Andrew and Marion had been holed up on the island villa, discussing their strategy."I'm leaving," Marion said.Andrew frowned. "You don't even know where she is. What good will it do to leave now?"Just then, Randy burst through the door. "She's alive."His words attracted immediate attention.Marion immediately stood up. "What do you mean?""Check the news. Haven't you been following it? Debra just posted on social media," Randy quickly replied, placing his phone in front of them.The butler searched for the relevant news and placed the phone in front of Andrew. "Sir, take a look."The post read, [All is well. The gunshots were just for show. I've been down with a high fever, so I've been out of it for a bit. Thanks for the concern, but I'm alive and kicking.]Attached was a selfie of Debra. Though it was just a selfie, in the background, they could faintly see a dining table and the décor behind her."It's a cruise ship," Andrew said, recognizing the surroundings."The ke
"Drake's phone," Andrew muttered.Randy was struck by a realization. "Wow! Debra posted that update using Drake's phone. And she even customized the phone model?"And Drake didn't notice a thing.Andrew explained, "Drake isn't a fan of electronic gadgets. He probably doesn't know much about their little features. Debra must have taken advantage of his lack of attention to make the changes, just to let us know that she's using his phone."Randy mused, "Drake's phone, huh? But even if someone isn't into gadgets, they can't avoid using phones. There might be some important secrets stored on that phone. If we can prove it's Drake's phone, it would confirm that he's behind the abduction. Debra is so smart."Andrew nodded. "Alright, we've all been at this for days. Let's pack up and catch the earliest flight home.""Okay."The next morning, Melody took out a few pieces of jewelry, each of considerable value. Sophie saw it at the door of the bedroom and hurried over with a smile."Mrs
Debra stiffened at the voice. She tried to retreat to her cabin, but Drake quickly blocked her path."Mr. Lowe, I'm not feeling well. Can I go rest?" she asked, hiding her disdain.The last thing she wanted was to deal with him right now. Her message had already been sent out; Marion must have noticed by now. As soon as the ship reached land, she would be able to escape Drake's clutches.Drake scrutinized her face. His eyes were cold and unfathomable.His gaze made Debra uneasy. When he stepped closer, she immediately stepped back, maintaining a safe distance.Her patience ran out. "What do you want?""Go get her some medicine," Drake ordered without glancing at Lara.Lara knew better than to disobey. She shot a hesitant glance at Debra before mumbling, "Yes, sir."Only after Lara was gone did Debra speak again. "Did you send her away because you have something to say to me?"Drake stepped closer, and Debra, filled with revulsion, stepped back.He raised an eyebrow and took a
Suddenly, Debra recalled something Drake had mentioned two days ago.She hurried to the door and opened it.Lara asked, "Ms. Frazier, is everything alright?"Forcing a smile to mask her anxiety, Debra replied, "I'm not feeling well. I think I need some motion sickness pills.""Of course, Ms. Frazier. I'll go grab some from the doctor.""Wait.""Yes, Ms. Frazier?""Wasn't the ship supposed to dock in three days? Why haven't we reached the port yet?""I'm not sure. The course is up to Mr. Lowe."Debra's heart skipped a beat. She wondered if Drake had found out about her plans and changed the route subsequently."Alright, that's fine. You can go now.""Alright."Once Lara had left to fetch the medicine, Debra stepped outside her room.Peter appeared from around the corner and deliberately bumped into her shoulder as they crossed paths.Debra stumbled from the impact, and Peter spoke with false innocence. "Oops, I didn't see you there. Are you okay?"Seeing the malicious gli
Seeing how terrified Lara was, Peter felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.All the frustration he had endured from Debra and Drake the past few days bubbled to the surface. He took a step forward and yanked Lara to her feet.She shrieked in fear, turning as white as a sheet.Peter patted her cheek and spoke playfully. "Well, I didn't notice before, but you're quite a pretty little thing. If you don't want to swim with the sharks, you'll learn to please me. If I'm in a good mood, maybe I'll let you go."Lara's body went rigid at his words.Debra stood up and approached them. Her fingers slid down his chest."Come on, she's just a maid. If you're upset with me, taking it out on her seems beneath you, don't you think?"Peter, a seasoned player when it came to women, immediately picked up on Debra's sudden change in demeanor. His eyes traveled over her, taking in the sight of her toned legs beneath her denim shorts and the way her white tank top hugged her curves.Debra was u
Peter's face loomed closer, his hands tearing at Debra's blouse.The ripping sound of fabric seemed to thrill him further as he lifted the whip and lashed it down hard on her.Debra screamed in panic. "Help! Somebody, help me."Just then, the door burst open. Peter jumped, frantically pulling up his pants."Damn, who the hell is ruining the fun?"He hadn't even finished his cursing when he spotted a brooding Drake at the door."M-Mr. Lowe," Peter stammered, collapsing to the floor.Debra let out a shaky breath. Drake had arrived just in time."Sir, this is all a misunderstanding," Peter stammered, pointing at Debra. "It was her. She came onto me."At that moment, Debra's wrist was cuffed to the bedpost, her face streaked with tears. Her clothes were torn apart.She hurriedly covered her chest, purposefully revealing the whip marks on her arm.Peter's words died in his throat. Given how things looked, no one would believe him.He suddenly realized he'd been set up by Debra.
Debra bit her lip, clutching the coat tighter around herself."I can't change on my own.""What? One whip and you're immobilized?""My arm is dislocated."Drake paused for a moment before stepping closer to lift the coat."What are you doing?" Debra covered her chest."Don't move," Drake commanded.Debra stayed still, and he carefully lifted her right arm. Sure enough, her shoulder was out of place."How'd this happen?" he asked without looking up."Who else could it be? Your loyal servant, Peter," she snorted. "He's mad about me snitching on him earlier. He deliberately dislocated my arm and tried to force himself on Lara, threatening to throw her into the sea to feed sharks. Then, when I defended her, he decided to turn his attention to me. Gotta hand it to you. Your ability to pick employees is spot on. They're a perfect reflection of your character."Drake shot her a cold look, unamused by her biting tone. "Maybe it's best to leave your arm dislocated then."He turned to
Drake gave no response.Debra asked again, "You weren't some kind of enforcer in the past, were you?"He came out of the bathroom and called out, "Anyone outside?"The door creaked open, and Lara entered with her head down. "Yes, Mr. Lowe?""Help her change," he ordered, getting out.Lara rushed to Debra's side, tears streaming down her face. "Ms. Frazier, are you okay?""I'm fine. Thankfully, you understood my signal," Debra replied calmly.Lara had heard everything outside. She glanced at Debra's arm and whispered, "Ms. Frazier, your arm...""I broke it myself.""What?" Lara's eyes widened in shock. "It wasn't Peter?""He's not a bull. No way would one hit dislocate my arm," Debra replied.But if Drake investigated it later, he might suspect her.A woman trying to seduce her way into a man's favor was far less likely to ignite his protective instincts than one who was brave yet suffered unjustly right under his nose. She couldn't risk Drake seeing through her plan."I kn
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