Drake nodded. "You've got a point."Debra continued to say, "So, I want to take down the man who played with my heart. It's only fair, right?""Fair," Drake echoed. "If someone played with my feelings like that, I wouldn't just kill them. I'd make sure they bled first."Debra pressed on. "I'm not here to sacrifice myself for some guy. I've lost everything—my family, my position in the McKinney Group. I can't even go back to Seamar City. I'm asking for a chance to work for you here in Orkgate. I'll make enough money to exact my revenge."Drake chuckled, "So, you want to deal cards at my casino?""That's right." Debra didn't hesitate.Kale frowned, but Drake was interested."Alright, I'll give you a chance.""Really?""Yeah.""Does that mean you won't lock me up anymore?""Of course," Drake said, turning to Kale. "Get her some clean clothes.""Yes, sir." Kale cast a sidelong glance at Debra and left the room.Drake tossed a towel toward her. "Go take a shower."Debra caught
Debra had no choice; there was nothing else in the room to wear. With a reluctant sigh, she slipped into the dress. As she opened the bathroom door, Drake's gaze flickered over.The black dress clung to her body, accentuating her every curve. The intricate lacework caressed her skin, making her hourglass waist impossible to overlook.Drake's eyes roamed over her, and he swallowed.Sensing the intensity of his stare, Debra sulked, "What kind of clothes did you prepare for me?"Drake looked away and replied coolly, "Your work uniform.""Work uniform?" Debra glanced down at the dress. "You expect me to work like this?""Got a problem with that?""Isn't it a bit too revealing?"Though Debra didn't mind wearing mature clothing, this dress was far too provocative.Drake stepped closer, his tone cold and firm. "Your only value to me is your pretty face and that perfect body. You're here to attract clients, nothing more. Tonight is just a trial run. If you think you can't handle it, j
"Why not?""You can't tell? Kale has it out for me. I'm afraid he'll get rid of me when you're not looking.""Kale isn't that kind of man. He follows my orders to the letter.""I don't care. I want you to take me.""You want me to escort you? That's quite the request.""Come on, just take me. With you around, I would have nothing to worry about."Her words were thinly veiled jabs at Kale, who listened quietly outside the room.Drake found her antics mildly entertaining. Against his better judgment, he nodded."Alright, I can do that."Debra's eyes lit up, but he added, "But that's a waste of my time. Who is going to clean up the mess in the cellar?""Seriously? You've got a house full of servants.""They all come with a price."His implication was clear, and Debra had to give in."I'll do it.""You've got until morning. If you finish, I'll take you there. If not...""I'll finish it. I'm doing it right away."But Drake stopped her once again."Now what?""Change into t
Debra surveyed the spilled wine and toppled barrels. Even with ten cleaning staff laboring through the night, it was impossible to clean up.Drake was doing this on purpose to give her a hard time.If she wanted him to escort her to the casino, she needed to rethink her strategy.Seizing a fleeting opportunity before Kale returned, Debra darted to the first floor.A maid spotted her and asked, "Ms. Frazier, why are you out of the cellar? Mr. Lowe ordered that you can't leave until it's cleaned up."Debra forced a nervous smile. "I was scared down there all alone. Have you seen Kale? He was with me, but I looked around, and he just disappeared."The maid paused. "I think I saw him go upstairs a while ago. He'll probably be back soon. If you're scared, I can be down there with you."Debra hesitated. "But Mr. Lowe said no one else is allowed down there except Kale. And I just found out the detergent was running out. Could you grab me a bottle? I'll wait down there.""Sure, I'll ge
The maid halted mid-step, her body going rigid with fear.Kale's cold voice followed her. "I didn't do anything. Why are you running?"The maid trembled. "Yes, Mr. Mclean. You did nothing."Debra seized the moment. "I know you don't like me, but I swear I never meant any harm to Mr. Lowe. Please, just let me go."Understanding dawned in Kale's eyes. Fury simmered beneath the surface as he muttered, "Debra, you..."Before he could finish, Debra closed her eyes and collapsed to the ground.The maid freaked out and dashed upstairs, shouting, "Help! Ms. Frazier has fainted."Kale looked down at Debra, frustration etched across his features.Lara pounded on Drake's bedroom door, urgency in her voice. "Boss, something is wrong.""Come in," Drake said.Lara opened the door, only to find Drake changing his shirt. She quickly bowed her head and reported, "Ms. Frazier passed out in the wine cellar.""What?" Drake was surprised. "Where's Kale?""He was there when it happened. The maid
Knowing Kale as an honest man, Drake turned back to the maid."What happened next? Don't leave anything out.""After that, Ms. Frazier said she wouldn't hurt you and begged Mr. Mclean to let her go. Mr. Mclean got angry, and Ms. Frazier collapsed."Kale couldn't argue with that. He just explained, "Debra asked me to get her some detergent, which is why I went upstairs. When I came back, the maid on the first floor was gone, so I hurried down to the basement. That's when I spotted Debra sneaking around the corner. Everything that followed was part of her plan. Boss, you can't trust her."Drake asked, "So, her faint is fake?""I believe so," Kale replied seriously. "I never touched her. If we can prove that her fainting is fake, we can expose her lies."Drake glanced at him and then at Debra, who was lying on the ground.Just then, Lara came with the doctor. "Boss, the doctor is here.""Good," Drake replied curtly, signaling for the doctor to check on Debra.The doctor knelt bes
Standing before Drake, Kale kept his head down."Boss, this was all Debra's setup. You have to believe me.""You said she was faking. Then go ahead and cut her. Let's see if she wakes up.""Okay."Without hesitation, Kale drew a knife from his belt, bringing it to Debra's throat.Yet, as the blade hovered dangerously close, Debra remained utterly still.Kale's expression shifted to grim realization. Drake placed his empty glass down on the table with a sharp clink."In our line of work, if you can't even tell when someone's genuinely unconscious or just pretending, then you're doing it wrong."The doctor's earlier examination had left no room for doubt. Drake knew Kale had just lost his judgment in the heat of the moment."I understand you're worried about me," Drake continued. "But she's just a woman. No matter how clever she might think she is, she can't outsmart me here in Orkgate.""Yes, sir," Kale replied, his voice reluctant but obedient.Drake waved him off. "It's lat
Lara came back with a glass of water. "Ms. Frazier, you fainted in the wine cellar. Mr. Lowe brought you here to rest."Debra gulped down the water, feeling her throat finally ease.As she glanced up, she caught sight of Drake standing across from her, casually clad in a loose robe. His hair was tousled, and faint dark circles under his eyes hinted at a long night."Debra, you really outdid yourself," Drake said, his tone frigid. "I sent you to clean up, and you managed to pass out in the wine cellar. You stirred up a ruckus in the middle of the night. Can't you let people sleep?"Debra retorted, "I was trying to clean, but Kale scared me with his cold face. I didn't bother anyone, yet you let him bully me."Drake's expression darkened. "I let him bully you?""If it weren't for you, why would he have tried to kill me?" Debra rolled up her sleeve, revealing a series of fresh bruises marring her skin. "Look at this. He almost chocked me."Drake's brows knitted together."Ms. Fraz
"Wait a little longer. No peeking," Fermin said, covering her eyes as he led Liza forward.Liza frowned. "Are we there yet?""Yes." Fermin moved his hands away.Liza opened her eyes and took in the full view of the manor.She had once wanted to move out and picked out a manor. Sadly, it had been owned by someone else, and Bert wouldn't let her live outside.Now the beautiful landscaping and warm lights were right in front of her. It felt unreal."Did you buy this manor?""Do you like it? This is the one you loved most. I've always remembered.""But that owner refused to sell it."She had secretly asked several times before, but even her identity as an Eaton couldn't get her a deal.Fermin shrugged. "I have my ways. Anything you like, I'll get them for you."Liza faltered, "Did you..."Fermin smiled, "Of course not. I'm a reasonable person."Still, Liza felt uneasy.In the past, if Fermin had bought her a manor like this, she would have thought it was just him being kind t
Debra took off her jacket, revealing the scar on her shoulder.William examined it. "You've healed pretty well.""Marion said the same thing," she replied."You can get surgery this year. The scar removal process is standard. Given how severe the injury was, it's a bit hard for it to be as good as new. Maybe a faint mark will be left.""Alright."As William packed up his medical kit, Debra asked, "Did you come here specifically today?""No, I arrived last night." William paused, quickly correcting himself, "I took a flight and stayed at the hotel.""Okay.""Why do you ask?""You didn't bring a suitcase, so I figured you didn't just get here today.""Perceptive."But then, he felt like Debra had been testing him.Sure enough, everyone from Seamar City seemed to have so many tricks up their sleeves.Debra pressed, "Did you meet Andrew?"William groaned inwardly but acted calm on the surface. "Not really."The room fell silent.Debra's steady gaze made him shift uncomforta
Debra knew that their enemies would come after them sooner or later and that Marion was just trying to comfort her.They needed to grow stronger by then. Or they'd just be at the mercy of others.Marion took Debra's hand in his, his fingers laced with hers."Don't worry. No matter what happens, I will be by your side," he said."I know." She nodded.Suddenly, a coughing sound reached their ears. They turned to see William standing in the doorway.He awkwardly waved at them. "The door wasn't closed, so..."Debra was stunned. "How did you get in?""I'm a regular here, so they let me in. Besides, today's your consultation day. No one would stop me," William replied as he walked in.Debra frowned at the sight of a big medical kit he was carrying. "My injury's almost healed.""You still need a checkup. Also, didn't you mention wanting that scar removal surgery? I need to see how it's healing."Yesterday, Debra had casually mentioned it, and Marion had taken it seriously."I di
Before Debra could respond, Erica's voice came through the phone."Debra, I'm not complaining, but this is getting unbearable. Please hurry back. Drake can't get out of bed. Jordan comes and goes like the wind. Theda is caught up in her own things. Oscar and Chace are gone. It's just the two of us, and we can't hold it together much longer."Debra was swayed. "I...""Three more days," Marion interrupted, "and we'll be right back."Marion took the phone and ended the call.Debra frowned. "The workload is too much. Ben can't handle it alone. Randy and Erica have their own companies to worry about. Three days might be too long.""I've sent someone to help them. We can't leave in the next three days.""Why not?""Fermin escaped."Debra was shocked by the news. The last time she saw Fermin was over a month ago. He had stabbed her and then disappeared."What happened?" she asked. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?"Marion hesitated. "Mr. Eaton Sr. called. They didn't want
It was late at night.Inside the church, soft light filtered through the colored glass, casting a shadow that stretched long and unnerving.Suddenly, footsteps echoed through the vast space. A young man dressed in a black robe and wearing a mask entered."Didn't get the job done, and you're still here to face me?" The bishop's voice was low and ominous.The young man was unfazed. "Debra and Marion are keeping Drake well protected. We had no chance to move. The Potter family guards escorted him the whole way from the airport. We couldn't act."The bishop paused, his fingers tightening around the ring in his hand."The Potter family?" he muttered, "Without Andrew leading them, they're just a bunch of misfits.""It's not so easy to remove Andrew," replied the young man. "Rumor has it that he was crippled in a kidnapping incident, but he's still walking. And another rumor said he was dying, but he's still kicking and alive.""The Four Great Families only have one person like that.
Fermin's men aimed their rifles at Bert.Fermin led Liza downstairs and casually said, "Be careful. Don't let anything go off by accident. The old man's too frail for this.""Fermin..." Liza's face went pale.She knew Fermin wouldn't harm their father, but at that moment, her heart still twisted with worry.Outside, a luxury car pulled up. Fermin raised his hand and ordered, "Fall back."His men quickly withdrew from the property.Bert stood there, barely able to keep himself upright. The butler immediately stepped forward to support him. "Sir, stay strong.""That bastard pointed a gun at me." Bert's words were cut off by a sudden surge of something in his throat.The next second, blood gushed from his mouth.The butler was alarmed. "Sir!"Outside, Liza looked back at the house, worried about Bert.He was too old to handle such a shock.Fermin brushed it off. "Don't worry about him. Get in the car."Liza reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.She'd try to talk to Fermin w
Bert's face darkened as a loud noise echoed from outside the basement.A group of masked men had blown open the basement door.Fermin's shackles were quickly removed, and then he vanished from the surveillance footage.On the second floor, Bert had instructed that Liza be kept under guard to stop her from running around.Sitting on the bed, Liza was worried about Fermin when a sudden loud noise came from outside."Who's there?" She turned pale from fear.When she got up to check, she saw Fermin standing at the door.He had changed into a black shirt, and his face was no longer the mess it had been the day before. Even his stubble had been neatly groomed.He opened his arms with a smile, "Come here.""Fermin." Liza rushed into his arms, hugging him. "Did Dad let you out?"Fermin playfully ruffled her hair. "He didn't let you out, but you still managed to sneak down to the basement. Weren't you afraid of his punishment?""I was worried about you," Liza replied, but her express
Late into the night, Debra leaned against the head of the bed, waiting for Marion to come back after washing his hands.But then, the showering sound echoed from the bathroom.After a while, he walked out. His hair was still damp, and the bathrobe hung loosely on him, revealing his toned muscles and perfect V-shaped lines.The dim light from the bedside lamp reminded Debra of the banquet earlier.Her face flushed. She instinctively reached for the light switch to break the mood, but Marion grabbed her wrist.His palm was warm, and under the soft light, there was a glint of desire in his deep eyes."I'm clean," he croaked, having washed off the scent of blood.In fact, before leaving the castle, he had already changed into a new jacket, worried that Debra might catch the disgusting smell of blood."Alright," she said shyly, a bit overwhelmed by his strong desire.Marion smelled faintly fresh. Different from his usual tobacco, this scent was clean and pure."Don't hurt yourself
"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