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
The man screamed as his arm was twisted painfully behind him, drawing the attention of everyone nearby."What the hell? You can't treat me like this. I'm one of your highest-level members!" he hollered, struggling against the guard's grip. "I'll report this. I'm gonna report all of you!"Debra furrowed her brows, surprised this party would operate under a membership system.Before she could gather her thoughts, Peter rushed over, attempting to diffuse the situation. "My sincerest apologies, sir, but this lady is one of our VIP guests.""VIP my ass!" the man spat. "If she's such a big deal, why didn't you say so earlier? I've set my sights on her, and no one's gonna stop me."The moment he refused to back down, Peter's smile vanished. His voice dropped, cold and unforgiving. "The Lowe Group has its rules, sir. And if you don't follow them, you'll be disrupting Mr. Lowe's event."The drunken man, now emboldened by alcohol, scoffed. "Screw your rules. I've spent a fortune at your pl
Kai scrambled to get to Drake's feet, groveling as he spoke. "Mr. Lowe, I just drank too much. I'd never dare cause trouble in front of you. I'm so sorry."He punctuated his words by slapping himself across the face.Drake seemed entertained, but Peter said, "Sir, this guy has been a regular here. He's one of our VIP members. Maybe we should...""Drag him out," Drake interrupted. "Give him ten beautiful women as compensation."Everyone in the room froze for a moment, clearly surprised by this. Debra frowned, thinking this seemed more like a reward than a punishment. Even Kai looked stunned. He hadn't expected to be handed such a golden opportunity. He thought about all the money he'd poured into the Lowe Group, becoming a top-tier member, and felt like this was his rightful treatment.But just as Kai was about to offer his thanks, Drake's cold voice cut through the air again."That new batch of medicine we received? Give it all to him. He can leave once he's finished every last
But to everyone's surprise, Drake didn't seem offended. Instead, he chuckled softly, his lips curling into a sly smile as he continued to advance toward Debra."Did Andrew not warn you? Once you're here, I'm the king. Everyone answers to me. And that includes you."His casual, predatory tone made the hairs on Debra's neck stand up.Suddenly, a loud crash echoed from across the room, drawing everyone's attention. A maid had accidentally bumped into Edgar, causing the wine bottle she was holding to shatter on the floor.Edgar snapped, "Can you not do your job right?""I'm so sorry, sir," the maid apologized profusely.The distraction gave Debra the perfect opportunity. She quickly put some distance between herself and Drake."Mr. Lowe, you're right. I should learn the rules around here. If you'll excuse me, I'll take my leave. Have a good evening."She quickly turned on her heel, heading for the exit before Drake could stop her. "Mr. Lowe, should we bring her back?" Peter asked
Even though Debra didn't like Edgar, she took his advice to heart.It was clear that Edgar had been entangled with the Lowe family for years, but he had managed to keep it under wraps so well that even Andrew hadn't uncovered the connection.Debra meticulously noted every business tycoon attending that banquet. Some were familiar faces, others were on the rich list, but everyone present was either wealthy or influential. The Lowe family had ties with so many powerful people, which explained why they had remained untouchable for so long.As Debra was deeply focused on memorizing each attendee, she suddenly bumped into someone's chest. Startled, she stepped back and looked up to see who it was. Despite the mask, she recognized Jordan instantly.Debra froze, and so did Jordan for a moment. Quickly regaining his composure, Jordan pretended not to know her and murmured, "I'm sorry."He then walked past her without another glance. Debra watched his retreating figure. He was dressed in a
Those who worked for Drake knew his temper. Outsiders might be oblivious, but his employees were all too familiar with it. If things didn't go as planned, they could kiss their jobs goodbye."What now? We have to figure something out," Peter said.As long as the banquet wasn't over, there was still hope."I can't drink anymore."A woman's crying caught Debra's attention. She looked toward the source of the sound and saw Ashley surrounded by two middle-aged men. Their hands were anything but respectful.Ashley had already been forced to drink several glasses of wine, and one of the men had deliberately spilled more on her chest.Her pink dress was already soaked through, making her discomfort painfully obvious. Even worse, her mask had been maliciously removed.Ashley was crying hysterically. She'd thought this was a golden opportunity for actresses like her to rise, but now she realized it was nothing more than a playground for rich businessmen.Catching sight of Debra, Ashley
Ashley bit her lip, her voice barely a whisper. "I got it through a director."Debra raised an eyebrow. "You're still a trainee at Potter Entertainment, and you went behind their back to meet a director? You're breaking your contract.""I didn't have a choice. I just want to make it. I want to debut so badly. The director told me this banquet was my chance. He even gave me his card and said he'd recommended me. But I swear, I didn't know this was what it was about."Ashley had never seen anything like this before. She had no idea that this so-called "opportunity" was nothing more than a hunting ground for businessmen to indulge their desires."Which director?""It's the one from the program we were working on. He said he saw potential in me and gave me his contact info. I was desperate.""And you fell for that? Let me guess. He told you to come here with a business card, but he didn't bother to show up himself, did he? Think about it. If this event is such a big deal, wouldn't he
Debra felt dizzy. "Why are you telling me this?""Because you and I are alike," Theda replied. "Despite our differences, I envy your life. I know Robert can't beat Marion. If Robert fails tonight, I beg you to show mercy and spare his life.""He didn't show any mercy when he hit me. Why should I spare him?""We're all businesspeople. Name your price. If it's within my power, I'll do it. Just spare his life.""Fine, remember your promise. I'll spare his life, but I need to hit back.""Deal. Just don't kill him."In the courtyard, Robert opened a can of cat food and fed the stray kittens. They seemed familiar with him, purring and rubbing against his hand.Robert smiled, but his expression changed as he heard a noise outside. The kittens arched their backs, hissing at the disturbance.Robert patted their heads. "Go on. Don't get hurt."But the kittens refused to leave, licking their paws and sitting behind him.Robert didn't chase them away. He waited until Marion and his men a
"She can't take your call right now," Marion replied.Drake shot up from the sofa. "What do you mean by that?""Robert took her.""Robert?"Marion hung up the phone and headed straight to the courtyard where Robert used to live.Kale came into the hotel suite with a cup. "Boss, what would you like for dinner?"Drake muttered with a heavy tone, "Debra is taken by Robert."Kale froze, wondering about Robert's motives.Drake took a deep breath. He had warned Debra before, but she wouldn't listen. Now the situation was grave.He knew Robert all too well. The man was a cold-blooded killing machine, dealing with anyone who posed threats to Theda."Get the car. Search the entire city. Find Robert.""But this is not Orkgate. Our people operate in the shadows here. If Marion's men discover them, all our efforts over the years will be wasted.""I said, find him. No excuses. Get moving."Drake was irritated. He had always known Debra would cause trouble for him, but he hadn't expecte
"Kidnapped? Really?" Erica muttered."It's got to be fake," Randy replied. "This is Seamar City. Who would dare kidnap Debra right under Marion's nose? Unless they have a death wish."Erica nodded thoughtfully. "You're right."But then she realized something was off. "Wait. You left out Robert, that desperado who doesn't care about consequences. Debra went out to meet Theda.""Damn! How could I forget him?" Randy panicked. "What do we do? I'll gather people and head to Buchan Mansion.""We're running out of time," Erica said urgently. "Hurry up and call Marion."She whipped out her phone and started making calls. Randy started rallying people too....Meanwhile, Garland and Liza had just landed and were eagerly entering the Potter Mansion with their luggage in tow."Guys, I am back!" Garland laughed, hands on his hips.Liza tilted her head. "Where is everyone? Why isn't anyone here to welcome us?""Yeah. Why is the living room empty?" Garland wondered.Suddenly, two figures
"I don't care. I'll make them return everything to you," Robert said.Theda was at a loss for words. She stepped forward and propped up the unconscious Debra.She said, "The shares don't matter to me at all. You didn't have to go this far. The situation in Seamar City is treacherous. I overestimated myself. We should take Debra back to them and end everything."She reached for her phone to call Andrew, but Robert grabbed her wrist."What are you doing?" she sulked. "I've decided to stop fighting them. What you're doing is pointless and dangerous.""It's not pointless," Robert said firmly. "I don't want to see you lose. To me, you'll never lose to anyone."Without waiting for her response, he carried her over his shoulder and pocketed her phone."This is all my idea," he said. "Even if I fail, it has nothing to do with you. I've cut the phone lines in the house and locked the front door. Without the password, you can't leave. Just stay here and wait for my good news. I'll get the
"It's simple. The Nichols Group's shareholders aren't clean either. Drake has dirt on them, so they have to do what he says."Theda laughed, understanding the whole thing. That explained why the mention of Drake's name alone had influenced those shareholders' decisions during the last meeting. It was because Drake had their secrets."Alright, I lost fair and square. Actually, I hold no personal grudge against you. That's why I warned you that getting those shares wouldn't be good for you. The person behind this wouldn't let you go.""You know who's behind this, don't you?""Even if I do, we're destined to be enemies. I lost to you, but next time, someone even more formidable will come after you. You won't be so lucky then."Theda poured Debra a cup of tea and continued, "We're alike. We've both been through things others can't understand. You're lucky, with so many people around you, helping you, but the path ahead is harder for you. Not something enviable."Debra didn't get it.
In the afternoon, Debra showed up at the Buchan Mansion.Sitting across from Theda, she sipped on her tea. "The tea has been ready for a while. You knew I would come.""Let's just cut to the chase," Theda said. "It's your setup, isn't it? The termination of the partnership and the sale of Buchan Entertainment at a low price. Now everyone knows that the Buchan family and the Nichols family have severed ties. Since it's my mistake, people will force me to step down."She observed Debra's expression and continued, "You're even sharper than I expected. I mean, who would have thought a pampered lady like you could orchestrate such a complex scheme and predict the outcome so accurately?""You flatter me," Debra replied. "Your solitary nature must have been formed when you were sent to the countryside as a child, and your strained relations with your family were easy to deduce. People act out of self-interest. You cause them financial losses, and they demand paybacks. Now here we are, sit
Theda sneered in response.Everything she had done for the Buchan family had earned them enough money to last generations, but now, they were biting the hand that fed them.Robert stood up, and the sight of him made everyone visibly afraid.Theda noticed his stern expression and grabbed his arm. "Sit down."Robert frowned, unwilling to back down. These people had no right to treat Theda this way."I said, sit down," Theda repeated, stressing her tone.Robert finally withdrew his murderous gaze.Joanne scoffed, "Seriously, Theda, you should find a normal secretary. We don't know where you picked him up, but he's a time bomb. You don't want him to bring trouble to our family.""That's my business. Stay out of it," Theda countered. "As for the lost money, I will figure out a way to make it up. You don't need to worry. Now you can leave. My dogs don't like outsiders here."Joanne was annoyed, but since Theda promised to pay back the money, she relented a bit."If you're going to
Theda frowned at the news. "What's the panic? I'm busy here. Tell them I won't see them."But then, a voice came from the doorway."We came all the way from Wrastow City to see you. It's a bit disrespectful to dismiss us like this, don't you think?"The voice carried a tone of arrogance and provocation. Theda turned to see a well-dressed woman in her thirties, adorned with jewelry.Her expression remained calm as she said, "Oh, it's you, Joanne. But you're not even part of the Buchan family. What brings you here?""It's not her who wants to see you. It's us," said the major shareholder of the Buchan Group, emerging from behind Joanne Tarrant.Following him were other core family members, all wearing expressions of anger."You said you wanted to expand into Seamar City and have used a massive amount of our resources. But now, not only have you failed, you've lost the Nichols Group as a partner. How can we not be upset?""Exactly. We came all this way to demand an explanation."
Debra took the medicine and band-aids, but the atmosphere in the living room suddenly felt awkward."I'm going upstairs.""Can you put it on by yourself?""Yes.""Let me see you do it."Debra cleared her throat, determined to prove she could do it. She sat down on the sofa, opened the medicine, and sprinkled it on her wound. But since her right hand was injured, using her left hand was tricky, and some of the powder spilled.With the medicine on her wound, she couldn't move her right hand at all. The band-aid lay untouched on the table. Opening a band-aid one-handed was harder than she thought."I rushed it," Debra said, trying to save face. "If I had opened the band-aid first..."Before she could finish, Andrew had already opened the band-aid and carefully applied it to her finger. His movements were gentle and precise."Do you know where Marion went?""Probably went to find someone who knows the identity of the mastermind.""Robert?" Debra was surprised.She wondered if h