Shelia hurriedly explained, "Maybe she's just playing mysterious. Who knows what she's thinking? Anyway, let's stop thinking about this and just eat."Carrie finally suppressed her doubts.But Wendy smelled a rat. Not as naïve as Carrie, she didn't fully believe Shelia's words.From Shelia's reaction just now, Wendy sensed something was amiss."Let's carry out our plan tonight," she said."Yes! We'll follow her. I'll capture substantial evidence to show Jordan the true colors of that woman," Carrie agreed.But Shelia turned even paler.She had thought that after what just happened, Wendy and Carrie wouldn't want to continue their plan.But Wendy still proposed stalking Debra."Shelia, you'll come with us, right?" Wendy probed.Shelia forced a smile and said, "Of course, I've promised you. I'll definitely go with you."Her unnatural smile only aroused Wendy's suspicion even more.Shelia was lying, but Wendy wasn't sure what exactly Shelia had lied about.As the sky darkened
"Sorry, outsiders need ID confirmation and the homeowner's permission to enter," the security guard insisted, unmoved by their pleas.Carrie retorted, "I've never heard of such a thing. I told you she's my friend from school!""Sorry, please have the homeowner call us to verify," the guard said impatiently.The residents here were either wealthy or powerful, and even the guards acted superior.Carrie was frustrated and had to leave empty-handed.On their way back, Wendy finally voiced her suspicion, "Who is that woman really? The residents here aren't ordinary. Is she really a call girl?""Wendy, what are you implying? Can she be a rich lady? Come on, no rich ladies steal others' boyfriends," Carrie scoffed.Wendy fell silent at Carrie's response.Shelia interjected, "Since we found nothing today, let's just go back.""Yeah, that's all we can do." Carrie sighed.They failed to find any leads.High in the apartment building, Debra watched the trio leave.The security guard c
Shelia stood at the classroom door in a white dress, seemingly waiting for someone.After yesterday's incident, Debra had no intention of interacting with Shelia. She pretended not to see and headed towards the classroom."Debra!" Shelia called out.Debra stopped in her tracks, looking coldly at Shelia. "Anything?"Shelia bit her lip and looked hesitant."Debra, I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," Shelia said with her head down. "I didn't expect Carrie to say those things to you. They misunderstood you.""And you?" Debra looked at Shelia with a half-smile, as if she could read Shelia's mind.Shelia shook her head to deny any involvement. "No, not me! How could I think of you like that? I was trying to stop them the whole time and explain."Watching Shelia act so earnestly, Debra smiled in amusement.She was curious to hear what Shelia would say next.As Debra remained silent, Shelia suddenly grabbed Debra's hands with a distressed look. "You don't blame me, right?""Wh
Seeing the suspicion in Wendy's eyes, Shelia stiffened but quickly put on a look of grievance. "How could I ever lie to you? Why are you suddenly asking me this?"Touched by it, Wendy softened her tone. "I was just asking. Don't take it to heart."Seeing Shelia on the verge of tears, Wendy held her hand and said, "The three of us are good friends. You must never lie to us.""Of course, I would never lie to you." Shelia nodded."Let's go to class," Wendy said, leading her upstairs.From behind, Shelia stared cautiously at Wendy's back.No matter what, she couldn't let Wendy and Carrie find out about her lie before graduation. Otherwise, her school days would be over.Upstairs, there was a crowd gathered at the classroom door. Carrie was also there, but she couldn't push her way through due to her small stature."What's going on?" Wendy asked, stepping forward.Carrie gossiped, "I heard the inspection team from the Ministry of Education is here, and everyone is watching.""Insp
Shelia wondered what went wrong with Carrie and Wendy."If you don't want to leave, I will," she said, turning to leave.Just then, a student at the door called out, "Shelia! They are looking for you."Shelia's heart skipped a beat.A member of the inspection team came out and pointed at Shelia. "You, stop there."Shelia stiffened and looked back warily. "M-Me?""Are you from Dorm #317?"Shelia nodded, puzzled by the question."Is Carrie your dorm mate?""Yes, she is." Shelia instinctively glanced at Carrie, who was standing not far away.Carrie froze, and a staff member looked at her. "Carrie Cohen?"Carrie stiffly nodded.The staff member glanced down at the anonymous report in his hand. "Someone reported that you fabricated false information and circulated it on campus, severely affecting the atmosphere and infringing upon a female student's reputation."He then presented a flyer with doctored photos to Carrie. "Did you do this?"Carrie was dumbfounded and hurriedly de
"Who did this?" Debra wondered aloud.If anyone was to be targeted, it should've been Shelia, yet Carrie ended up taking the fall. Despite the uproar, Shelia had emerged unscathed.Seeing Randy pass by with a plate, Debra grabbed his sleeve. "Wait!"His mouth full, Randy turned and mumbled, "What's up?""Did you do it?" Debra asked."Do what?" Randy was puzzled."The inspection team," Debra hinted.Randy pondered. "It's probably Marion.""Would Marion bother with this?"Debra recalled the encounter with Shelia and the others earlier.Maybe it was Marion, after all.But another question surfaced, distracting Debra. "Are you so broke that you're eating here?"This cafeteria didn't seem like Randy's usual spot."Saving where I can," Randy replied tersely.No kidding. Marion had been throwing around billions and keeping the lights on in the entire office building all night. He had splurged on houses and lavish renovations, now planning to build a commercial street.In the la
Debra nodded. That was what Shelia had said when kneeling before her."When did she have a boyfriend?" Randy asked."How should I know?" Debra shrugged."She has a boyfriend and still clings to Juan. What a woman!" Randy snorted with disdain."She was just saying that for show. I don't believe she would date anyone other than Juan."Debra set down her fork and knife. "I'm done. Enjoy your meal."She stood up to leave. Jordan pushed his plate aside, saying, "I'm done too."Randy mumbled with a mouthful of food, "I'll be done in a bit!"In the evening, Shelia stared at her recent pop quiz results in her dorm, her heart heavy. She had always been a consistent top performer, but this time, her grades had plummeted.Her roommates exclaimed in astonishment, "Shelia, why are you ranking 9th this time? You've always been first. This drop is drastic!"Shelia folded up the report card, forcing a smile. "I wasn't feeling well during the test, so I didn't do so well. It's okay, just a
Shelia wanted to justify herself, but Juan added, "You're talented, but that doesn't mean you can slack off in your studies.""I'm sorry, I..."Tears welled up in Shelia's eyes, but Juan wasn't going to soften his stance again."You know the rules at Arcane Academy. If your grades continue to decline like this, and you don't make it to the top ten in the next exam, you'll lose your scholarship and have to pay your tuition in full."Shelia knew this rule, but she never expected to hear it from Juan's mouth.She stared at him in shock, unable to respond for a moment.Juan's message was clear. If her grades kept dropping, he wouldn't sponsor her anymore or help her stay at Arcane Academy. All expenses would be covered by herself."Mr. Nichols, I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I promise," Shelia pleaded.Currently, all her expenses at Arcane Academy were covered by Juan, who also gave her ten thousand dollars for allowances each month. She didn't need to work to support herself, f
Drake's logic was persuasive, almost hypnotic.Cathryn found herself wavering. "But Liza... ""She's your friend, right? She'll understand. Besides, this is just a business arrangement, not a real marriage. It's just to create some tension for Marion."Cathryn was convinced. "Alright, I'll prepare the gala. But you must explain everything to Liza afterward.""Okay," Drake replied.But his smile faded as soon as Cathryn left.Kale asked, "Boss, are you really going to explain this to Miss Eaton?""Explain my ass," Drake snorted. "Once I get engaged to her, I'll gain control of the Bernard family's resources. Then I'll have enough power to take on Marion. Who cares about her petty little scandals?"Kale mused, "So, you were fooling her?"Drake explained, "She's the only one left in her family. If it weren't for those resources, do you think I'd even consider an engagement with her? She's clueless. Once she hosts the gala and announces the news to the media, do you think she can
Drake sneezed in his study.Kale came in and reported, "Miss Bernard is here."Drake waved his hand. "Let her in."Kale opened the door to reveal Cathryn standing hesitantly outside. She had come upon learning that Marion had taken Debra away.Drake glanced at her and read her mind. "She was rescued. Helping you cost me a lot."Cathryn stammered, "Don't make it sound so noble. You did it for yourself.""What now? We're in this together. Marion has learned you collaborated with me to kidnap Debra." Drake rested his cheek on his hand. "But it's not a bad thing. At least, Marion can't ignore you anymore."Cathryn bit her lip, stepping forward. "I know you have other plans. We can't let her stay with Marion. You gotta help me for my father's sake."But the mention of the past only served to annoy Drake.Cathryn quickly added, "If it weren't for my father, you wouldn't have made it to Orkgate or become the Lowe family's adopted son. You owe me."Drake snorted, "You're right. I owe
She had known for a while that Melody was coming after her. That wasn't a well-kept secret. But seeing it plastered online and climbing the trending charts? That was a whole new level of absurdity."Let me see." Marion emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair.He leaned over, glanced at the phone, and nodded approvingly. "That's catchy.""I'm going to find out which genius published this." Debra's fingers flew over her phone, tracing the story back to its source. When the name of New Age popped up on her screen, she froze."New Age?" she murmured, remembering that it was Garland's news agency."Something wrong?" Marion asked.Debra blinked. "I spent 50 million dollars to buy that newspaper. So..." Her own company had just broken a report on her. That was the next level....In the study room, Garland was livid, yelling into his phone, "What were you thinking? Are you people brain-dead? Who let you publish that story? And then you dumped ad money into it too? Did you want t
"Those things aside, you need to explain something to me. What's going on with your post?" Juan placed his phone in front of Garland.He had only just seen it while walking from the study to the hallway. Garland had managed to edit and post it in that short period. The post read: [Shocking: Ex-husband's Grandmother Travels Thousands of Miles to Kill Me.]Garland was lost for words. He had forgotten to set it private.Juan demanded, "Are you going to delete it, or should I?""I'll do it." Garland grabbed his phone and logged into his alternative account.He clicked open the post, only to find that it had garnered over 99 likes.He hesitated. "How about we don't delete it?"With so many likes, the news must have spread like wildfire among his gossip-hungry peers.He added, "No one knows who I'm talking about anyway."But as soon as his voice died away, several comments popped up under the post.Love2Fly: [Bro, are you referring to Melody Nichols as the grandmother?]JusticeS
Suppressing the swirl of emotions brewing inside, he asked, "You mean, Juan's ex-wife?""Yes, it's her. She has brought nothing but misfortune to my family, and I won't allow her to keep deceiving Juan and ruining everything," she said, her voice rising with agitation.Seeing her get so worked up, Garland advised her, "Take it easy, Mrs. Nichols Sr. This matter is tricky, and we need to think carefully.""I know," Melody sighed. "Marion has been a thorn in your side. He even sent Liza back by force. The grudges run deep between you and him. If you were to get rid of Debra, it would be justice for all the grief they've caused us."Garland nearly rolled his eyes. 'Justice? Easy for you to say.'He didn't know where she got the idea of a feud between Marion and them.He believed some brainless reporters had spun the story. Now he was more convinced that the media needed an overhaul.With that thought, he replied, "That will take time and careful planning. But if it's Juan you want
Juan replied, "Just don't go too far."Garland straightened up. "Alright, let me handle this old..."Juan glanced at him, and he corrected himself. "I mean, Mrs. Nichols Sr."Turning to the mirror, he started to adjust his clothes.He put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, ensuring he looked perfect before smoothing his hair.Dropping his usual playful smile, he said, "Verna, to the study.""Yes, sir." Verna led Garland out.In the study, Garland sat behind the desk, trying out several poses before settling on a more relaxed one. Verna announced, "Sir, Mrs. Nichols Sr. is here.""Alright," Garland acknowledged. "Show her in."Verna opened the door, and Melody entered in a white dress. She carried herself with the grace of a noblewoman from a bygone era.Garland looked her over, impressed that she had maintained her appearance so well at her age.'Bert has good taste, though she doesn't look like my mother at all,' he thought. 'But why did rumors have it that my mother was her
The maid hesitated. "Mr. Fermin Eaton is often busy with company matters, so he's rarely home.""Is he home today?""Uh...""What? Don't tell me no one is at home."The maid stammered, "Mr. Fermin Eaton is home, but he's busy with work. He might not be able to see you right now."Melody insisted, "Is this how you treat your guests? Go tell Mr. Fermin Eaton that if he doesn't come to see me, I'll pack my things and leave immediately."Her tone left no room for negotiation. The maid could only nod and leave to deliver the message.In the bedroom, Garland was upside-down, reciting lines from economic textbooks.The maid opened the door and froze at the sight. "Mr. Fermin Eaton, you're doing this again."Garland's pained voice broke through. "Verna, perfect timing. A little help here."But not far off, Juan cut him off. "Ten more minutes. Hold it.""I can't. I'm about to collapse.""If you collapse, get back up and keep going.""This is brutal."Verna interjected, "Mr. Nichol
The cleaners were devastated, and Lara turned even paler.Drake sat on the sofa and said, "Why are you back here? What are you up to?""Boss, I'm sorry I messed up, but I swear, I didn't say anything," Lara pleaded."Is that so?" Drake scoffed. "I'd be a fool to believe you.""I'm telling the truth," Lara said. "They brought me back to get rid of me. You can't fall for their trap."Drake pondered her words. "Whose idea was it to send you back? Debra's or Marion's?""It was Mrs. Houston's idea," Lara replied.Drake nodded. "Well then, you can stay."The quick change in his attitude took Lara aback."Boss, isn't this a bit hasty?" Kale interjected."Do you think so?""Yes.""Then go to my office and print out a new contract for her. Sign it, stamp it, and then it won't be hasty anymore.""Boss...""Do it.""Yes, boss."Lara watched Kale leave, still in disbelief."Go upstairs. You don't need to clean.""Then what should I do?""Whatever you want. Can you order takeout?
Debra pulled Marion's hand away. "Alright, no more talk like that."Outside, the night deepened. Lara stood at the gates of the Lowe Mansion, hesitating to enter.The security guards spotted her. "Lara?"Lara froze in place. Her first instinct was to run away, but a glance toward the shadows revealed Marion's men watching her intently.Caught between flight and surrender, she noticed a black car slowly emerging from the gates. Her gaze drifted to the figure in the back seat, and she stopped cold.'Juan? What is he doing here?'Before she could make sense of it, Kale, who was escorting Juan out, noticed her presence.He demanded, "What are you doing back here?"Lara was startled and instinctively took a step back. Her face went pale as she stammered, "Mr. Mclean, it's Marion and Debra. They sent me back.""Sent you back?" Kale was skeptical. "Come inside.""Okay." Lara paused and explained urgently, "I didn't tell them anything. They brought me back and left."Kale didn't eve