"Bastard!" Debra cursed.Drake, however, was unperturbed."Ms. Frazier, you're back."The bodyguard was even more shocked than Drake. Anyone else would have fled by now."Of course, I came back," Debra yelled. "Drake, you're insane. What did I do wrong that you asked your men to kill me?"She grabbed the gun holstered at his waist and snapped, "If you want me dead, shoot me in front of my face."She observed his expression, knowing it was not his order.When she escaped earlier, she debated running away. But she quickly realized how unrealistic that was.She wasn't familiar with Flesta, and Edgar's influence was far-reaching. They had all the means to find her.Plus, she didn't have any money on her. If she got caught while on the run, she would lose all of Drake's trust. Drake hated betrayal, and her fate wouldn't be much better than Peter's.It was better to return on her own terms, to earn his trust. But to justify her return after abandoning such a golden chance to escape
All the partners were ready to cut ties with the McKinney Group. Now, all Edgar needed was some cash for PR work. Once he brought down Oscar and smeared the reputation of the McKinney Group, it was game over for them.Chace, however, voiced his concern. "Sir, many of our projects are losing money. Are you sure it's wise to spend ten billion on PR against the McKinney Group? Isn't it a bit risky?""Risky? If we get all those partners on our side, we'll dominate the market. Ten billion? We'll earn that back in a few years. Do you think my business empire can't handle a little turbulence?" Edgar said dismissively.Chace remained silent, though worry clouded his face. He hadn't realized just how complicated the situation in Seamar City was until now.Projects were hemorrhaging money, and many partners had been poached by their competitors. Yet Edgar seemed unconcerned about the crumbling foundation beneath him.Ever since he received Debra's provocation, Edgar had been spiraling, obse
"Aren't you curious about how Kolton really died?"Debra's words stopped Chace in his tracks."What do you mean by that?""Everyone thinks he died of a heart attack, but the truth? Edgar killed him."Chace laughed, disbelief lacing his voice. "That's ridiculous. Why would he kill his father?""You refuse because you never had a father, so you regarded Kolton as your father. The truth is that Kolton wanted to find Oscar. Edgar saw that as a threat to his position and deliberately caused Kolton's death," Debra said.She was not making up things. It was something she picked up from a tabloid in her past life.Initially, due to the tragic love story between Edgar and Jade, Edgar's image as a deeply loving man gained significant popularity. However, some tabloids dug into his past and exposed the existence of Oscar. She had the chance to read that article, which was written very convincingly. It detailed how Edgar caused Kolton's death to secure his position, including testimonies
"I have some things to take care of. I'll be leaving now," Chace said as he turned to leave the hotel.Drake came up with a cryptic smile."You and he...""What do you think we are?""Whatever it is, just as long as you're not planning on running away.""Why would I? If I wanted to run, I could have left last night.""Don't play dumb with me. You're not running because you know it's impossible to escape."Debra's smile fazed as she realized that Drake had pieced together why she'd returned to his side that night.Drake arched a brow. "Relax. As long as you know your place, I don't care why you came back."Debra's eyes glinted mischievously. "I'm not sure what makes me so special to you. Are you falling for me?"Drake clutched her chin and examined her face."Pretty face," he murmured, tilting her head slightly, "but a brain full of vanity."He let go of her and added, "Come to my room tonight. There's something I need to discuss with you in private."His sudden request cau
"I've been removed from all my duties at the McKinney Group by your boss. I have to explain things to my boss, don't I? And who else would compensate for my loss?" Debra explained.Not buying it, Kale extended his hand and demanded, "Give me the phone.""Alright." Debra complied.Kale spoke into the phone. "Who's this?""Hello, this is the secretary office of the McKinney Group. Is Ms. Frazier doing alright?" Marion replied.Kale frowned and handed the phone back to Debra. "Mr. Lowe forbids you to contact anyone outside."Debra hung up the phone. "Alright. In that case, tell Mr. Lowe that he owes me 30 thousand dollars in lost wages. If I don't see that money in my account soon, I'll make sure to make things very difficult for you."Kale's frown deepened. "Do you really need that money?""You can figure that out," Debra said. "You know, someone lured Ralph into gambling, which caused my family to go broke. I've just finished paying off my debts thanks to my divorce settlement w
As Debra thought about the pack of birth control pills from earlier that day, she forced a smile and said, "Mr. Lowe, I'm not that hungry.""I know. You didn't like what the hotel served yesterday," Drake responded."No, I'm really not hungry," Debra said.She was eager to excuse herself and prayed that Marion would arrive soon.Drake started eating. As if engaging in casual conversation, he asked, "Kale said you contacted someone from the McKinney Group today.""It was an old colleague," Debra quickly explained. "I had some paid leave to record that show, and they still owe me 30 thousand dollars. I thought I'd ask about it when you submitted my resignation. After all, jobs with salaries like that aren't easy to find."She picked up her fork and knife, trying to mask her nervousness with action. But then she thought about the possibility of Drake drugging the food, so she put the tableware back down.Drake chuckled, "What's the matter? Afraid I drugged the food?"Debra stiffen
Without a glance at the box, Drake handed it to Debra. "Take it.""I won't," she blurted out.Drake frowned. "You're sick. Do you want to end up in the hospital?""Who's sick? Who takes birth control pills randomly?" Debra countered.Drake froze. "Birth control pills?"Kale was just as confused.Debra held up the box. "These are birth control pills. Don't tell me you don't know."Drake stared at the box. The label didn't mention anything about contraception."It's norgestrel," he read aloud. "Where does it say birth control?"Debra was speechless. It was almost unbelievable that a man like Drake, with all his power, had no idea what birth control pills looked like."If they're not birth control pills, why are you making me take them?" she asked."You said your belly hurt. I asked the staff, and they recommended this for pain relief. Don't be ungrateful," Drake huffed.The waitress came up to explain, "Mr. Lowe said you had a tummy ache. I take this for my period cramps, so
"Your men have been held down. There is no escape," Marion said.Drake turned to look at Debra with a cold smile. "Ms. Frazier, you've really surprised me."Debra tried to stand and run to Marion, but as soon as she got up, a wave of dizziness washed over her.She glanced at the wine glass on the table, quickly realizing that the wine had been drugged. Drake had been prepared all along.Before she could steady herself, Kale pressed a blade against her throat.Debra's body went limp, her strength fading fast. Through blurry vision, she could see Marion's panicked face as he rushed toward her, but her consciousness was slipping away bit by bit."I thought the person she contacted this morning was Juan, but it turns out to be you," Drake said calmly as he dusted off his suit. "You know how skilled Kale is. I'll give you two choices: take Kale and me to the airport or watch her die."Neither of those choices was what Marion desired.Debra tried to speak, but before she could, Mar
"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