. Marion massaged her wrists gently."This is normal," he reassured her. "You'll get used to it with practice.""Wow. Bullseye. Who shot that?" Randy looked at Marion. "Did you give Debra some special treatment?""She has excellent physical conditioning," Marion replied. "She doesn't need any special treatment."Debra knew her physical condition was top-notch. Ever since her rebirth, she had been jogging every morning to keep herself fit. Adding to that, her previous training as a trainee had honed he
"Hey! Why are you meddling in a married couple's business?" "But..." "Come on. Let's just leave."Randy yanked Erica away, pulling her towards the exit. Inside the boxing room, Marion's punches were quick, precise, and ruthless. Debra barely dodged, relying on her nimble movements.Marion frowned, seeing her struggle. He didn't hold back this time, reaching straight for her throat. His fingers stopped just a hair's breadth away. One more inch, and Debra would've been dead.Her breathing grew rapid. In that split second, the killing intent radiating off Marion had frozen her in place."Your enemies won't be as merciful as I am. You can't just dodge every time. Sooner or later, you'll run out of strength.""I know. Again."By the end of the day, Marion had pushed Debra to her limits. Exhausted, she collapsed into his arms. Marion muttered, "That's enough for today."Despite her fatigue, Debra felt a strange sense of satisfaction. She knew this was the only way she could
Juan's response was indifferent. "As per the contract, the divorce papers will be delivered to you on the agreed date."Debra fell silent, and he added, "Did you come all the way here just to discuss this?"Detecting the coldness in his tone, Debra shook her head."I came to ask if you'd join me on a show.""What kind?""'Hello, Ex'."Juan picked up the coffee cup on the table, taking his time. "I've heard of it. The show's pitch was quite well done.""So, will you go?""Are you going?""I am.""Alright."Debra was relieved.But then, Juan asked abruptly, "What's your relationship with Andrew?"Debra quickly deflected, "Nothing special. He's a business partner of the McKinney Group, so we have some dealings."Juan seemed to accept it, as he'd never believed Debra to be the mysterious figure, Tracy. After the last time Michael replaced her at a banquet, Juan preferred to believe that Michael was Tracy. "Andrew is dangerous. It's best if you don't get too close. You don'
Randy wanted to go on strike.He, the esteemed CEO of the Osborne Group, was now reduced to being a keyboard warrior. This was a blatant insult to his dignity.Erica placed the dishes on the table and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. People like us can't just hire any keyboard warrior. We have to be careful about leaks. Besides, you're good with computers."By now, everyone had moved into Marion's new house, a six-hundred-square-meter villa in the city center. Marion didn't like overly large houses, but for the sake of spaciousness and necessary facilities, six hundred square meters was just right."Wash your hands after typing and come eat," Erica said as she set the table.Debra put down her phone, glanced at the dishes on the table, and then looked at Erica, who was wearing an apron. "Did you make all of this?""Her cooking? Don't even think about it. It's all takeout," Randy said, walking away from his computer. "Her job is to transfer the takeout onto plates and ar
From inside the study, the sound of things crashing and breaking echoed loudly. Outside the door, the butler and maids exchanged uneasy glances, turning away in discomfort. Half an hour passed before the door was kicked open with force.As soon as Marion stepped out, the butler hurried over, handing him a clean, warm towel. "Sir, you know how Mr. Houston Sr.'s temper can be. Don't let it get to you."Marion wiped his hands casually before tossing the towel back to the butler, his eyes cold as they swept over him. "Make sure I don't catch him plotting anything involving Debra. Otherwise...""Rest assured. Mr. Houston Sr.'s been retired for years now. He wouldn't dare do anything to her."Marion turned and walked away.The butler wiped the cold sweat from his brow, taking a deep breath before pushing open the study door. Inside, Caleb was seated in his chair, breathing heavily. The butler handed him the towel that had been used earlier, trying to be delicate with his words."Mr. Ho
Caleb was one of the most respected and feared figures despite having retired. Stories about him still circulated widely. He wasn't someone who invited people over for casual meals."Maybe," Debra mused, "he just wants to see what kind of woman his grandson plans to marry."Resting her chin in her hand, Debra realized she might have to start thinking seriously about meeting Marion's family.The next morning, Debra chose a fresh, elegant outfit. It was formal yet youthful. Her ensemble had a subtle designer flair, the kind the older generation typically appreciated.The Houston family's old house took up an entire villa district, with the latest in security systems and high-tech surveillance. Just the electric fence around the entrance made it feel like a military compound."Sorry, this area is restricted," the security guard at the gate said as he stopped her car.Unbothered, Debra stepped out of the vehicle, and the guard escorted her toward the villa complex on foot. The scener
Caleb had been thinking about making things a little more difficult for Debra, but seeing her disheveled appearance, he cleared his throat and said, "There's nothing more I want to ask."Before Debra could respond, he added, "Can you pick vegetables?""I can."Caleb lit up instantly. "Then come with me."He led Debra through the back door, down to the first-floor kitchen. It was huge, built for preparing meals for dozens of people."Come on in." Caleb waved her over excitedly. "I saw how hardworking you were earlier, pulling those weeds, so I'm going to let you in on a secret. Mr. Houston Sr. loves homemade food. I know you're his future daughter-in-law. Do you know how to cook?""I do," Debra replied.Caleb beamed even brighter. "That's great. You have no idea how long it's been since Mr. Houston Sr. has had a home-cooked meal. Sure, the chef's food is tasty, but there's nothing like a meal made by family."As he chattered on, he asked, "So, what do you like to eat, child?""
Marion strode forward, wrapping Debra protectively behind him."I told you, don't mess with Debra," he said coldly.The cheerful expression vanished from Caleb's face. He set down his fork and knife and took off the scarf around his neck.His voice carried a deep, imposing authority as he said, "Is that how you speak to your grandfather?"Years of privilege had left Caleb slightly stocky. His face, though etched with a few wrinkles, was still mostly smooth. His hair was a sharp contrast of white, perfectly groomed. He might have looked like a distinguished gentleman, but his eyes, like Marion's, were sharp, wild, and dangerous."Marion," Debra chimed in. "Caleb a didn't give me a hard time. We were just having a meal together."Marion's gaze fell on the plate of sandwiches. He stepped forward, picked one up, and popped it into his mouth, as if to make sure there was nothing suspicious in it."It's a little salty," he said, his tone flat.Debra crossed her arms. "I made those sa
It was late at night.Inside the church, soft light filtered through the colored glass, casting a shadow that stretched long and unnerving.Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the vast space. A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask entered."Didn't get the job done, and you're still here to face me?" The bishop's voice was low and ominous.The young man was unfazed. "Debra and Marion are keeping Drake well protected. We had no chance to move. The Potter family guards escorted him the whole way from the airport. We couldn't act."The bishop paused, his fingers tightening around the ring in his hand."The Potter family?" he muttered, "Without Andrew leading them, they're just a bunch of misfits.""It's not so easy to remove Andrew," replied the young man. "Rumor has it that he was crippled in a kidnapping incident, but he's still walking. And another rumor said he was dying, but he's still kicking and alive.""The Four Great Families only have one person like that.
Fermin's men aimed their rifles at Bert.Fermin led Liza downstairs and casually said, "Be careful. Don't let anything go off by accident. The old man's too frail for this.""Fermin..." Liza's face went pale.She knew Fermin wouldn't harm their father, but at that moment, her heart still twisted with worry.Outside, a luxury car pulled up. Fermin raised his hand and ordered, "Fall back."His men quickly withdrew from the property.Bert stood there, barely able to keep himself upright. The butler immediately stepped forward to support him. "Sir, stay strong.""That bastard pointed a gun at me." Bert's words were cut off by a sudden surge of something in his throat.The next second, blood gushed from his mouth.The butler was alarmed. "Sir!"Outside, Liza looked back at the house, worried about Bert.He was too old to handle such a shock.Fermin brushed it off. "Don't worry about him. Get in the car."Liza reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.She'd try to talk to Fermin w
Bert's face darkened as a loud noise echoed from outside the basement.A group of masked men had blown open the basement door.Fermin's shackles were quickly removed, and then he vanished from the surveillance footage.On the second floor, Bert had instructed that Liza be kept under guard to stop her from running around.Sitting on the bed, Liza was worried about Fermin when a sudden loud noise came from outside."Who's there?" She turned pale from fear.When she got up to check, she saw Fermin standing at the door.He had changed into a black shirt, and his face was no longer the mess it had been the day before. Even his stubble had been neatly groomed.He opened his arms with a smile, "Come here.""Fermin." Liza rushed into his arms, hugging him. "Did Dad let you out?"Fermin playfully ruffled her hair. "He didn't let you out, but you still managed to sneak down to the basement. Weren't you afraid of his punishment?""I was worried about you," Liza replied, but her express
Late into the night, Debra leaned against the head of the bed, waiting for Marion to come back after washing his hands.But then, the showering sound echoed from the bathroom.After a while, he walked out. His hair was still damp, and the bathrobe hung loosely on him, revealing his toned muscles and perfect V-shaped lines.The dim light from the bedside lamp reminded Debra of the banquet earlier.Her face flushed. She instinctively reached for the light switch to break the mood, but Marion grabbed her wrist.His palm was warm, and under the soft light, there was a glint of desire in his deep eyes."I'm clean," he croaked, having washed off the scent of blood.In fact, before leaving the castle, he had already changed into a new jacket, worried that Debra might catch the disgusting smell of blood."Alright," she said shyly, a bit overwhelmed by his strong desire.Marion smelled faintly fresh. Different from his usual tobacco, this scent was clean and pure."Don't hurt yourself
"See you around," Michael said, smiling at Marion.His action got under Marion's skin. Taking a deep breath, Marion turned off the stove and took the eggs out.Debra glanced at him. "You seem hostile to Michael.""He's not worth my time," Marion replied flatly, peeling the eggs.Then he walked over to her and gently pressed the egg against her injured spot."This will help reduce the swelling. You went too hard on yourself. It's gonna hurt tomorrow.""Michael was just messing around. Don't be fooled by his innocent look. He's got a mischievous side. I think he just wanted to see if you cared about me. He wasn't trying to provoke you."Marion hummed in response, seemingly unbothered by it.He looked down at the bruise and sighed, "He wasn't wrong about one thing.""What is it?""I failed to take good care of you.""That was my doing. It wasn't your fault.""My job is to protect you. I can't let you get hurt even in the slightest." Marion pinched her nose. "I'll carry you to
When Debra and Marion came back, Michael quickly ended the call."You didn't check in with Hannah before leaving?" Debra asked."This trip is for work," Michael replied, closing his laptop. "Hannah was just briefing me on tomorrow's schedule."He noticed her disheveled appearance. "You guys came back so early. Guess the investigation didn't go as smoothly?""Let's just say it was a bit intense. Marion can tell you about the details," Debra said, sitting down on the couch.Marion habitually warmed up some milk for her and grabbed some pre-sliced cake from the fridge.He didn't stick around in the living room but went straight to the kitchen to boil eggs.Michael raised an eyebrow. "Feels like he doesn't quite like me."Marion heard it, his grip tightening around an egg. Then there was a cracking sound.Michael added, "My visit seems untimely. Should I move out?"But he made no move to get up.Debra took a sip of milk. "No way. I can't let you leave, especially since you're th
God knew how panicked Marion was when that guard raised his gun at Debra."I..." Debra murmured, "I couldn't find you.""That's not an excuse." Marion frowned. "Do you not trust me, or are you just used to handling everything yourself? Even if you stood there doing nothing, I could find you in a second. You shouldn't have rushed it like that.""The doors were closing, and I was worried that the guy would get away, so..." she explained."I don't care about the Illuminati. I care about you." Marion cupped her face, his tone serious. "You can't go solo like that again.""What if I do that again?" Debra looked at him.Marion pinched her cheek and muttered, "I'll break your legs so that you can't run off again."Debra slapped his hand away. "It was a special case today. I won't do it again.""Remember what you said. Don't make me worry," Marion relented, pinching her nose."By the way, what's the situation now?""I've handled it.""How?"He fell silent, but she didn't press furt
The man trembled and spilled every bit of information he knew about the Illuminati."Sounds like you're not so useful," Marion said, watching the man shiver in fear. "Everyone here is guilty. To redeem yourselves, your souls will stay in this castle."Before anyone could process his words, gunshots erupted around them. Screams filled the air. In just moments, the castle was thick with the smell of blood."You're out of your mind!" shouted the man, rushing toward the exit.But before he could get close, he was shot dead."Sir, we'll take care of the rest," said a guard."Make sure to clear all the traces," Marion ordered before leaving the castle alone.His eyes reflected the cold light of the moon. The air around him was chilling.Since the day he arrived overseas, everyone was nothing more than a dead man to him....Debra had a dream of her coming-of-age ceremony.Everyone was smiling, and everything was perfect.Suddenly, a gunshot shattered everything. The world went bl
For a moment, the castle fell silent after the gunshot. Then, more shots rang out, each one chipping away at the crowd's composure.A man, trembling, slowly raised his hands and stood up. "I'm a member of the Illuminati."Others scrambled to follow. "Me too."Within moments, nearly 70 to 80 percent of the people in the room were on their feet.The ones who stayed seated were mostly the "merchandise"—people the Illuminati had prepared. They quickly stood as well."Mr. Houston, have mercy," one of them begged. "We were just hired. We don't even know who's in charge."The men and women, who had been laughing and flirting with the wealthy elites, were now shaking in fear.Barely covered, they huddled together, terrified that Marion would kill them.Marion leaned back in his chair, glancing at the crowd. "Words don't count. Prove it."His men raised their rifles, aiming at the heads of the so-called members."I have proof," said one of them, pulling out a badge. "Here. Look. This