Debra remembered that in her past life, after she married into the Nichols family, Violet had always lived overseas. It wasn't until the fourth year of her marriage that Violet returned.And the reason for her return was simple. Her husband had developed a gambling addiction. Although Violet was still dressed well, her wealth had been exhausted. Her husband sent her back to ask the Nichols family for money.In this timeline, it was only the second year of her marriage. Her return was out of the timeline.It seemed that since Debra's rebirth, more than just a few things had deviated from the original course. And Violet was someone particularly difficult to deal with."You must be Debra," Violet sneered, sizing her up. "You're not bad-looking. No wonder Juan keeps revolving around you."Debra's head was throbbing with a dull ache. She wasn't in the mood to play verbal games with this woman. "Mrs. Sosa, what do you want?"Violet stiffened, suspicion flashing across her eyes. "How di
"I heard your family went bankrupt and you don't have any money. You know, if you begged, we might give you some for you to get by," Violet said, her voice dripping with condescension.Debra was unimpressed. "I don't understand what you're talking about."Violet was pissed off. "Debra, you're forcing my hand here."She shot a glance at her bodyguards. In an instant, they stormed upstairs, rifling through every corner of the house.Debra furrowed her brows, watching as Violet leisurely made herself comfortable on the sofa. The bodyguards overturned tables and rummaged through drawers like they were conducting a raid."How's it going?" Violet asked lazily."Ma'am, we didn't find Mr. Nichols anywhere," they replied.Violet's frown deepened. She turned to Debra with a look of suspicion."I didn't expect you to be so capable. Tell me now. Where are you hiding him?""Mrs. Sosa, I've already explained. He's not here. Your people have searched the place. Are you going to leave now?"
"You don't know who owns this place, and you're making a scene here? Gotta say I overestimated you," Debra sneered.Violet fidgeted, her haughty demeanor crumbling under the weight of Debra's words.Debra bent down, picking up a shard of broken glass. She sighed dramatically, "Oh dear, such a priceless vase was smashed just like that. If I were the owner, I'd be furious."She pulled out her phone, acting as if she was about to call someone."It's just a few million. We can afford it," Violet Sosa huffed, trying to save face.Debra smirked, not missing a beat. "Well, since you were the one who did this, it will be your family's liability. You wouldn't expect Melody to cover for you, right?""I...""I've heard you married a wealthy businessman overseas. A few million dollars? That's not even as valuable as the rock on your finger."Violet instinctively covered the ring, guilt flashing across her face. Debra had her. That diamond was likely fake.The Sosa family had been rotting
Juan stormed into the room, his anger palpable. The bodyguards quickly let go of Debra.Juan rushed to her side, checking her over. "Are you hurt?""I'm fine," Debra replied weakly.Juan glanced at those bodyguards, who quickly bowed their heads."We just followed Mrs. Sosa's orders.""Who pays your salary, the Sosa family or the Nichols family? How dare you disrespect my wife?""We were wrong, Mr. Nichols."Violet saw the cold glint in Juan's eyes and fidgeted. Trying to pacify his anger, she said, "Juan, it's been so long since we've seen each other. There's no need to get so upset. Debra's fine, isn't she?""If anything had happened to her, this wouldn't end so easily," Juan said coldly.Seeing that her attempts to smooth things over weren't working, Violet forced a smile. "You're right. Thank goodness she's okay. I'd feel terrible if anything happened.""I'm exhausted," Debra murmured."I'll help you sit down," Juan said gently, guiding her to the couch.Only then did h
The bodyguards wisely retreated, seeing Juan's cold expression.Debra finally relaxed. Juan stepped closer, his hand brushing lightly against her forehead."You're burning up. What happened?""Why don't you ask your dear aunt? She stirred up quite the storm here."The house was in disarray, and Debra felt helpless about the disturbance."I'll take care of it.""I know. I wasn't planning to get involved."She tried to stand up, but the moment she rose, a wave of dizziness hit her.In that haze, she thought she heard someone calling out to her. Juan rushed forward and caught her just before she collapsed, but the next second, she was lifted into another set of arms."No need to trouble yourself, Mr. Nichols. I've got a girlfriend."Marion's voice was steady as he cradled Debra close, not even sparing Juan a glance."Stop!"Juan blocked Marion's path. His gaze lingered on the unconscious Debra, now safely held by Marion.With a mocking smile, he said, "Your girlfriend? Is thi
"Chill, man. Here I am," said a blonde, trotting up with a medical kit in hand.He looked to be in his late twenties, his appearance sharp and professional. Yet when he spoke, a thick accent tumbled out, totally out of place with his handsome looks."Hurry up! If something happens to her, Marion will demolish your hospital," Randy urged."Then please, tell him to do it. I've had enough of this job. Demolish the hospital already," William Weaver quipped.Marion chimed in, "Be quick, or I'll break your head."William dared not joke around anymore. William shut up and got to work.After a quick examination, he shrugged. "She's running a high fever. Other than that, nothing serious."Randy rolled his eyes. "What, you were hoping for something more? Shouldn't you be happy she's not worse off? Do your job before Marion breaks something."William shot him a mournful look, and Randy urged, "What are you waiting for? Give her the fever reducer."William complied, taking the fever medic
Drake realized who he was facing."Sir, back when Ralph lost a fortune gambling at our place, it triggered the collapse of the Frazier family. I suspect that Debra is getting close to you for ulterior motives. Should we..." Peter said, slicing a finger across his throat."No. Leave her to me," Drake responded calmly.Peter blinked, surprised. "You're going to handle this yourself? Isn't that too much trouble?""You mentioned she's filming some reality show on our island?" Drake inquired."Yes, but due to some public backlash, the filming has been paused. However, their lease is still valid, so I doubt the crew or the guests will be leaving any time soon," Peter replied."Make preparations. I feel like switching up my vacation spot," Drake said."Sir, Debra isn't the only one on the island. Juan is there too. Should we..." Peter reasoned.Drake's eyes narrowed. "Are you telling me how to run my affairs?""N-no, sir," Peter stammered, bowing his head."Do as I say.""Yes, sir.
William had been losing at cards all night. From the other room, Debra could hear the occasional bickering between William and Randy.In her room, Debra turned on the TV. The late-night news was plastered with scandalous headlines about her and Juan's rumored divorce. In the corner of the screen, a blurred image of Marion appeared, alongside the caption 'Gigolo'.The situation was serious, but the moment she saw the caption, she burst out laughing.Marion raised an eyebrow at her. "What's so funny?""Gigolo?" Debra managed between giggles. "You're one of the most feared men in the city, right alongside Juan, and now they're calling you a gigolo."Marion lightly tapped her forehead. "Ungrateful little thing.""Ungrateful?" Debra shot back. "I should be asking you. Who told you to come to this island? And you were the one who stuffed crabs and lobsters into the nets, right?"She had thought it odd at the time but had brushed it off as a trick by the production team. Now, it was ob
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