Liza screamed in fear as she glanced in her rearview mirror. The car behind hers was barely a centimeter away from crashing into her own.She fumed, "Who the hell drives like that? Do you have any idea how much this car costs?"The other car was common, and she assumed the driver was some reckless, nouveau riche fool with no sense of road safety.But when the driver stepped out, her blood ran cold.Her face turned pale as she recognized Randy. She had heard of the Osborne family's influence, even when she was abroad. In fact, her visit to Seamar City this time was to build a good relationship with them.Randy's icy gaze swept over her. "Who said Debra doesn't have a family? The Osborne family stands behind her."Cathryn stepped forward, trying to smooth things over. "Mr. Osborne, you're joking. Debra and you aren't related by blood. How could you support her?"Randy retorted, "That's none of your concern. I will be the best man at her wedding. That makes me as good as her family
Liza stood frozen, her mouth agape. The message was clear: with the Osborne family, the Mathis family, and the Potter family backing Debra, she was untouchable.Those who had originally planned to attend the Nichols' engagement party quickly reconsidered. With Seamar City's most influential figures all heading to the Houstons' event, where else would anyone of importance be?Meanwhile, inside the grand Maple Hotel, Melody frowned as she noticed the dwindling number of guests. "Where is everyone going?"A servant approached her cautiously. "Mrs. Nichols Sr., many of the guests have excused themselves and gone out. Something big might be happening next door."Melody took a deep breath. "I'll go take a look."Despite the Nichols family's high status in Seamar City, it seemed like the only people left at their engagement party were their business partners.Storming outside, she was met with the sight of a steady stream of guests heading toward the Houstons' party.Her anger flared.
Shelia was there draped in a floor-length mermaid dress, but something was off.The dress looked stiff and cheap, the hem overloaded with a chaotic mess of rhinestones that caught the light in all the wrong ways. The fabric pooled awkwardly around her feet, the weight of it too much for her thin figure to carry gracefully.Her makeup, rather than enhancing her features, only served to accentuate the awkwardness of the ensemble.The guests began to whisper among themselves."What on earth is she wearing? Who even uses that kind of fabric for a mermaid gown? It's ridiculous.""I just came over from the Houstons' engagement party, and Ms. Frazier was wearing the same dress. But the difference is so great.""Can't she tell what looks good and what doesn't? The Nichols are losing face big time."...Melody felt her head spinning with embarrassment. Shelia, however, remained oblivious to the scorn. In her mind, the dress was worth seven figures. There couldn't be anything wrong with
Upstairs, Shelia stomped on the fabric with her heels, as if trying to grind it into the floor. Her eyes were burning with anger and humiliation as she ordered, "Go find out what Debra is wearing."She had seen Debra wearing the same style the other day. Yet her clothes were disastrous.Yesterday, she had even confirmed that her dress cost much more than Debra's. The doubt gnawed at her, fueling her anger.Sophie, hiding her disdain for Shelia, pulled out her phone and showed her the latest photos from the Houston family's engagement party.In the pictures, Debra looked radiant. She was wearing an elegant floor-length mermaid gown that hugged her figure perfectly. The dress was understated yet sophisticated, with subtle diamond accents at the hem that sparkled like a constellation of stars.The same design yielded two completely different outcomes.Seeing how effortlessly graceful Debra appeared in the photos, Shelia blushed with fury."It's her. She must've bribed the designe
The second-floor dressing room was in chaos.The guests craned their necks and looked up curiously."What is happening up there?""I heard Ms. Blair is fighting with a maid.""Ms. Blair? Fighting? How disgraceful. She's supposed to be a lady of standing.""Well, no matter how high she climbs, she can't seem to leave behind her common roots. So unrefined."...Declan, standing among the crowd, could feel the weight of their whispers on his shoulders. His face grew darker with each passing comment, his mood souring further.It was bad enough that rumors swirled, but now the media had their cameras trained on the scene, hungry for the scandal.The frenzy downstairs intensified as Shelia came storming down the staircase, dragging Sophie by her hair. Shelia's face was twisted with rage.The flashes of cameras were relentless, capturing every wild expression. Within minutes, the internet exploded with headlines: [Ms. Blair Loses Control, Attacks Maid at Engagement Party.]Next doo
Their business rivalry aside, Juan's personal life was no longer any of Debra's concern.She was just about to walk away with Erica when she bumped into something solid.It was the broad chest of someone cloaked in black. Debra looked up and saw a silver mask covering his face.Debra instinctively stepped back, while Erica quickly grabbed her arm, creating distance between them.Debra gave an apologetic smile and said, "I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?""It's fine." The man's reply was slow and gravelly.His voice was raspy, as though his throat had been ravaged by fire. His age was impossible to determine.Erica, eyeing the man warily, tugged on Debra's sleeve. "Sorry, sir, but we've got matters to attend to. Excuse us."Debra nodded, but as they brushed past the man, she heard a low, hoarse whisper, just loud enough for her ears alone. "Leave. Now."She froze, her heart skipping a beat. When she turned to look back, the man had already disappeared into the crowd."Debra, stop s
Debra lifted the lid of the gift box. Inside lay a sleek bank card with a small slip of paper showing the PIN."What's this?""Just take it. I'm a top-tier actor now. You think I can't afford a little gift like this?""Alright then, I'll accept it."Across the room, Marion caught her eye. He was dressed impeccably, his tailored suit fitting him perfectly, every strand of his hair in place. As he moved through the crowd, toasting guests with charming ease, he stole a glance at her. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a subtle, knowing smile.After tonight, Marion would officially be her fiancé.The thought filled her with a warm glow, her heart fluttering with excitement.But before she could fully savor the moment, a security guard hurried over."Mr. Andrew Potter had a fall as he was leaving. You should come quickly.""What?" Debra's face tightened with concern.Andrew always had his butler by his side. It was unbelievable he fell."Let's go check it out together," Erica sug
Drake's lips curled into a cruel smile as he stared down at Debra's unconscious form.The last time he had seen her, she and Marion had put on quite the performance. It was his turn now.Inside the Royal Grand Hotel, the emcee's voice boomed through the ballroom, enthusiastically announcing the next segment of the evening: the grand entrance of the soon-to-be-engaged couple.Upstairs, Marion was adjusting his tie, an uncharacteristic unease tightening his chest."Marion!" Randy burst into the room, panting heavily.Marion remained composed. "Today is my engagement, not yours. Why are you in such a hurry?"Randy was burning with anxiety. "Did you see Erica? I couldn't find her anywhere."Marion's expression hardened instantly. "I told her not to leave Debra's side for even a second."The two men locked eyes, both sensing the same gut-wrenching dread."Something's wrong."Downstairs, the guests remained blissfully unaware, clapping and cheering as the emcee continued his spirit
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
When they entered the dream, the gems were real.Fermin had woken up faster than them and taken the gems. Then he must have found a way to hide them or hand them off to someone else.In other words, this whole thing was planned. "If that's the case, Mrs. Houston and the others are in danger," Barton said anxiously, realizing someone in their group was a traitor.The Illuminati couldn't have collected so many rare stones for nothing. There had to be a scheme."I need to think this through," Andrew muttered, pressing his forehead.Barton noticed his pale face and immediately stepped forward. "Sir, are you having another episode? William said you shouldn't stress yourself out. I'll get your medicine.""Come back," Andrew said. "I'm not taking any medicine right now.""It won't work, sir. The doctor warned you against thinking too much. That's why you left Seamar City to enjoy peace. Mrs. Houston has Mr. Houston looking out for her. You don't need to worry, sir."Andrew had thoug
Michael chuckled, "You probably won't believe this, but after I finished work, I found this thing right outside my door.""What?" Debra was shocked.Michael explained, "Since that night you asked me to keep an eye out, I reached out to a few international contacts. But I came up empty. Then, the very next day, this thing was sitting outside my door."Debra mused, "So, you think someone knew you were investigating, so they gave you a shortcut?""If that's the case, then the organization must be massive, and the entertainment industry could very well be their way of spreading their influence," Michael said.A lightbulb went off in Debra's head.At those banquets held by the Lowe family, most of the guests were from the entertainment industry. Whether they were once-famous stars or rising ones, these celebrities were typically the targets of wealthy businessmen.If the entertainment industry was being used to spread Illuminati teachings, then it wasn't the stars trapping the rich m
When the bathroom door opened, Debra was soaking in the bathtub.She asked awkwardly, "Uh, where's the towel?"It was her first time staying in that house, and she hadn't expected the towel not to be in the bathroom.Marion was relieved to see her fine. "I'll get it for you."He walked over to grab the towel, then entered the bathroom and draped it over her shoulders.Her cheeks looked rosy, maybe because of the heat in the bathroom.Worried about her injury, he gently lifted her out of the bathtub. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Their breaths mixed as she was held close to him.His arms were robust, easily lifting her with no effort."Are you tired?""I-I am.""Then lie down and let me serve you."He kissed her forehead, but she tapped his shoulder. "Hey! I just finished my shower."It was getting dark. Marion ordered takeout, all of Debra's favorite dishes.Her body was sore all over. She didn't want to move, and Marion had to feed her.Leaning on t
"Marion, what are you doing?" Debra shot him a warning look.Marion shrank back."Alright. I'll call again when I get there," Michael said."Okay." Debra ended the call and looked up to see Marion's frustrated look."I'm hungry," she said, pecking him on the lips.Marion lost what little control he had left. He tilted her chin up, pressed a hand to the back of her neck, and kissed her deeply.It wasn't until they were both breathless that he finally pulled away."Let's go eat," he said.Debra glared at him, knowing he was doing that on purpose."Well, I'm not that hungry anymore," she said deliberately.Marion looked back and met her limpid eyes. His lips, slightly swollen from his kisses, were soft and inviting like ripe cherries."I am hungry, though." His voice was low, teasing.This time, his kisses were slow, lingering. His lips trailed down to her neck, and their breaths both quickened.Debra's silk nightgown slipped down to her waist, the lace straps of her undergar