Juan leaned in. "Who did you go to see 'Absurd World' with?"Debra's heart pounded. "You're still clinging to that? I went with Erica. Is that a problem?"But Juan was relentless. "I had Joe check the ticket records for every theater in Seamar City. There's no trace of you or Erica. You didn't go to any cinema. Why did you lie?"Debra's jaw dropped. "You're insane," she managed to say. "Joe is your top secretary, and you made him dig through ticket records? You've officially lost it.""'Absurd World' wasn't a box office hit. It wasn't hard to check," Juan said, his tone serious. "Stop dodging the question. Why did you lie?"Debra knew that he liked the film, something even Joe didn't know.In the past, Debra's eyes had always been filled with fear and disgust when she looked at him, and he could never understand what he had done wrong.And today, Debra mentioned the Farley family. A businessman's intuition told him that something was amiss.As Debra remained silent, he added,
"Run! Little lambs!"The deranged laughter of the mercenaries echoed through the air, followed by the deafening sound of gunfire.Debra had already forgotten about the sharp pain in her ankle as she sprinted for her life."Hold on to me. Don't let go!" Juan shouted, pulling her along as they raced through the dark cave.There was light ahead, but she could feel Juan was slowing down."Juan, we're almost there."But suddenly, a low grunt of pain made her come to a halt. She turned around and saw that Juan's leg had been shot."Juan!" Debra's voice cracked with panic, but there was no time to process the shock. The mercenaries were closing in on them.Supporting Juan, Debra looked back at the approaching men, her gaze cold and steady."Are you sent by Drake?" she asked through clenched teeth.The two mercenaries exchanged glances. They didn't say a word, but their expressions confirmed her suspicions.Eyeing the guns they held, Debra forced herself to keep calm. "Drake enjoys
Debra closed her eyes and let herself fall backward into the abyss.Juan's pupils shrank, a deep, raw terror rising in his chest. He stumbled forward, trying to reach her, but it was too late. He could only watch as her body disappeared into the raging sea below."Debra!" he cried out.His chest felt like it was being ripped apart.The two mercenaries watched with indifference. One of them raised his walkie-talkie and spoke in a flat tone. "Boss, the target has been taken care of."Juan fell to his knees, his vision clouding with red. Debra's last words echoed in his mind."Avenge me."Slowly, he turned to face the mercenaries. "Tell Drake. I will hunt him down. I will kill him."The mercenaries exchanged amused glances. They didn't take his threat seriously. There was no way someone so broken could take on a man like Drake.As they approached him with their guns raised, the sound of a gunshot suddenly echoed from outside the cave. The mercenaries froze, turning toward the ent
The voice sent chills down Debra's spine. Instinctively, she took a step back, but before she could retreat further, her wrists were gripped tightly. Drake stood just inches away from her, his pale eyes glinting with sinister amusement that made her skin crawl."Scared of me?""Screw you!"Her strength took Drake by surprise as she tore her hands free. Without hesitation, she swung her arm and slapped him across the face with all the force she could muster.The sharp sound of the slap echoed in the air, releasing the fury, frustration, and hatred that had built up inside her.This bastard had treated her like prey, dragging her into a sick, twisted game."Mr. Lowe!" Peter freaked out.Drake's face reddened from the impact of Debra's slap, and a trickle of blood appeared at the corner of his mouth.But instead of reacting with anger, he casually wiped the blood away, inspecting it with a cold, detached expression."In all these years, you're the first to make me bleed," he mu
In the cabin, Drake rested his face on his hand and stared at the mirror that displayed Debra's every move."Sir...""What do you think she's doing?""She..."Peter looked over and saw Debra curling up in the corner, unmoving."Maybe she's scared.""Scared?"Drake raised an eyebrow. He'd seen people terrified out of their minds in this same room, but none of them acted like Debra.That was not fear."Make some noise.""Yes, sir."Peter went out, and soon after, the muffled sound of women screaming echoed from the adjacent room. Debra, however, remained in the same position.Peter returned. "It's done, sir."Drake frowned, observing Debra's lack of reaction."Is the mirror tampered with?" he asked, suddenly standing up. "Go open the door.""Huh?"Peter snapped out of it, grabbed the keys, and went to open the door.When it swung open, Debra remained slumped in the corner. Drake strode forward, yanking her up by the arm. Still, she didn't react.Drake frowned and felt h
Debra woke up groggily, unsure how long she had been out. The room around her was pitch black, and memories started to rush back.She remembered that she had been thrown into this dark room by Drake's people.A sharp pain shot through her arm, causing her to suck in a breath. She instinctively tried to pull her arm away, but a man's voice cut through the darkness."Don't move.""Who are you?"A nurse turned on a flashlight, and Debra squinted against the sudden brightness."You've got a fever," the nurse explained, "Mr. Lowe ordered us to treat you."Debra glanced at the discarded plastic packaging on the floor. It said fever medication.She relaxed slightly, though her tone remained cold. "How long does Drake plan on keeping me locked up in here?""That's up to Mr. Lowe," the doctor said without any emotion. "We don't question his decisions."Seeing that they were only there to treat her, Debra pressed further. "Is he planning to kill me?""If Mr. Lowe wanted you dead, he w
"Where is she?"Drake scanned the surroundings, noting that there was nowhere to escape.Peter replied, "She's still in there. It's been five minutes, and she hasn't come out yet.""Check," Drake ordered."Yes, sir." Peter banged on the restroom door, his voice harsh. "Open the door."There was no response."Mr. Lowe is here, and there is no escape. Open the damn door!" Peter's voice grew increasingly agitated, but there was still no response from inside.He looked back at Drake, confused. "Could it be that she passed out again?"Drake wasn't a man known for patience. With a swift motion, he pulled a gun from his waist and fired at the lock. The door splintered with a loud crack, and he kicked it open."Move," he barked.Rushing in, they found Debra standing by the sink, drying her hands casually.Not happy about the intrusion, she huffed, "Mr. Lowe, is there anything you need in the women's restroom?"Drake sullenly looked back at Peter, who shifted awkwardly.He barked a
Almost instinctively, Drake grabbed Debra's arm.He was shocked by her actions.Debra was already dangling off the edge of the ship, the ocean waves crashing against her ankles. All it would take was for Drake to let go, and she'd plunge straight into the sea."Mr. Lowe!" Peter was horrified. Drake's voice was filled with fury as he shouted, "What are you waiting for? Get her up.""I-I'll go get someone," Peter stammered."No need." Debra struggled against Drake's grip.But he only tightened his hold. "Are you so eager to die?""My life is my own to decide. Either you give me the respect I deserve, or..." Debra insisted.Drake gritted his teeth, anger flashing across his face. No one had ever dared threaten him like this before."Sir, I've got the rope.""Pull her up.""Yes, sir."A rope was lowered down, hanging right beside Debra. But even with it within reach, she made no move to climb up.Drake's jaw clenched, and he sighed, "Fine, you won. Get up now."Seeing that
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