Violet felt increasingly uncomfortable as she watched Shelia and Melody interact so intimately. After exchanging pleasantries, Melody glanced at her and asked, "Why are you still standing there?""I..." Violet felt humiliated, unsure how to respond.Melody waved her hand dismissively. "You can go now. I need to have a private conversation with Jade.""But..." Violet wanted to protest, but Melody's tone left no room for negotiation.Sensing the shift in the room, Shelia smiled and said, "It seems Mrs. Sosa has something important to discuss with you. Maybe I should come back another time?"Melody didn't answer. Violet, catching the unspoken cue, quickly interjected, "It's nothing important. I've got something at home. I'll leave now."Before leaving, she sneaked one more glance at the ring on Shelia's finger.If her memory served her right, the ring was the Nichols family's heirloom.She couldn't help but wonder if Melody wanted Juan and Shelia to get married again. That meant
Edward walked over to Juan and greeted him politely, "Mr. Nichols, I'm Edward, one of the artists with the Nichols Group."Edward was a sunny, bright young man. Juan merely nodded at him in acknowledgment, offering little in the way of conversation.The other couples stood nearby. One pair was a once-famous couple in the industry.Axel Decker was a veteran actor in his fifties, and his ex-wife, Emilee Carlson, was a goddess of her time."Well, if it isn't our legendary boss-man."A sultry voice called out from behind. Everyone turned, their faces filled with thinly veiled disdain.The owner of the voice was Wendy Black, a once-popular actress. She wore a revealing dress and sported heavy makeup. Her features were striking, a mix of classic beauty and a hint of foreign ancestry, thanks to her foreign father.Wendy had once ruled the entertainment world with her bold style and stunning looks. Her husband was upset about her style and eventually divorced her.Debra recalled Wendy'
"I guess that's why we are here," Debra replied.Her directness sparked a flurry of comments online.[Dang. Did she just drop that truth bomb without a second thought?][She's so honest. Wait for her to leak more.][Is it just me, or does Megan seem a little sneaky?]...Debra's straightforwardness instantly won her more fans.Megan asked again, "Why? Is it because of those photos?"The cameras zoomed in on her, causing an uproar online.[Girl. You just went there, huh?][I wouldn't be that bold.][Spill the tea. We all wanna know the juicy details.]...The director watched in amazement as the viewer count skyrocketed. It seemed like everyone was tuning in to hear the gossip."That man in the photos? He's my boyfriend," Debra replied.The internet went wild.[Wait! Did she just say boyfriend? Not a gigolo?][This is the kind of drama I live for. This just got way more interesting.][Uh, did anyone notice Juan's face? Man looks like he's about to explode.]...Megan
After a quick round of introductions, everyone was thrown into the first challenge. They were to venture into an untouched part of the island, a region chosen specifically by the show.The production team had set up safe zones and handed out survival wristbands to each participant to ensure their safety.Debra stared at the smart wristband in her hand and asked Juan, "Do you know how to use this?""Designed for adventures, it's durable and of great quality," he replied."Do you know how to use it?" She repeated, too embarrassed to admit she was clueless when it came to gadgets like these.Juan pointed to the buttons. "This one's for an SOS signal. That's your location tracker. These show directions, and here's the flashlight."She nodded, making mental notes of everything.At a loss, Megan muttered, "Edward, do you know how to use this?""Nope," he confessed, scratching his head.Megan threw him a frustrated look. "Ugh, you're useless."In contrast, the other two pairs were s
At the villa, Marion sat in the study room, watching the live stream on his computer. Randy was lounging nearby, munching on sunflower seeds."Seriously, island survival? That's ancient. Are they really doing this? Is Andrew losing his touch? I mean, Debra is straying from stardom," he grumbled."I don't know," Marion replied, staring at the screen.The live feed showed Debra and Juan heading deeper into the jungle. The terrain was unforgiving. Trees and thick brush made it hard to see the path ahead.Suddenly, Debra lost her footing. "Ah."Juan immediately grabbed her wrist, pulling her back upright."You okay?""Yeah."She pulled her hand away and continued her way forward.The live chat went wild.[Why am I feeling things? Flipping.][Who could say no to a rich, handsome CEO?][I'm shipping Debra and Juan so hard right now.][Forget that gigolo. Debra needs to be with Juan. He's cold on the outside, but you just know he's warm on the inside.]...Marion's expression d
He needed to make sure Debra was safe.Just then, the butler burst into the room, panic written all over his face. "Mr. Houston, Mr. Osborne, something's happened."He rarely lost his cool like this, and Marion could sense the gravity of the situation. He immediately rose to his feet and headed toward Andrew's study.Inside, Andrew looked grim. As soon as Marion entered, he said, "Call your people. Have them here immediately.""What happened?""Drake has arrived."The tension in the room skyrocketed."What the hell is he doing here?" Randy asked, frowning deeply."I underestimated how much a pull Debra has on Drake. He's treating her like his next prey. The production team said they spotted two men, carrying backpacks, heading into the restricted area," Andrew replied.Marion's fury flared. "If you knew something was off, why didn't you stop them?""The production team didn't realize there was a problem. That area is usually off-limits to anyone, and they only purchase the ri
"No, it doesn't," the cameraman stammered, conflicted as he glanced at the lens.What none of them realized was that the camera had already switched over, and their conversation had been broadcast live to the whole audience.[Report: we have a couple not trying hard enough in this competition.][LOL, everyone else is playing seriously, and then there's the Debra-Juan duo trying to bend the rules.][Why am I finding Juan so attractive right now? Like, who cares about winning? His girl comes first.]...Debra could barely manage a smile now. She could imagine what kind of storm was brewing online because of their exchange. She just hoped Marion wouldn't see this.As time ticked by, the weather began to change.Debra glanced at the sky. "Is it about to rain?""Looks like it," Juan replied as he dug into his backpack, pulling out a simple raincoat, prepared in advance by the production team."Put this on," he said, handing it to Debra."Wait, what about you?" she asked, noticing
"Sir, what are we gonna do now?""What can we do? This was Mr. Andrew Potter's arrangement. I don't have much of a choice.""Why did he ask for something like this? Isn't he just putting pressure on us?""Maybe he's trying to create some buzz for the show."The director mulled over it, but something felt off.Sure, the show was getting more popular, and the viewership kept climbing. At the same time, he felt like Andrew's move was more about boosting Debra's popularity.The show itself had attracted quite a bit of controversy, but the comments praising Debra had increased significantly.Just two days ago, she had been roasted online, and today, the narrative had completely flipped. The power of money was something else.Thunder rumbled overhead.Debra halted her steps and looked back at Juan. "Let's head back."It had already been three hours of hiking. The rain didn't look promising, and if it turned into a downpour, they'd be in serious trouble in a place like this."There
Debra's eyes narrowed at this guy she'd never heard of.Michael had kept it under wraps, proving he had never fully trusted her."Mrs. Houston," Jason said, "I'm here for Mr. Austin to negotiate. He called this shareholder vote in the name of the biggest stakeholder. He's got the right to kick it off. Any objections?"Debra plopped into the head chair. "Cut the polite crap. Everyone's here. Objections or not, this vote's happening, right? No way it's that simple.""Mrs. Houston," Jason said coolly, "today's vote's straightforward: who's better suited as the McKinney Group CEO, you or Mr. Austin? Everyone here sees what you both bring. In the past two years, you've barely shown up. Mr. Austin ran the show, held a key role, and raked in profits. He's the clear pick for CEO.""So, you're saying I suck as the boss?" Debra shot back.Michael didn't even show, sending this random assistant instead. That already pissed her off.Now this guy's veiled jabs annoyed her even more."I'm ju
Debra's heart sank.Back when she'd teamed up with Michael, she had nothing, offering him Frazier Entertainment shares to seal the deal. Later, Frazier Entertainment merged into the McKinney Group, and she handed it off to him.To keep her identity hidden, she'd tossed him more shares. With Frazier Entertainment, he'd racked up 30%.She'd thought he deserved it. For two years, he'd run the show plenty. She'd never seen this coming."Madam, you there?" Ben's voice shook.This was huge and should stay quiet. Otherwise, the company would fall into chaos.Debra's blood ran cold. She hadn't expected Michael to go so far."I'll be there soon," she said, hanging up.She turned to Marion. "Michael scooped up loose shares. He's gunning for a vote as top shareholder."Over 40% wasn't half, but it made him the biggest player. Calling a vote was his right.Debra only had 40%. If 10% of the rest sided with Michael, he could oust her."Don't sweat it," Marion said. "We'll hit it together.
That shut everyone up.If Jordan was right, Drake was gambling with his neck."That's too risky. I've gotta drag him back." Debra spun to leave.Erica grabbed her. "Jordan's guys are on it. They'll ping us if they find him. You can't go out like this and become their target.""I'm not their focus anymore," Debra said. "They'll zero in on Drake."She looked at Marion. "Get your people searching. We need his trail fast, or he's dead."Once the Illuminati squeezed the stone's location out of Drake, they'd kill him.Orkgate was now controlled by Lara. Drake had no other value for them."On it," Marion said.They split up. Erica and Randy tapped their networks."Debra, don't freak," Jordan said. "Drake is not dumb. Injured like that, he couldn't have gone far. As long as he keeps that secret, they won't kill him."Debra nodded. "Hope he doesn't do anything stupid."She should've seen it coming. A proud guy like Drake couldn't handle being down for so long.His injuries were bru
Outside their room, Drake froze mid-knock.His head was down, and his expression was hidden. Eventually, his hand dropped, and he sighed.He turned around and shuffled downstairs, leaning on the wall. He was a broken mess now, unwilling to drag them down....Debra woke up the next morning, reaching for Marion.He wasn't there. She bolted upright, threw off the covers, and ran barefoot downstairs, shouting, "Marion?"In the hall, Marion and Jordan turned as she stumbled in, still in her pajamas.Marion rushed up, slipping off his slippers for her. "What's with the panic?""I didn't see you." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thought you'd...""Any luck?" Jordan asked Kale, who'd just walked in.Kale shook his head. "Not yet.""What's up?" Debra asked, clocking everyone's grim faces."Drake's gone," Marion said. "No note, nothing. We're looking.""Did the cameras catch anything? Could it be the Illuminati...""Not them. He walked out himself.""Why the hell would he just up a
Debra jolted awake from a nightmare, her forehead slick with sweat."Still torn up about Michael?" Marion's voice came from beside her.She settled into his arms, finally feeling a little relieved. These past two months, they'd faced everything alone. She hadn't curled up with him like this in forever."It's my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't trusted Michael so much, the Eaton family wouldn't have been a mess. Mr. Eaton Sr. wouldn't have been in the hospital.""It's your fault," Marion said, patting her back. "Even without your trust, the Illuminati would've found a way in. That was their goal.""I just can't wrap my head around why Michael's one of them," she said.She'd spent all night recalling the past, from meeting Michael to building the McKinney Group with him. He was key to its success, but everything had been a lie."Maybe he was never with us," Marion said. "The Illuminati's everywhere. Didn't you check his background when you teamed up?""I..." Debra faltered.S
"We're all in it for ourselves." Michael shrugged. "Jeffery did his part for the Illuminati, so I'll cut you some slack.He pushed the teacup to Juan. "But I don't buy it that you're all-in. Following in Jeffery's footsteps sounds nice, but you killed him, which shows your ruthless nature. We need people like you. I don't care if you're Debra's mole or chasing your angle. Save your energy. It's pointless. Just do your job and back us up. I won't say a word about it.""Should I thank you for it?" Juan scoffed.He'd thought Michael was forced into it, but now he saw how naïve that was.Though young, Michael was already a core member, suggesting his connection to the Illuminati dates back a long time.Only intelligent and influential ones could enter the core circle. That meant he hadn't defected midway.Michael sat down across from him. "Don't look at me like that. We're not the same, and you know it.""When'd you turn on Debra?" Juan asked."Doesn't matter," Michael said, smilin
It was true they were both members of the Illuminati, but Fermin never signed up to be a lapdog.Back then, he'd teamed up with them for mutual gain. But the Illuminati wanted more than a partnership. They wanted the Eaton family on a leash.When Fermin didn't bite, Michael added, "I saw Miss Eaton crying her eyes out. We go way back. Should I cheer her..."Before he could finish, Fermin's knife flashed to his throat, nicking him. Blood trickled, but it was just a scratch."Stay away from her," Fermin growled. "Touch her, and I'll end you.""I'm just being nice here," Michael chuckled. "But if you're not cool with it, I'll drop it. But those terms? Think twice. We only help our own. If you keep playing your own game, that heart goes elsewhere. And trust me, you won't find another match."Fermin hated to admit it, but Michael was speaking the truth. Without the Illuminati's help, he couldn't find a match for Bert's heart.He lowered the knife. "Fine, it's a deal. Get your people
She only had Fermin and Bert left in this world.She had no mom and no real friends. She couldn't lose Bert or watch Fermin turn into this.She didn't want Debra's crew hurt either.Fermin pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry. Dad will be fine. I'll make sure of it."His promise unleashed her tears. The hospital hallway echoed with her cries.Once she calmed down, Fermin had someone take her away.A guard stepped up. "Mr. Eaton, our master is waiting ahead.""You've tailed me this whole way," Fermin said coldly. "Gonna keep it up? I don't like shadows."The guards stayed silent, just following orders. If their boss said stick to Fermin, they'd die before leaving his side."Loyal dogs to your master," Fermin scoffed, brushing past them.He walked into an empty ward. A tall figure in a white shirt stood by the window."You've really opened my eyes," he said, surprised."I'm flattered, Mr. Eaton," Michael said, turning around.His crisp white shirt had dried bloodstains. Notic
Liza rushed to the ICU upon receiving the news.A bodyguard stopped her. "Mr. Eaton said no one gets near the room and disturbs the patient's rest."Liza smacked him, and he bowed his head.Her eyes were red, her vibe darker than ever. "That's my dad in there. Why can't I go in? Move!""Mr. Eaton forbids it. Please, don't make things hard for us," the bodyguard said, stuck.No one there dared to defy her. They all knew how much Fermin doted on her."I don't care," she snapped. "Step aside, or I'll have my brother skin you alive. Let's see if you still block me."Her threat chilled him. She might be bluffing, but Fermin wouldn't."What's the ruckus?" Fermin's voice cut through."Mr. Eaton." The bodyguard bowed his head."Didn't I tell you no one gets near?" Fermin's tone dripped danger.Coming with him was a group of elite guards. The bodyguard was daunted by their aura.Liza stepped forward. "Dad is in a bad condition. Why wouldn't you let me see him? Does this have anythin