"Yes, boss." Kale nodded and quickly exited the lounge.Outside, the casino bustled with gamblers.Harland, having just returned from handling Ava, caught sight of Yvonne entering the casino.She moved with purpose, her eyes scanning the second floor where Debra played.The music was melodious, and anyone who heard it couldn't help but feel uplifted.Harland tensed up, but it was too late to notify Drake."Miss Sharp, why are you here at this hour?" he greeted nervously.Yvonne sneered, "If I didn't come, how would I know someone had taken my place here?"She strode upstairs, the noise attracting everyone's attention. Then, without warning, she slapped Debra across the face. The crack echoed through the casino, freezing everyone in place.All the guests there knew Yvonne was a daughter of the Sharp family and Drake's fiancée. Anyone who crossed her would face serious consequences.Yvonne's long, sharp nails made their mark with that heavy slap.Debra stared at the woman in s
The air crackled with unease, as if a single wrong move could ignite an explosion.All eyes were on Drake, waiting to see his reaction.Everyone knew how volatile Yvonne could be, and this situation felt like a lit fuse, poised to blow if not handled with care.Drake's face clouded over. Yvonne noticed it immediately.Over the years, she had seen many sides of him, but never this one.Instinctively, she took a step back.Drake growled, "Kale, didn't you hear me?""I did, boss." Kale stiffened, turning back to Yvonne. "Miss Sharp, please leave."Surrounded by bodyguards, Yvonne understood the unspoken message. Drake was determined to protect Debra."Fine! Don't regret this," Yvonne spat before storming downstairs.The crowd on the first floor quickly averted their gazes, too afraid to even glance in her direction. Yvonne was an untouchable lady. Except for Drake, no one dared humiliate her like this.A ripple of whispers spread through the onlookers, all wondering about Debra
Debra rose from her seat.With what had happened just now, no one dared stop her.She looked around on her way to the restroom. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her and dragged her to the corner.The person covered her mouth before she could scream. She gasped, eyes wide with shock, but then she recognized the man.It was the same person she had seen at the engagement party. His face was obscured by a silver mask, his sharp suit blending into the dim lighting."Don't make a sound," he whispered.Debra tensed, but before she could react, a group of guards passed by the corridor. The man's swift intervention had saved her from being spotted."Who are you?""This isn't a place for you. Go back."His voice was distorted, probably due to a voice changer. She glanced down at the hand gripping her arm and shook it off."We don't know each other, do we?""No.""Then why are you helping me? What does my situation have to do with you?"The man remained silent, preparing to leave. But as he
"Sorry," Frederic said curtly before leading Debra to the second room on the left.As soon as the door closed, Debra was stunned by the decor of the room. The lighting was dim, casting a faint red glow. Red curtains hung over a double waterbed, and one of the walls was covered with various instruments of torture.Debra felt a chill, and just then, Frederic's hoarse voice came from behind her, "Scared?"Debra quickly turned around, only to see Frederic approaching her step by step. From the next room, Ava's screams could be heard, and Debra finally realized that the rooms on the third floor were designed to cater to the depraved desires of wealthy people."Don't come near me," Debra warned.She stumbled and fell onto the waterbed, but Frederic didn't make any move on her. Instead, he walked past her, reached for the lamp by the bed, and turned it off. Debra noticed a faint red light blinking in the darkness. It was undoubtedly a camera.Frederic removed a tiny camera hidden on the
The patroller stiffened, clueless about who Debra was.Harland rushed forward, his smile stretched thin. "Ms. Frazier, what are you doing here?"Debra replied with feigned anger, "The guests here are crazy. I was just heading to the bathroom when someone grabbed me and dragged me here, trying to put their hands on me."The lie slipped effortlessly from her lips, and Harland's face flushed with shock. "Who is so bold? Are you alright, Ms. Frazier? This isn't a place for you to be. Let me take you downstairs.""No need," she said with a pout. "Where's Drake? I want him to explain himself."Harland hesitated. "Uh, Mr. Lowe is currently unavailable.""Unavailable?" Her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Is he entertaining someone on this floor?"Harland waved his hand. "No, you misunderstand. Mr. Lowe is devoted to you. Didn't he just snap at Miss Sharp for your sake? How could there be anyone else?""Really?""Absolutely.""I don't believe you. I'm going to check it out."Without w
"Mr. Lowe, calm down and think about it. Why would I drug you? And where would I even get something like that?" Debra reasoned. "Today, you dragged me to buy a piano and new clothes right after I woke up. I barely had time to think before I ended up in that lounge, unconscious. Don't you think it's a bit ridiculous to suspect me?"His earlier rage had clouded his judgment, but now, Debra's logic gave him a pause."Mr. Lowe," she added, "I understand you're upset, but you should calm down and think about everything you've eaten or drunk today."She knew exactly what she was doing, planting seeds of doubt in his mind. Drake's face darkened as he remembered the tea from the lounge."Kale," Drake called sharply. "Give that woman a good beating.""Yes, boss." Kale disappeared instantly, leaving Debra and Drake alone.Debra got to her feet. "Well then, I'll take my leave.""Wait," Drake's voice stopped her cold. "Who gave you permission to come to the third floor?"Debra's pulse quic
Debra lied through her teeth, her heart pounding in her chest.If Drake didn't believe her, she might never get the chance to reach the core of their operations.Drake eyed her carefully, weighing her words. "Alright. I'll pay you well. But make no mistake. If you dare betray me, I'll break your arms and legs and throw you in the cellar to rot."Debra didn't flinch. "As long as you pay me, I'll keep quiet and never betray you.""Good," Drake muttered. "You can go now."Relief washed over her as she turned to leave, her mind mapping out the room. Just as she reached the door, Drake called after her, "You don't need to play the piano anymore. I'll have someone take you back.""No more piano?" Debra glanced back."I'll arrange a new job for you," he said, sitting down to drink.Debra didn't wait for further explanation and left swiftly. Outside, Kale was back, having dealt with Ava.He hesitated at the door before asking, "Boss, do you really trust her?"Drake chuckled darkly, "
The atmosphere in the room shifted."Get in here," Drake called out.Debra stepped inside calmly. Since she dared eavesdrop, she wasn't afraid of Drake finding out.Even if Harland hadn't shown up, she would've walked in herself and confronted Drake.Drake's eyes narrowed. "It's you."She didn't blink. "Mr. Lowe, you're playing a clever game, aren't you? I came to you with good intentions, hoping to cooperate. But it seems you've been less than forthcoming."His voice dropped another degree. "What are you getting at?"Debra took a step forward. "For years, you have systematically bled Ralph dry and ruined my family. Now your attention is on me. Every time I pressed you for answers, you dodged. Now I understand why. You're after the treasure in Seamar City."Though Ralph had confessed to hiring someone to kill her parents, Debra and Marion had uncovered another layer of the truth. The car her parents were in had been tampered with. Someone else had played a hand in their deaths.
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
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