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
Caleb grumbled, "You should have told me sooner. I've been putting on this act for so long.""Seeing how much you enjoyed it, I didn't want to spoil your fun," Marion replied with a smirk."You're just like Marion's mother," Caleb said.Debra smiled, her eyes scanning the table laden with exquisite cuisine. Caleb had no appetite for it."Since Marion truly loves you," he said, "I wholeheartedly approve. You two should set a date soon. I'll take care of the wedding arrangements. It'll be one less worry for me."Debra paused, her hand hovering over her knife and fork. Marion interjected, "We appreciate your concern, but we have our plans for the wedding.""What do you mean?" Caleb sulked. "You have someone you love, and you're not marrying her? That's just irresponsible. We're not short on money for a wedding. Why are you being so stingy?"He misunderstood the situation. The butler cleared his throat softly. "Ms. Frazier is still married.""Still married? To that Nichols boy?" Ca
Spoke of the devil, and he called."I need to take this call," Debra said, getting up and moving to the side."Mr. Andrew Potter, what's up?""Come to my office.""What's so urgent that it can't wait?""I've already sent someone to pick you up. They should be there now.""But I'm at Mr. Houston Sr.'s house.""I know."His calm, measured voice was unnerving, as if he knew her every move. Debra's brows furrowed even deeper."Is this necessary?""Bring Marion with you."Before Debra could respond, Andrew hung up.She glanced at Marion and walked back."Mr. Houston Sr., I have some business to take care of with Marion. We need to leave."Marion stood up without hesitation, seemingly ready to leave long before she even mentioned it. Although Caleb looked a little disappointed, he didn't try to keep them. With a sigh, he waved for someone to escort them out.As they stepped through the gate, a sleek luxury car was waiting at the edge of the driveway. Debra immediately recogniz
The night was cloaked in shadows. Ever since word spread that Drake had come to Seamar City, the city's elite had been clamoring for an invitation.Tonight, the Lowe Group was throwing an exclusive party at a private villa.Even though Debra had lived in Seamar City for years, she had never seen this building before. It was as if it had materialized overnight. Suspicion gnawed at her, but she pushed it aside for now. There were more pressing matters to consider.The guests included their business partners as well as Seamar City's most powerful and influential. As Debra arrived, she was struck by the sight of famous actresses and red-carpet royalty milling about the grand entrance.These weren't just any celebrities; they were top-tier stars with millions of followers.Debra stepped out of the car, her face partially obscured by the mask the host had provided. She wore an understated gown. Even so, her presence drew attention.At events like this, masks were merely a formality. Mo
This meant that all the Lowe Group's dealings with these people were conducted in secret. Such secrecy hinted at something shady.Debra was engrossed in her thoughts when a figure suddenly appeared, breaking her concentration.The man was dressed in a white shirt, his demeanor elegant and refined. Although he wore a mask, Debra instantly recognized him as Edgar.Fearing that Edgar might recognize her, Debra quickly hid to the side. Edgar was engaged in friendly conversation with the people around him, clearly not a first-time attendee at such parties. The guests here seemed quite familiar with Edgar, indicating that he had already established connections in Seamar City."Mr. Odom, it seems your recent business ventures haven't been going too well. Do you need our help?" one of the guests asked."Just some minor issues. Once I return to Booton, I'll be able to sort them out. Of course, I'm very interested in collaborating with the Lowe Group," Edgar replied, raising his glass with
Peter Moss, a manager of the Lowe Group, watched the commotion with growing irritation. He rushed over and snapped at Debra, "Bitch, Mr. Odom noticed you. Do you even know how lucky you are? Acting like this, do you not want a future in this business?"Debra recognized him as the one who had been accompanying Edgar earlier. The atmosphere grew tense, and it became clear that the people here had their methods for dealing with disobedient actresses.As two bodyguards moved toward her, the security guard from earlier, who had verified her invitation, rushed forward, shouting, "Stop!"He rushed over to Peter and whispered something to the latter. Peter's face paled instantly."Why are you telling me this now?""I'm sorry, sir."Straightening his suit, Peter forced a smile and turned to Debra, the aggression now replaced with an overly polite tone. "My deepest apologies, Miss. This was all just a misunderstanding. Since you're here representing the Potter Group, please, feel free to e
"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
The Illuminati lackeys, totaling 30, were all dead now.Their bodies lined up neatly in a row.Marion took off his mask and casually tossed it into the corner. The guests recognized him and froze in place.Everyone there had heard of his infamous name. But they never thought he'd be bold enough to do a massacre.One of his men placed a chair behind him, but Marion didn't sit. Instead, he slowly stepped forward and casually removed the mask of a plump man.He smirked, When he saw the man's face, Marion smiled in a way that was hard to describe. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Pearson.""M-Mr. Houston..." Harvey Pearson sweated nervously.Marion casually asked, "Does your wife know you're here?" "We're just here to have some fun, Mr. Houston. We haven't done anything to offend you. We wouldn't dare."Marion ignored him, turning to rip off more masks."Mr. Glenn, Mr. Stokes, Mr. Salazar..." he muttered, raising his hand.At the signal, his men removed the masks of the remaining guest
The moment the gunshot rang out, Debra felt a gust of wind rush past her ear, followed by a ringing in her ears. It felt like the whole world went silent.In the nick of time, Marion had appeared and twisted the guard's neck. Then the bullet missed its target.Marion was dressed in a suit and a black mask, like many others did. Still, Debra recognized him at a glance."Let's go," he urged.With the alarm set off, all the guards would be gathering on the second floor in less than two minutes.The two of them rushed downstairs and quickly blended in with the chaotic guests.Unfortunately, the exit had been shut, and guards were closing in on them from every direction.Debra, who had inhaled too much of the gas, was already delirious.Her mind was foggy, and her legs felt as though they were floating. She focused on Marion's hand gripping hers, and memories of someone else holding her hand flooded her mind.The memory was blurry, like a dream, and the figure of the young man in t
It was the symbol of the Illuminati.A man's voice echoed through the castle."Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kingdom Come. Here, you can fulfill your every craving."The atmosphere in the room seemed to get even hotter because of it, but the voice rang a bell to Debra, whose cheeks were starting to burn.Back in Orkgate, the scent released by Drake's men wasn't this strong.The people around her seemed hypnotized. Many had abandoned their dignity and danced wildly in the ballroom.The gamblers were all in deep, their faces flushed with excitement. Meanwhile, the women on sale started using every trick they could to satisfy the buyers.The male pets were even openly draped around the rich women, their hands roaming all over their bodies.Debra felt sick just watching it from the corner. She looked around, trying to find Marion.Without success, she focused on tracing the source of that earlier voice. She looked up at the second floor, but there wasn't a single soul.She was
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