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
The cameraman scrambled off in a panic, leaving Debra and Juan hiding behind the trees.Juan was about to chase after him, but Debra stopped him, her hand gripping his tightly."Don't. They aren't after him. If he stays with us, he'll be in even more danger."Juan's brows knitted together. "What's going on? Are you hiding something from me?""This isn't the time for explanations. We have to move." Debra grabbed his arm and pulled him deeper into the forest.Whoever was targeting them had spotted them. They needed to find a place to hide fast."What's going on?"Juan's question echoed behind her. Debra was wondering about the same thing. So far, she couldn't identify these people.They might be sent by Edgar, Drake, Shelia, or Melody.Debra's mind raced, weighing all the possibilities. Judging by how their attackers moved, they looked like professionals. That pointed to Edgar or Drake.But then again, this was Seamar City. There were plenty of people who wanted Juan dead."Th
"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