The disposal of Peter was so efficient that Debra had almost been caught.Lara whispered, "But how did you know Peter would be thrown into the ocean? What if Mr. Lowe had spared his life?"Debra explained, "A useless man like that? There's no way. Drake never lets anyone touch his prey.""I see." Lara nodded.Debra looked down at the phone in her hand. With Peter gone, no one would pay attention to his phone. And more importantly, this phone likely contained crucial evidence of Drake's crimes.If she could get this phone off the ship, it would be a critical piece of leverage to take him down.Meanwhile, at the bustling docks of Seamar City, Randy and Marion waited impatiently, their men scattered strategically throughout the area."Something's off," Randy muttered, eyes scanning the horizon. "Drake's ship should've been here by now. But there's no sign of it."Marion frowned. "What about the tracker?""It went dead hours ago. Drake probably turned off his phone, shutting down
"What is it?" Debra asked, trying to sound casual.The nurse smiled warmly. "Mr. Lowe asked me to bring you this for your wounds. He said you should apply it yourself."She then placed a tube of ointment on the table."Drake?" Debra muttered, not believing he could be so kind.Still, she nodded politely. "Thank you. I'll use it later.""No worries. I'll leave you to it," the nurse said, getting out of the room.Debra opened the tube and brought it close to her nose.She didn't know much about medicine. Toxins might be mixed in. It was better not to use it.Making up her mind, she tossed it into the trash.That night, Violet arrived at the docks of Seamar City. Stepping out of her sleek black car, she spotted two men leaning against a lamppost, smoking cigarettes. One was stocky, and the other wiry.Her lips curled into a sneer. "Have you taken care of the matter?""We've been waiting here for two days," the stocky man said with a hint of annoyance. "But we haven't seen the w
Lara was concerned. "What about you?""Don't worry about me," Debra replied. "Drake won't do anything to me for now. Make sure you get the phone to them.""I will," Lara promised.Soon after, she escorted Debra to the deck. The maids began disembarking one by one. Before leaving, Lara glanced back at Debra, who gave her a reassuring look and left.At the dock, a group of men in black suits and sunglasses stood waiting. As soon as Drake appeared, they stepped forward to greet him.One of them said, "Sir, Mr. Odom instructed me to welcome you here."Drake hummed in response.Debra was startled upon hearing the voice. It was none other than Edgar's secretary, Chace.She looked over and saw the Odom family's crests on their chests.The one thing indicated the close relationship between Edgar and Drake.Chace saw Debra out of the corner of his eye and froze. He hadn't expected to see her with Drake."Isn't that Ms. Frazier? What brings you here with..."Before he could finish, D
Drake watched with detached amusement. "With the meager salary the McKinney Group pays you, I doubt it even covers a fraction of what you spend in a day. I did you a favor by submitting the resignation letter."He paused and added, "Besides, you seemed pretty happy about it."She was indeed happy. Drake had just unintentionally given Ben a hint. Ben would be able to trace everything back to Drake. With the evidence and her testimony, they could easily pin Drake for illegal imprisonment.Drake always ignored laws and rules. Eventually, they would bring about his downfall.Debra stifled a smirk. Maybe she could even get from him some useful intel about the treasure or the car crashes that killed her parents and Marion's parents.After getting out of the car, Chace led them to a high-end hotel. Once Debra and Drake had each entered their rooms, he turned to the bodyguards and ordered, "Stay here and keep watch. Don't let anyone leave here.""Yes, sir!" the guards replied in unison.
Edgar's plan was all too obvious to Debra.He intended to use her as bait to lure Marion and Juan to Flesta, allowing him to stir up trouble in Seamar City.Unbeknownst to him, he had fallen into the trap she had carefully laid.Debra casually said, "You've been sticking close to Edgar. How come he sent you back?"She was aware of the truth but decided to play dumb. Chace fidgeted but soon composed himself.He replied, "Mr. Lowe is an important business partner, and I came back to oversee things.""Is that so?" Debra smirked. "Seems like Mr. Lowe's pretty special."Back when she had been filming the show on the island, she had learned about their arrangement.Over the past few months, Edgar had lost control of his many subsidiary companies, all thanks to her meddling. His position in the Odom family was in peril.Yet he hadn't yet realized how great the damage was. He was still bent on taking on the McKinney Group and Oscar. All the while, his company was teetering on the edge
In the hospital, a doctor examined Juan's wound. "Mr. Nichols, the injury isn't too serious, but you should avoid any strenuous activity. I recommend staying in for observation."Juan's mind was on something else. His phone buzzed, pulling his focus.He picked it up and saw an unread message, which had come in the night before.[Debra is being held by Drake in Flesta.]His face paled instantly. The post made by Debra had convinced him that she had been rescued by Marion, but it turned out she had been captured by Drake."Mr. Nichols, you can't move around yet," the doctor advised as Juan threw off the blanket and climbed out of bed, gritting his teeth against the pain.Out in the hallway, Joe rushed over to help him. "Sir, where are you going? Let me handle it.""Get a ticket to Flesta. Now," Juan said.Joe hesitated. "Sir, the company's in chaos. Mrs. Nichols Sr. has taken over your duty. You need to stay to manage things. You can't just leave.""Move." Juan shoved him aside.
"Mrs. Nichols Sr., are you heading to the hospital to see Mr. Nichols? I've prepared everything you asked for," Sophie replied.She had gotten the soup ready. But Melody headed back to the bedroom and pulled out a pill from the drawer.Sophie didn't quite understand what was happening. Melody dropped the pill into the soup. Slowly, it dissolved without a trace."Mrs. Nichols Sr., what is this for?""Get all the bodyguards here. They're to escort me to the hospital.""Got it."In the hospital room, Juan had been waiting for over an hour, but Joe still hadn't come back.It was not normal, given how efficient Joe always was.Juan suspiciously got up from the bed and headed toward the door when footsteps echoed from the hallway."Mr. Nichols is resting inside," the doctor said respectfully.Melody hummed in acknowledgment, and as she glanced up, her eyes locked on Juan standing at the door. "Grandma?" Juan muttered in surprise."Juan, I came to check on you," Melody said graci
Juan's consciousness started to fade, and before he knew it, he was collapsing back onto the bed, sinking into darkness.Melody stood over him, expression hard. She turned to the bodyguards at the door and instructed, "Watch him closely. If he wakes up and tries to move around, sedate him. He's not leaving this hospital until his leg is healed.""Yes, Madam."Juan slipped into a fitful sleep, yet his mind still buzzed with awareness. He realized with chilling clarity that Melody had drugged him.It was not the first time Melody had done such a thing. Juan's mind wandered as he fell into a long, vivid dream.In the dream, Debra was hovering near him, dropping by the company to bring him lunch or setting up encounters. Her youthful infatuation was visible to anyone who cared to look.He naturally saw through her clumsy attempts to get close to him. But ever since he was a child, Melody had drilled into him that love was meaningless. As the heir to the Nichols family, he should marr
"Wait a little longer. No peeking," Fermin said, covering her eyes as he led Liza forward.Liza frowned. "Are we there yet?""Yes." Fermin moved his hands away.Liza opened her eyes and took in the full view of the manor.She had once wanted to move out and picked out a manor. Sadly, it had been owned by someone else, and Bert wouldn't let her live outside.Now the beautiful landscaping and warm lights were right in front of her. It felt unreal."Did you buy this manor?""Do you like it? This is the one you loved most. I've always remembered.""But that owner refused to sell it."She had secretly asked several times before, but even her identity as an Eaton couldn't get her a deal.Fermin shrugged. "I have my ways. Anything you like, I'll get them for you."Liza faltered, "Did you..."Fermin smiled, "Of course not. I'm a reasonable person."Still, Liza felt uneasy.In the past, if Fermin had bought her a manor like this, she would have thought it was just him being kind t
Debra took off her jacket, revealing the scar on her shoulder.William examined it. "You've healed pretty well.""Marion said the same thing," she replied."You can get surgery this year. The scar removal process is standard. Given how severe the injury was, it's a bit hard for it to be as good as new. Maybe a faint mark will be left.""Alright."As William packed up his medical kit, Debra asked, "Did you come here specifically today?""No, I arrived last night." William paused, quickly correcting himself, "I took a flight and stayed at the hotel.""Okay.""Why do you ask?""You didn't bring a suitcase, so I figured you didn't just get here today.""Perceptive."But then, he felt like Debra had been testing him.Sure enough, everyone from Seamar City seemed to have so many tricks up their sleeves.Debra pressed, "Did you meet Andrew?"William groaned inwardly but acted calm on the surface. "Not really."The room fell silent.Debra's steady gaze made him shift uncomforta
Debra knew that their enemies would come after them sooner or later and that Marion was just trying to comfort her.They needed to grow stronger by then. Or they'd just be at the mercy of others.Marion took Debra's hand in his, his fingers laced with hers."Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will be by your side," he said."I know." She nodded.Suddenly, a coughing sound reached their ears. They turned to see William standing in the doorway.He awkwardly waved at them. "The door wasn't closed, so..."Debra was stunned. "How did you get in?""I'm a regular here, so they let me in. Besides, today's your consultation day. No one would stop me," William replied as he walked in.Debra frowned at the sight of a big medical kit he was carrying. "My injury's almost healed.""You still need a checkup. Also, didn't you mention wanting that scar removal surgery? I need to see how it's healing."Yesterday, Debra had casually mentioned it, and Marion had taken it seriously."I di
Before Debra could respond, Erica's voice came through the phone."Debra, I'm not complaining, but this is getting unbearable. Please hurry back. Drake can't get out of bed. Jordan comes and goes like the wind. Theda is caught up in her own things. Oscar and Chace are gone. It's just the two of us, and we can't hold it together much longer."Debra was swayed. "I...""Three more days," Marion interrupted, "and we'll be right back."Marion took the phone and ended the call.Debra frowned. "The workload is too much. Ben can't handle it alone. Randy and Erica have their own companies to worry about. Three days might be too long.""I've sent someone to help them. We can't leave in the next three days.""Why not?""Fermin escaped."Debra was shocked by the news. The last time she saw Fermin was over a month ago. He had stabbed her and then disappeared."What happened?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"Marion hesitated. "Mr. Eaton Sr. called. They didn't want
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