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 heard the door creak open, and a streak of dim light shone through."Debra?" Juan's voice was low.Debra pretended not to hear.Juan raised his voice a bit. "Debra?"Debra frowned but kept her eyes closed. "Why are you disturbing my sleep in the middle of the night?""Get up!" Juan's tone carried suppressed anger.Frustrated, she got up and looked at Juan, who was standing at the door. "What's your problem?"Juan rushed forward and pinned her down on the bed, catching her off guard.The dim light from the doorway cast a subtle glow over him.Her breath caught in her throat, but she quickly regained her composure. "What are you trying to do?""Where were you tonight?""Having dinner with my friends.""Who?"Debra frowned. "I don't owe you an explanation. Remember, we're just using each other for benefits.""Oh really?" Juan sneered.Debra sensed trouble as Juan began to tear at her nightgown. "Legally, you're my wife. Don't you think you should fulfill your duties?"
In her previous life, after marrying Juan, Debra believed Melody's advice that the way to a man's heart was through his stomach. So, despite being a lady who never touched household chores, she started cooking various dishes.But Juan never tried her cooking.It was because Juan loved Shelia more.When breakfast was ready, Juan noticed there was nothing for him. Frowning, he asked, "Where's mine?""Cook for yourself," Debra replied indifferently.Juan was annoyed. "Debra Frazier!"Debra ignored him and nibbled on her bread.Since she no longer cared for Juan, she saw no reason to exert herself to please him."I'm done," she said after finishing her meal.She took the dishes to the kitchen and prepared to leave with her bag.Juan asked, "Where are you going?""I have class this morning.""Take the day off.""Are you sick?" Debra finally lost her temper.Since this morning, Juan had been unusually hostile.He gave their housekeeper a day off, then demanded breakfast, and n
Debra reluctantly let Juan take the lead. "Fine, let's go shopping."Since it wasn't her money, she could browse as she pleased.She failed to notice the faint smile tugging at Juan's lips.At the mall, Debra surveyed the layout. She was planning to construct a large commercial street, so doing some research was necessary.Suddenly, she felt her hand being tugged and warily pulled away. Juan had returned from getting bubble tea."What are you doing?" She freaked out."Holding hands, for a photo," he replied, glancing towards a paparazzi-like figure with a camera not far away.Debra agreed, despite finding it troublesome.Juan pulled out his phone and opened the camera."What now?""Selfie."Debra stiffened in front of the lens. Juan frowned, sulking, "Can't you smile?"Debra wanted to smile, but seeing Juan in the camera, she couldn't manage more than a strained grin.Juan turned off the camera with annoyance, and Debra turned to buy more clothes.She wasn't paying the bi
'If you're so unwilling to come out with me, just stay home next time,' thought Debra.Juan ignored her and suddenly accelerated the car. "Transfer the money you spent today to me later."Debra frowned. "You dragged me out and expect me to foot the bill?""It's all for show," he replied."What's wrong with a husband spending a little on his wife?""You said it, contractual spouses."Debra was speechless.She had hoped to take advantage of Juan, but it seemed she had overestimated her position.A shrewd businessman like Juan would never accept losses."Tightwad!" Debra took a deep breath.She told herself not to get mad. She didn't want to owe him anything anyway, and money wasn't an issue for her.Back at their house, Debra's phone beeped incessantly with news notifications, each one accompanied by photos of her and Juan shopping together.They went like #Sweet Nichols Couple Shopping Together, #Romance in Real Life: Tycoon CEO Spoils His Wife, etc.Among these headlines,
The next day, the bulletin board was surrounded by people.As Debra stepped onto campus, she sensed people's strange glances.Not far away, a man's angry shout rang out. "Go away! What are you looking at?"Immediately, he tore something off the board.Debra wrinkled her brow, finding Jordan in the encirclement. With a grim expression, he crumpled the paper in his hand.A nervous energy crackled through the crowd. Students scattered as Debra approached, stealing glances at her and Jordan.Debra teased, "A few days apart, your temper has gotten worse.""This is not a joke. Look at this. Can you still smile?" Jordan tossed the crumpled paper to her.Puzzled, Debra unfolded it.It depicted a curvaceous woman in revealing lingerie, her face unmistakably labeled with scandalous words like call girl, stripper, and using sex to get ahead.Debra glanced briefly and then shook the paper in front of Jordan. "Just because of this?""Or what else? Debra, you really have thick skin, still
The boys in the class all admired Shelia. When they saw her crying, they all spoke up for her.Their actions made the professor feel like a cruel person.Connie's face darkened, making Shelia feel uneasy.Her move didn't soften the professor, as usual. On the contrary, it triggered Connie's anger. "You focus more on making friends than studying. Shelia, you're really something."Shelia quickly shook her head. "Mrs. Ball, I..."As the bell rang, Connie grabbed her books and left.Seeing how upset the professor was, Carrie tugged at Shelia's arm and said, "Don't mind her. She's just jealous of you! Looks like she's going through menopause!""But did you hear? This morning, someone posted a girl's scandalous photos on the bulletin board, calling her a prostitute and nightclub girl, even claiming she sleeps her way up. Guess who that girl is?" Wendy said mysteriously.Curious, Carrie asked, "Who?""It's the one trying to steal Shelia's boyfriend!""It's her! I knew she wasn't a g
Shelia nervously nudged Carrie. "Come on, stop talking."Carrie shrugged it off.Debra didn't even notice Shelia at first. She saw an empty spot and took it.As she passed by them, Debra noticed Shelia deliberately keeping her head down.Carrie stood up, blocking Debra's path."Do we know each other?" Debra asked in a pleasant tone, but there wasn't a smile on her face."I naturally know you, call girl. Everyone else here does." Carrie raised her voice, making sure everyone around could hear.The scandal on the bulletin board had caused quite a stir, and most of the students had learned about it.Unperturbed, Debra waited for Carrie to finish speaking."Someone like you, who climbs the ladder using her looks and connections, should leave Arcane Academy. This isn't your place! Don't bring shame to our school!""Yeah, if this gets to the Education Bureau, you will be done for. Even those you bribed will be held accountable!" Wendy echoed.Shelia's heart was pounding in her che
"What? Mrs. Houston would never do something like this. Maybe the car hit a nail on the road," replied the guard."What are you waiting for?" Melody sulked. "Get a car to send us back."It was a scorching summer day. She wouldn't just walk home like that.The guard hesitated. "I'm sorry, Madam. Mr. Andrew Potter took all the cars out today. There's nothing available to send you back."Melody's face darkened. "Are you telling me the Nichols family doesn't have a few cars to spare?"She was already upset about giving all her savings to Debra, and this incident was the last straw.The guard explained, "Mr. Andrew Potter is thrifty. I'm sorry, but you might have to walk about two kilometers to the commercial street to catch a ride. Mr. Andrew Potter likes his quiet, so no cars are allowed in this area."Melody was furious. "You did it on purpose."Erica came out of the house. "What are you talking about? We've always been polite to our guests. Well, there is one vehicle available,
At the Potter Mansion, Melody laid everything she owned on the table."This is all my savings. When can I get that 10% share?" she asked.Debra was amazed by the dazzling collection of treasures. She clicked her tongue. "They say no one in Seamar City understands jewelry better than you. True that. Your lifetime's collection is breathtaking."Melody was not flattered at all. Her mood soured even further.Debra picked up a bracelet from the table. "Take this bracelet, for example. Its value must be millions. I have to say, an impeccable eye."Melody picked up the sarcasm in her tone. "Yes, these things are fine. But now, they're all yours."Debra set the bracelet down, her smile unwavering. "Well, business is business. I need some assurance before I can help you. Now that I've seen your collection, I feel much more at ease. Don't worry. You'll have your 10% share within seven days.""Why do I have to wait seven days?" Melody grumbled, dissatisfied.Debra sighed, "I don't want to
Melody was weak, her breaths shallow."Joe has been waiting outside," Sophie said. "I'll let him in now."Joe came in and stood by the bed. "Madam, what can I do for you?""I plan to use all my savings to buy back the 10% shares.""Madam..."Joe hesitated, knowing what they were facing. If Melody did that, she would have nothing left."I've made up my mind. Help me up first.""Yes, Madam."Joe assisted her to stand. Melody slowly walked to the safe and used her fingerprint to open it. Inside, there was only a set of keys and a card.Melody took them. "Wait for me downstairs. We'll go to the vault in half an hour."Joe was taken aback. The vault was a secure storage facility for the rich, housing anything from jewelry to property deeds. It was said to be as secure as a national treasury, impossible to breach."Madam, are you planning to give all your money to Debra?" he asked."What else can I do?" Melody replied bitterly. "I can't let the shares fall into outsiders' hands."
"Will you harm Debra?""Never.""Mark your words."Marion wrapped up the talk and left the room....Downstairs, Debra and Erica were chatting with Randy.When Marion came down, Randy muttered, "What took you so long? Drake's already gone."Marion hummed in response, uninterested in anything about Drake.Debra asked, "Did the conversation not go well?""Seriously?" Randy sighed. "Even you couldn't get Andrew to talk? That guy must have a mouth of steel.""Quit rambling nonsense." Erica gave him a light smack on the arm. "After all this chasing around, we still don't know what the treasure is.""At least we know one thing. Andrew knows the truth, right?" Debra chimed in, looking at Marion for confirmation.Marion sighed, "If he doesn't want to talk, no one can make it.""That's true," Randy muttered. "Honestly, who in this world has a tighter mouth than him? No wonder he works in intelligence. He could be the chief of the CIA.""Would you stop running your mouth?" Erica sc
"You mean the Buchan family might use this as an excuse to remove Theda?" Erica asked."Their business wasn't big to begin with. It was Theda's skills that gave them status in Wrastow City. I heard Theda likes to go it alone and has offended many people. Those veterans aren't fond of her. Now that she's caused the Buchan family such losses and lost the Nichols family's support, the elders will want her out. To keep them quiet, she needs leverage," explained Debra.Erica stroked her chin. "So, Theda must repay the company's losses, or those veterans will use this as an excuse to remove her."Debra nodded. "Theda holds a 10% stake in the Nichols Group, but it's her personal asset. It doesn't benefit the Buchans. If she can't sell these shares to fill the deficit, the shareholders won't let it go. So, I'm sure when the news of the Nichols Group selling Buchan Entertainment at a low price reaches Wrastow City, the shareholders will demand Theda to pay for the losses.""Brillant! Let's
"What do you mean?" Debra was confused.She turned to Randy and asked, "Didn't I tell you to pick them up? What's the 250 bucks?""He despised my car and called for a luxury ride. My car was right there in front of him, and the dispatch went to me," Randy explained.Erica grabbed his ear and asked, "When did you start picking up fares behind my back?""Ow, it hurts!" Randy yelped. "I'm just making a little extra money. I've helped Marion run errands a lot. Picking up someone along the way is nothing unusual.""Including girls?" she asked.Randy smiled obsequiously, "Well, it's the system dispatching. Sometimes I don't even know if it's a guy or a girl, but my front seat is reserved only for you."Erica let go of him. "That's more like it."Drake had no time for their banter."When can I take office?""Just wait a little longer.""Wait?""In 24 hours, I'll make sure you take office of the Nichols Group."Erica whispered to Randy, "I've never seen anyone so eager to start wo
"Forget it," Marion chimed in. "I'll ask him when we get back."Among them, he knew Andrew best.Debra's phone suddenly rang, attracting everyone's attention.She held it up and said, "It's probably a scam call."Marion pressed the Answer button, and Drake's voice came through."Debra? Tell Marion to send someone to pick me up at Seamar City Airport."Randy almost slammed on the brakes. "Wasn't this supposed to be a scam call? Why is this guy here?""Randy?" Drake sneered over the phone. "Let this guy pick me up."He hung up, and Debra gaped at the screen. "Did he change his number?""No, you just never saved it," Marion replied....An hour later, at Seamar City Airport, Drake and Kale were still waiting."Boss, do you think Mrs. Houston is not coming?" Kale asked tentatively.Drake checked his watch. "Marion burned down my house. I haven't settled that score yet. Picking me up is the least he can do.""You're right, boss," Kale agreed.Soon, a black Cadillac pulled up
Caleb asked, "What was recorded in those accounts? Do you remember?"Debra replied, "The accounts showed some strange discrepancies. The income and expenses for the Fraizer, Osborne, and Houston families didn't match up. There were big differences in food and goods records, with a combined loss of 1.2 million. Meanwhile, the Potter family gained the same amount that same year. Marion and I believed the three families were subsidizing the Potter family.""Subsidizing the Potter family," Caleb muttered in thought. "Let me think this over."Randy blurted, "What's there to think about? It's obvious. The Potter family's leader was obsessed with intelligence gathering and clueless about everything else. In the end, we had to cover for them."Erica smacked the back of his head. "Do you ever think before you speak? Look at Andrew now. Does he look like someone who doesn't know how to make money?""It doesn't mean his dad or ancestors were good at it," Randy retorted.While they were bick
"I know my dad. If there was a family heirloom, he might have stacked it away," Randy said thoughtfully."Why?" Debra was puzzled.Randy shook his head. "Not everyone is like Marion's parents. They were true love to each other."Debra didn't get his meaning. Erica leaned in and whispered, "Randy's parents had an arranged marriage. They both had someone they liked.""I see," Debra murmured.It was just surprising that Randy turned out so carefree despite the situation in his family.Randy added, "I'll go home and ask my dad. If we find it, then we can confirm that the Nichols family took the gem from the Frazier family."Everyone nodded in agreement.Debra turned to Caleb. "Grandpa, you said these four rings are the symbols of the Four Great Families. What's the secret behind them? Is it the treasure of Seamar City?"Caleb sat down, recalling the past. "The treasure of Seamar City is just a legend. My father came here during the wars of the last century. The four families each