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
Drake snorted, unfazed by her sharp wit. "I don't understand what Marion sees in you."Apart from her looks and quick tongue, he couldn't fathom what made her special."Once you've eaten your fill, get out. I've arranged a room for you to rest in. Once you've gathered your strength, I'll take you to the casino tomorrow," he said.Debra perked up at that. "Wait, you're still going to take me? But I didn't finish cleaning the wine cellar.""Consider it a special favor," Drake said, rising from his seat and striding toward the door.Opening it, he called out, "Lara, take her to her room. I need to sleep.""Yes, boss," Lara replied, stepping in to help Debra up. "Ms. Frazier, please follow me."Debra cast one last glance at Drake, noting the exhaustion etched on his face. Just before leaving, she swiped a handful of pastries from the table.Lara led her to a neatly prepared guest room. "Ms. Frazier, you'll be staying here tonight. If you need anything, just ring the bell by the bed
Lara cleared her throat and explained, "Mr. Lowe reconsidered the outfit last night and decided it might not be appropriate, so he had Mr. Mclean prepare something else for you. Why don't you try it on and see if it fits?""I see." Debra nodded, rising to slip off her jacket and put on the new dress.It was white and modest, save for the daringly high slit. In such a dress, she would be the least popular dealer in the casino.Kale was insidious enough to arrange this.With a dark expression, she went out of the room.When Drake turned to see her, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. The dress, though understated, clung to Debra's curves, accentuating her slim waist. It was intended to be seductive, yet on her, it radiated unexpected elegance."This looks nice on you, but you don't seem too thrilled about it," Drake teased her.Debra shot him a frosty glare. "Would anyone wear this to be a dealer? Kale did this on purpose. How am I supposed to attract customers like this?"Drake mu
Now, as she took in the view, Debra realized this place was every bit the metropolis people whispered about.When she was younger, she didn't understand, but now she saw that this city had everything.Not only was it home to the largest trade center, but the place was also a melting pot of people from all walks of life. People of different skin colors could be seen everywhere.Trying to escape from this city and avoid Drake's watchful eyes was almost impossible."Sir, we've arrived," the driver announced.Debra blinked in surprise. It had only been a ten-minute drive, which meant Drake's mansion was right in the heart of the city.Drake hummed in response and got out of the car. Debra followed suit, stepping out into a grand square dominated by an enormous clock tower. Surrounding them were buildings reminiscent of a bygone era, their grand scale astonishing her.Drake snapped his fingers, and Debra didn't know what that stood for until the lights in every building went on at th
Guests began streaming into the gambling hall. The manager tossed a headset to Debra, gesturing for her to put it on.She fumbled with the device until she managed to settle it over her ears. She had never stepped foot in a place like this before, not to mention knowing anything about gambling.Fortunately, Drake had cut her some slack by assigning her to the simplest of games—betting on dice rolls.As Debra struggled to figure out the ins and outs of the game, a middle-aged man reeking of stale alcohol swaggered into the room. Leering at her, he slurred, "Ava, you look stunning today. Your waist is slimmer."The manager put on an obsequious smile. "Ava's not working tonight. This is our new dealer.""A new dealer? Wonderful!" said the man, reaching out for Debra's wrist.She instinctively pulled away. The manager shot her a warning glare, and she quickly adjusted her demeanor, flashing a seductive smile. "Oh, I see you're a regular who enjoys Ava's company. Should I call her to
Debra met his gaze steadily. "I don't know how to control the dice."She couldn't do it like others, rolling the exact number Drake wanted.His eyes narrowed. "You don't know how, yet you asked me to take you here?""But even so, I can still make money," Debra countered. "Didn't I help you make some just now?"Drake's frown deepened, but she pressed on. "Sure, I can't control the dice, but I know human nature. No one can win forever by betting all on small or big while doubling the stakes each time. Eventually, they'll lose. It's inevitable.""And you think that's some brilliant strategy?" he scoffed. "If that idiot down there had any clue what he was doing, do you think you'd have been able to take him for that much?"Debra accepted his scolding without protest."If you can't handle being a dealer, then get out of here. Stop wasting my time," Drake snapped, turning to the manager. "Take her back.""Yes, boss." The manager nodded and turned to Debra. "Ms. Frazier, please come w
"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
When Debra and Marion came back, Michael quickly ended the call."You didn't check in with Hannah before leaving?" Debra asked."This trip is for work," Michael replied, closing his laptop. "Hannah was just briefing me on tomorrow's schedule."He noticed her disheveled appearance. "You guys came back so early. Guess the investigation didn't go as smoothly?""Let's just say it was a bit intense. Marion can tell you about the details," Debra said, sitting down on the couch.Marion habitually warmed up some milk for her and grabbed some pre-sliced cake from the fridge.He didn't stick around in the living room but went straight to the kitchen to boil eggs.Michael raised an eyebrow. "Feels like he doesn't quite like me."Marion heard it, his grip tightening around an egg. Then there was a cracking sound.Michael added, "My visit seems untimely. Should I move out?"But he made no move to get up.Debra took a sip of milk. "No way. I can't let you leave, especially since you're th
God knew how panicked Marion was when that guard raised his gun at Debra."I..." Debra murmured, "I couldn't find you.""That's not an excuse." Marion frowned. "Do you not trust me, or are you just used to handling everything yourself? Even if you stood there doing nothing, I could find you in a second. You shouldn't have rushed it like that.""The doors were closing, and I was worried that the guy would get away, so..." she explained."I don't care about the Illuminati. I care about you." Marion cupped her face, his tone serious. "You can't go solo like that again.""What if I do that again?" Debra looked at him.Marion pinched her cheek and muttered, "I'll break your legs so that you can't run off again."Debra slapped his hand away. "It was a special case today. I won't do it again.""Remember what you said. Don't make me worry," Marion relented, pinching her nose."By the way, what's the situation now?""I've handled it.""How?"He fell silent, but she didn't press furt
The man trembled and spilled every bit of information he knew about the Illuminati."Sounds like you're not so useful," Marion said, watching the man shiver in fear. "Everyone here is guilty. To redeem yourselves, your souls will stay in this castle."Before anyone could process his words, gunshots erupted around them. Screams filled the air. In just moments, the castle was thick with the smell of blood."You're out of your mind!" shouted the man, rushing toward the exit.But before he could get close, he was shot dead."Sir, we'll take care of the rest," said a guard."Make sure to clear all the traces," Marion ordered before leaving the castle alone.His eyes reflected the cold light of the moon. The air around him was chilling.Since the day he arrived overseas, everyone was nothing more than a dead man to him....Debra had a dream of her coming-of-age ceremony.Everyone was smiling, and everything was perfect.Suddenly, a gunshot shattered everything. The world went bl
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