Debra gazed at the ring and nodded.Marion patted her head. "I'll take you back to work today.""Alright."For the past few days, the McKinney Group had been resting on Ben's capable shoulders. Debra wasn't sure how well he had managed, but she knew it must have been a challenge.Halfway through the journey, Debra opened her phone. While she was in Flesta, she gave Chace her new number. As expected, a message from him sent the previous night popped up as soon as her phone came to life.Edgar had pulled most of the funds out of the Odom Group, leading to a complete halt in their operations. If they couldn't restore things within three days, all partnerships would dissolve.Moreover, rumors were spreading like wildfire, damaging the public's perception of the company and causing its stock to plummet. It also triggered a wave of broken contracts from major partners. Bankruptcy loomed ominously on the horizon.Debra's lips curled slightly. It seemed they had this under control.To
Debra's voice dropped to an icy calm. "I can tell that. I entrusted the company to you because I believed in you. Now, I find it in disarray. I need a reasonable explanation."The elevator hummed to a stop, and the doors slid open to reveal the third floor. Debra's brow furrowed."Why are we stopping here?""Madam, it's not convenient to talk here. Let's head to my office first."The apprehension in Ben's expression sent a chill down Debra's spine. While no one was around, he added, "Your office has been occupied by the new GM."Debra let out a laugh, sharp and frustrated. "New GM? Who authorized a new GM? I'm the owner of this company. Nothing happens here without my say-so."Ben sighed heavily. "It was Mr. Nichols.""Juan?""Yes, Madam.""And where does he get the authority?""While you were away, the company came under attack from the Nichols Group. At first, Michael was caught in a scandal and couldn't extricate himself. Then, he got into a fight and was arrested. He's st
Debra's voice was steady, but her eyes held a storm as she asked, "So, my office is currently being used by Shelia, right?"Ben shifted uncomfortably, avoiding her gaze. "Yes."He understood Debra had been planning to step away from the Nichols Group, but Juan's betrayal had changed everything."Where is she now?""Upstairs. The employees are all opportunists, but please don't get angry, madam. Right now, the most important thing is figuring out how to remove the Nichols family from the equation, and then there's Michael...""I'll get him out. And how is the situation with the Odom family?""Edgar still thinks he can take down Oscar. He's been investing heavily since this morning. But don't worry; our PR team has been working nonstop. We prepared ahead of time, so the negative news about Oscar is being minimized.""I see. I'll leave this to you for now. Officially, I'm still in a resigned status, so don't let anything slip.""Understood."Planning to leave, Debra opened the do
Debra chuckled to herself.It appeared Shelia hadn't changed after all. She was still as arrogant as before.People like her, who flaunted their rise, usually had the hardest falls.In the underground parking lot, Marion had just stepped out of his car. He popped a lollipop into his mouth when a pair of hands covered his eyes from behind."Quit messing around.""How did you know it was me?"Marion grabbed her hand, a smirk playing on his lips."Even with my eyes closed, I know it's you.""I heard you never let anyone sneak up on you from behind.""That's true.""I've got some bad news."Debra turned serious, recounting everything that Ben had just shared with her, watching as a deep frown formed on Marion's face.She reached out, smoothing his furrowed brow with her thumb."What's with the face? I'm not even that upset, but you seem more worried than I am.""It's my fault. I thought Ben and Michael could handle it."Debra linked her arm with his, offering a reassuring sm
Neither Debra nor Marion had brought the necessary papers.On the way back, Marion's face remained dark and brooding.Debra stole a few glances at him. "You didn't know you needed identification documents to get married?"Marion shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I didn't have any experience."If he had known earlier that getting married required certain documents, he would have carried them with him every day.Debra couldn't suppress her laughter. It bubbled out of her, filling the car with a light, airy sound that contrasted sharply with Marion's mood.Perhaps feeling stung by her laughter, Marion suddenly turned the car around.Shocked, Debra grasped the door handle to steady herself. "Marion, what are you doing?""Going home," he replied tersely.He meant the Houston Mansion.When the two of them arrived at the study room hand in hand, Caleb was tending to the plants.The watering can in his hand was suspended mid-air. He echoed, his voice filled with disbelief, "Marria
As Debra and Marion walked hand in hand out of the house, Debra couldn't shake off a sense of unease."Is Caleb reliable?""Well, I can't say for sure. But you remember the engagement banquet my parents were supposed to have? Caleb wanted to handle that too, but my dad was against it. Now, he finally has a chance to be involved in my engagement, so let's just let him have his fun.""Well, let's hope it's not too over the top."She hadn't even finished her sentence when suddenly, the alarm sirens pierced the air. Squads of guards scrambled into formation, and a booming voice echoed from the speakers overhead."Attention! Mr. Marion Houston is about to get married. All departments prepare for security measures. All personnel on alert!"Debra covered her face with her free hand, embarrassment flooding her cheeks. Hopefully, things at the engagement banquet wouldn't get out of hand.When they arrived home, Debra found Erica had called multiple times, and when Debra finally called he
Joe hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door to the CEO's office."Come in."As he entered, Joe found Juan meticulously trimming a bouquet of roses.In a good mood, Juan glanced at him and asked, "What is it?"Joe cleared her throat, choosing his words carefully. "Ms. Frazier and Marion have set a date for their engagement party. It's the same day as yours, sir."He observed Juan's reaction, but the latter showed none."As long as it's not at the same venue, I don't care," Juan replied nonchalantly. "I wouldn't want Shelia to be bothered by it."Setting the bouquet aside, he looked up at Joe. "Did you make a reservation at the restaurant I asked for?""Yes, it's all set.""Good. Make sure you pick up Shelia yourself and take her there.""Yes, sir."Joe lingered as he watched Juan adjust his tie."Sir, about Ms. Frazier's engagement, do you really not feel anything?""My relationship with her was nothing more than a business arrangement. The Houston family announc
Debra came straight to the point. "Since Mr. Hardy is aware of the situation, please take me to see Michael."The officer nodded, jumping to his feet. "Of course, everything's ready. Right this way, Ms. Frazier."He led her through a maze of corridors until they reached the interrogation room. Michael had been locked up for days now.His once-clean-shaven face was covered with rough stubble, and dark circles hung beneath his eyes.The moment he saw Debra enter, he shot to his feet. The guards at the door stepped forward, ready to intervene if necessary."Ms. Frazier, you can speak with him here," the officer said. "We'll be right outside if you need anything."Debra said calmly, "No need. I'm here to take him with me."The officer stammered, "Uh, that's not something we can authorize."Debra sharply glanced at them. "Michael is an artist under the McKinney Group. Our lawyers have been negotiating with you for days. If he assaulted someone, we'll pay damages. But you've kept him
Grover was irritated by Debra's persistence.She had always been the type to push when she had the upper hand. Now he was between a rock and a hard place.He had assumed that the couple had gone their separate ways. Who would have thought Marion still had feelings for Debra, who spent her nights at clubs, flirting with strangers?"Alright, this is getting boring," Debra said. "Since Miss Trennery is so fond of Marion, you can have him to yourself. I'll be waiting for you to convince him to divorce me."Lara was surprised by how effortlessly she had silenced the father and daughter.Debra turned to leave, not sparing a glance at Marion, who was still kneeling in the fountain.The crowd was shocked by her dominance. She could fool around, but she wouldn't allow Marion to do the same.Lexie rushed forward to help Marion, but he refused to stand up.A security guard approached and said, "Mr. Houston? A lady who just left told me you could get up now."Only then did Marion slowly r
"Miss Trennery, please keep your distance from me. Don't do anything that might make my wife misunderstand," Marion said."Why? Why are you listening to her? It's wrong to always give in to her like this," Lexie countered, pointing at Debra. "This woman keeps saying you shouldn't be in touch with me, but everyone here knows better. She's been fooling around these past few days. She's not faithful to your marriage, and you should have divorced her."She stood on the high ground of morality, eager to expose Debra's hypocrisy.Debra only found it laughable. "That's right. We should get a divorce, but Marion doesn't agree. Try convincing him."Lexie quickly came over to help Marion out of the fountain. However, he didn't appreciate it and wouldn't even let her touch his clothes.Lexie was stunned that someone like Marion chose to be humiliated like that."Mr. Houston, I've always liked you," she confessed earnestly. "If you accept me, I'll do anything for you."Few men would turn do
Lexie hurried over, looking anxious. "I thought you two were arguing, so I wanted to give Mr. Houston a chance to clear up any misunderstanding. I'm sorry. He didn't actually want to dance with me."The other guests looked outside, eager to witness a classic showdown between the two women.Debra, however, only gave a faint smile. "It's just a dance. What does it even mean?"Her indifference took Lexie by surprise and hurt Marion's feelings."But," Debra continued, "it's indeed improper for him to dance with another woman while we're still married."Marion tensed up. "What do you want me to do?"Debra raised an eyebrow. "What, you want to make up for it?""Yes." His response was firm."Then jump into that fountain," she said. "And don't get out unless I say so."It was winter in Orkgate, and the weather was brutally cold.Anyone who jumped into that fountain at this hour would end up catching a cold and falling ill.Lexie panicked. "That's too much, Mrs. Houston. You can't ju
"I'm going to find out," Lara said, ready to walk over.Debra stopped her just in time. "No need. Just stay put.""But..." Lara hesitated.Any wife couldn't just sit by and watch her husband flirt with another woman.Marion continued to pay zero attention to Debra. They acted like strangers.The guests around them seemed to be enjoying the drama, but Debra looked unfazed.She continued to smile and greet everyone as if nothing was happening."That's Mrs. Houston, right? She's gorgeous." Lexie blinked. "Why don't you go greet her?"She looked like a sweet, innocent girl, the kind that men loved to protect."Yes, she is beautiful," Marion replied curtly, clearly unwilling to talk about it.Lexie grabbed his arm. "Did you two fight? I have an idea to help you make up. Want to give it a try?"Before Marion could respond, Lexie pulled him toward the dance floor.The guests whispered among themselves, surprised to see Marion so close to Lexie. Everyone knew he usually kept his di
The Illuminati was so eager to take back the Jovial Hotel. Its significance to them was plain to see.Just then, a round of gasps interrupted her thoughts.Debra looked up and saw a woman in an elegant outfit descending from the second floor. Her beauty was undeniable, drawing the attention of many people."That's Mr. Trennery's goddaughter," Lara snorted.Grover was doing the same thing Conrad had done before, using his so-called goddaughter to lure in wealthy businessmen. It was disgusting.Yvonne had ended up jumping to her death. It was unknown how long this woman could hold up."Lexie, come here," Grover called out warmly.Lexie Trennery beamed. Her elegance was ethereal, and her pure innocence far exceeded Shelia's back in the day.The wealthy businessmen stared at her as if she were a perfect commodity on display.Lara frowned. "That bastard is planning to make a fortune off her tonight. Or maybe he wants to use her to gain power and influence."But then, the crowd's a
Lara also had a dark memory of the Jovial Hotel.That was where she had overthrown Conrad, but she managed to keep her composure on the surface.The hotel was still bustling with people coming and going. Debra held Lara's hand as they walked into the hotel.The pale moonlight cast a cool glow on Debra's face. People around them couldn't help but stare. Everyone knew about the troubles in Debra and Marion's marriage.Debra noticed the looks but kept a faint smile on her face. She knew too well these people were judging her, wondering how she would react to seeing Marion later.Grover stood at the hotel entrance, welcoming the guests. When he saw Debra and Lara, a smug look crossed his face.The last time they met, he wasn't important enough to stand with them. But now, he was the host of this grand banquet."Mrs. Houston, Ms. Sharp, long time no see. How have you been?" he greeted.Most of the other guests were to watch the fun. In the past, Debra would have been the center of a
Debra instinctively tried to open the bag, but Drake stopped her. "Open it when you get to Orkgate."Debra paused at his serious expression. "Alright."She took the bag and went upstairs.The trip didn't need much packing. The last time she had gone there, she had been with Marion.She quickly shook her head, trying to push him out of her mind, but the longing wouldn't go away. Back then, Marion had taken care of everything. All she had to do was trust him.By evening, she landed in Orkgate.A car was already waiting for her at the airport.Inside, Lara sat elegantly in a purple dress, looking even more refined than before."I've already arranged your accommodations. The Sharp family may not be as powerful as the Lowe family, but at least we can offer a decent place to stay.""I already spoke to Drake. I'll be staying at the Lowe Mansion tonight.""That's fine. But no one's been living there for a while. It hasn't been cleaned. I can send someone over now to take care of it b
Even though Jordan had put it mildly, Drake's pride was still injured.His name alone used to instill fear. The other big shots in Orkgate had to yield to him.But with Fermin's interference, the power dynamics had shifted. Although Drake had regained control of the Lowe family, they were facing reforms.Orkgate was now more chaotic than ever. On the surface, everything looked calm, but behind the scenes, there was a storm brewing. Everyone was eying the throne."I'll go back now," Drake said suddenly.Debra frowned. "Kale, stop him."Kale immediately stepped in to block him.Drake's expression darkened. "Your boss is me, not her.""Boss, you can't go out now," Kale said.The people from the Illuminati were probably waiting outside the villa for Drake to come out and step into their trap."Lara is still there," Debra chimed in. "The Sharp family has some influence in Orkgate now, and the Trennery family wouldn't dare to act recklessly. They couldn't be so stupid as to attack
In just three days, D&M had booked out all its spots for the next month.Even though it covered more than ten thousand square meters, it was still packed to the brim.A knock sounded at the door.Debra was in a good mood. "Come in."The door opened, and it was Jordan with a hesitant look.She realized that he'd seen the news. "Are you upset that I didn't tell you in advance?""You must have your reasons. I won't ask, and you don't have to say anything. But don't you think the club's name is a bit too obvious?" he replied. "Anyone could guess that it's related to you and Marion. If the Illuminati finds out, wouldn't everything you've done be for nothing?"Debra brushed it off. "It could be Drake and Marion."Right now, the news about her only focused on her romance with Jordan. Their cohabitation had been exposed, but neither of them had clarified anything.Jordan had thought she didn't care about the rumors. But now, it was clear that he had misjudged. Debra was dropping smoke