"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
"Undoubtedly, he suspects you of having an affair. Such a petty guy is not worth it."Erica wiped her mouth and said, "Just dump him and marry someone else.""Someone else?" Debra said."I think my cousin is not bad. Why don't you two give it a try?" Erica replied frankly.Debra almost spat out her bubble tea. "It won't work out.""Why not? Isn't Marion cute? He's way better than Juan!""I didn't say he's not cute.""In terms of money and power, Juan and he are evenly matched!""These don't matter." Debra shook her head. "Feelings aren't something you force.""Yikes, no hope for Marion!" Erica lamented and asked. "So, how do you feel about him? Don't you like him?""Not exactly liking. I think he is nice."Erica nodded. That meant Marion still had a chance.In her pocket, the screen of her phone flashed. Marion had been listening from the other end of the phone.Marion hung up the phone and furrowed his brow.Eating beside him, Randy asked, "Why the long face? What did Er
"Yep.""I thought you meant my company.""Not really," Garland quickly reassured her. "Even if Theda has those shares, she can't compete with you."Debra took a sip of what she thought was tea, only to realize it was Coke. She glanced at Garland, who was wolfing down his food with no regard for manners."I've heard that you have a ruthless streak and get things done efficiently," she probed. "If we join hands, dominating overseas and Seamar City markets won't be a problem. What do you think?"Garland nearly choked on the food. 'Ruthless? Efficient? That sounds more like my dad.'As for cooperation, he didn't have the authority to make that decision."What you're saying makes sense," he stammered. "Given our relationship, a partnership wouldn't be a problem. But this is a big decision. I'll need to discuss it with my dad."Noticing Debra's suspicious look, he quickly corrected himself. "I mean, I'll talk to the shareholders and get my dad's approval.""I heard that your father
Lara recounted what happened to Debra, who muttered in confusion, "Huh? He only recorded my meals?"She glanced at Marion, who was equally clueless."He didn't ask anything else. But since no one was eating in the dining room, he went back to his room.""He made his actions so obvious," Debra mused. "I'll test him again and find out what he is trying to do."Marion advised, "From the way things are going right now, his brain doesn't seem so sharp. You should be careful not to overplay your hand when probing him. I'm afraid he won't catch on.""He's the heir to the Eaton family. He can't be that dull," Debra reasoned."I'm not calling him a fool," Marion explained. "But he has been acting like one."Fermin's recent behavior had betrayed his low intelligence.When they were at the Potter Mansion, he had maintained his sophistication, but over time, he couldn't be bothered to fake it anymore, always showing his true colors in front of them."I'll go try something," Debra said, st
"Liza and Fermin are here," Debra said, changing the subject."I heard." Marion nodded."I suspect Fermin is here to keep an eye on us," Debra shared her thoughts. "He is the heir to the Eaton family. It doesn't make sense for him to come here personally. But his interaction with Liza suggests they are real siblings. I just don't get why he'd bother monitoring me."They had stayed at the Potter Mansion for a while, but nothing had happened. If Fermin was as cunning as rumors suggested, he wouldn't have been sitting around and doing nothing.Debra had deliberately let them stay to keep an eye on them. But Seamar City remained peaceful."Are you doubting his identity now?" Marion asked."Doubting is one thing. Knowing what he's up to is another, and finding out his true identity is yet another," Debra replied, shaking her head. "I don't know if he's dumb or playing dumb. We need to find an opportunity to test him.""Then let's test him," Marion agreed. "Finding out what he's monit
When Debra returned to the room, she saw Marion trying to get out of bed and walk.She hurried over to support him. "The doctor said you shouldn't be moving around right now. Why aren't you listening?"Marion brushed it off. "My physical condition is better than most people's. I'll heal faster.""Cut the nonsense," Debra retorted. "The venom may have been neutralized, but you're still weak. Don't think I don't know what you're up to. You're eager to go back and retaliate against the Buchan family."The mention of the Buchan family made Marion pause, realizing she must've interrogated Robert."So, you know.""Of course, I know. Think you could handle things without me finding out?"She tapped his forehead and said, "You didn't have to fight them. If Theda wants the Nichols Group so badly, let her have it. I don't care.""I know," Marion said, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I just don't want anyone to steal your things."He could feel Debra's obsession with the N
Debra tactfully suggested, "Your influence in Orkgate is undeniable, but sometimes you can be a bit misguided. Why don't we...""No. I'm doing this alone," Drake refused, heading toward his study.Debra was speechless. If Drake took things into his hands, Orkgate would be turned upside down. If he stirred the pot too much, the target would surely flee the city. She couldn't let him act so recklessly.Kale had just escorted Garland and Liza to the guest room.Seeing Drake return, he asked, "Boss, are you sure about letting them stay here?""Why not? It's not like we're short on guest rooms," Drake replied dismissively.He then ordered, "I need you to gather information on every business in Orkgate, big or small, whether they're our partners or not. Get their details and map out their network. Don't miss a thing."Kale blinked. "Every business? And their network?"Orkgate was vast and bustling, with countless businesses. Compiling all that information would take weeks, even with
That was a jab at his intelligence.Drake sulked, "Who are you insulting? Of course, I noticed.""You did?" Debra said. "I thought you were scared of Fermin's status, so you didn't kick them out.""I was just being kind for your sake," Drake stated. "If they were not your friends, I would have kicked them out long ago."Unhappy about her challenge, Drake turned to leave.Debra quickly stopped him. "Take it easy. I was just kidding. I'm sorry, okay?""It's too late. Apology unaccepted," Drake scoffed, shaking off her hand.But then, something occurred to him, and he asked, "Wait. You'd never apologize to me for no good reason. What do you want?""Well, I need a favor," she replied."No way." Drake covered his ears. "Whenever you come to me, it's never for anything good. I've already been more than generous in letting you and Marion stay here. Don't push your luck.""I won't be so absolute." Debra swatted his hands away from his ears. "Isn't Orkgate your territory? Do me a favo
"You've misunderstood. That's not what I meant," Debra explained."I think that's exactly what you meant," Drake interrupted. "You can forget about it. Since I've already agreed to let Marion recuperate here, you're not backing out. None of you are leaving until Marion fully recovers."He turned to Kale and ordered, "Go prepare rooms for Miss and Mr. Eaton. We're not short of guest rooms."His gaze shifted to Debra, his tone dropping to a menacing warning. "Make sure they behave themselves in my house."Debra reassured him, "Don't worry. We're all nice people here."Liza rolled her eyes, uninterested in the exchange. As long as there was good food and fun, she couldn't care less about the rest.But Garland's expression tightened with discomfort. If he stayed there, it would be difficult for him to update Juan on Debra's situation.It had already been days, and Debra still hadn't gone back. Juan must be worried sick.While Garland wrestled with his thoughts, he suddenly felt a g
Behind Liza, Drake spoke up. "That's right. Who would dare lay a hand on Miss Eaton? That would be suicide."Liza crowed, "Tell me about it."Drake's eyes grew even colder. Debra, aware of Drake's disdain for the arrogant heirs of wealthy families, feared he might lose his temper.She quickly intervened, "Mr. Lowe is kind enough to take us in, and he was once engaged to you. You should be more polite.""Exactly," Garland chimed in. "You should learn from Mrs. Houston and be humbler."Liza was unimpressed. "But Dad said a girl should be tough and not let anyone push her around. Should I listen to you or Dad?"Garland was at a loss for words. From a young age, Bert spoiled Liza, giving her the best of everything and ensuring she never faced any hardship.This upbringing had made her arrogant and willful, believing her family name could protect her from anything. It had, except for that one time when she helped Cathryn and incurred Marion's wrath.In fact, Bert was contemplating w
Liza ignored Garland and said, "I don't believe it. Bring them here."Not interested in arguing with her, Drake said, "They're upstairs. Go find them yourself."Garland hadn't expected Drake to be so accommodating this time. He grabbed Liza's arm and urged, "Let's go upstairs."Liza remained skeptical as she headed upstairs. Drake couldn't stand the sight of her and walked back to his study.Not knowing where Debra was staying, Liza asked Kale, "Which room are Debra and Marion in?"Having been insulted by her earlier, Kale shrugged. "Can't recall the room number. You'll have to figure it out yourself.""Is this how you treat your guests? If my brother is mad, you're in trouble."Garland's eyes widened, and he groaned inwardly, 'Making trouble for Drake? That's suicidal.'"Liza, calm down. You can't go around threatening people." Garland forced a smile, trying to ease the tension. "The second floor isn't that big. It won't take us much time to find out."He then dragged her tow