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.
The legendary treasure of Seamar City had been held tightly by the Four Great Families. Few knew about it, and after a century, most people had stopped searching for it.If they could obtain it, they could rebuild not just one Frazier family, but a hundred. "Okay. If you can help me take down Marion and obtain the treasure, I'll help you rebuild the Frazier family. You'll once again be the young lady," Drake said."Deal!" Debra extended her hand, and as their fingers touched, the deal was sealed."Alright, I'll go back and wait for your next instructions," she said.After she left, Kale muttered, "Boss, can we trust her?""A fallen heiress relying on men to survive? It's only natural she wants to reclaim her former glory.""But if she knows about the treasure, why hasn't she tried to find it herself?""The Frazier family is only one of the Four Great Families, not the leader. What she knows is far from enough to find the treasure.""Then why are you...""It's better than not
Just as Yvonne prepared to ignite the car, a pair of headlights suddenly pierced the darkness.The bodyguard rushed forward to protect her. "Miss, someone's coming. We need to leave now."Yvonne's fury blazed as fiercely as the fire she intended to set. "Step aside. I'm going to kill her.""Miss, you can't take the risk and expose yourself. That's Mr. Sharp's order," insisted the bodyguards.Yvonne shot a glare at Debra and hurled the lighter toward her target.In an instant, flames erupted at the front of the vehicle, crackling hungrily as they spread. The bodyguards swiftly dragged Yvonne back into their car and drove away.Debra coughed violently, the thick smoke clawing at her lungs. Distantly, she heard the frantic voices of William and Marion."Debra!""Marion! Watch out! There's a fire ahead!"When she finally managed to blink through the smoke, she saw Marion outside, pounding furiously on the glass."Marion..." she croaked, reaching weakly for the door, but it was ja
Debra saw his desperation and cupped his face. "Marion, listen to me. You and William need to head back to Seamar City, get everything in order, and then come back to me. I know you can do it. Drake and I have reached an agreement. He trusts me now. I'll be alright.""You want me to leave you here alone?" Marion asked, disbelief etched on his face."William is right," Debra insisted. "If you take me now, we won't make it. And I'll lose all the trust I've built with Drake. I've already uncovered part of his gray market operations. You need to go quickly. I'll wait for you to rescue me."Marion was reluctant, and she turned to William. "Take him away. Return to Seamar City, set everything up, and then come get me."William saw her determination and tugged at Marion's arm. "Marion, just listen to her and go with me. Do you want her blood on your hands?"Marion finally let go of her. "Three days. I'll come back in three days.""Alright, I'll wait for you," Debra replied, her heart ac
The director wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, terrified of Drake's wrath.Over half of the hospital's funding came from the Lowe family, and with just a single word from Drake, the director's career could be in jeopardy.Inside the hospital room, Debra stirred back to consciousness. She half-sat on the bed, her body bruised and battered.Drake stormed in, startling the nurse inside. "The patient is resting. You can't just...""Get out!" Drake growled.The director, standing in Drake's shadow, quickly waved the nurse away. "Hurry, leave."Recognizing Drake, the nurse turned pale and hurriedly exited the room.Debra, frustration mingling with her weak voice, said, "I'm lying here in this condition. Can't you give me a moment of peace?""You need to explain what happened today.""What? I almost died. If you want answers, go ask Miss Sharp.""You're saying Yvonne did this?""She had someone crash into our car and pour gasoline on it. If it weren't for a passing vehicle, I
Liza grinned cheekily, "My allowance has gone up every year, but don't lose heart. I'll tell Dad to raise your allowance too."She looked at Garland's sullen face and patted his shoulder. "Cheer up. I'm off shopping."She leisurely hummed a song and skipped away.Far away in Seamar City, Robert was reporting his duties to Theda."These past few days, most of the McKinney Group's clients have jumped ship and joined us. Now that their artists are on hiatus, we can grab their endorsement deals. Within a month, we'll swallow up all the resources they're holding onto," he said."Is Debra doing nothing about this?" Theda asked."She did," Robert replied. "Michael has been working around the clock. Debra's trying to use him to salvage the situation. But it's not working.""Michael may be their ace, and Debra's relying on him to secure only luxury brand endorsements. But if she doesn't care about the smaller deals, we'll take them," Theda said, tapping her chin. "Without clients or reso
On a beach overseas, Debra lay on a lounge chair.In front of her was the blue sky, white clouds, and the endless ocean. The golden sand glittered in the sunlight.She wore sunglasses and flashed a peace sign for a picture before posting it on social media.In the picture, she showed half her face, while the other half captured their artists building a sandcastle.The caption read, [Blue skies, white clouds, the ocean, playful employees, and a boss you'll never have.]The comments section quickly exploded.[I know team building, but I've never heard of a boss taking their employees abroad for it. I want such a boss.][Girl, you just took away all my idols.][The McKinney Group's artists have all gone on break. My happiness is gone.]...In floral trunks, Garland was grumbling while digging in the sand with a shovel, "Your wedding hasn't even happened, and you're already on a honeymoon? You can have your honeymoon. Why let me arrange everything and foot the bills?"Liza heard
Erica chimed in, "Right now, with half the entertainment industry's resources in their hands, their artists are already strained. If they take our deals too, those artists will be run into the ground. Even if they worked 24/7, they wouldn't be able to handle that kind of workload.""To capitalists, artists are just tools to make money. They couldn't care less about how the tools feel. And since those artists are mostly rookies, their rates are relatively low. After layers of exploitation, the pay they take home won't match the work they're doing," Debra replied. "Meanwhile, our artists are enjoying paid vacations for two months, traveling and relaxing. Do you think the Buchan Group's artists will feel okay with that? These are skilled professionals, but they're stuck doing assembly-line work. With such intense workloads, their performance will inevitably suffer, and the quality of their work will drop. For artists, no good work means no staying power. Their popularity will fade, and a
"She's probably trying to catch us off guard with this move," Debra said, calming down. "She's pushing her artists to work nonstop, taking on every gig they can get. By marketing them so aggressively, she's maintaining a temporary buzz. Advertisers will shift their partnerships from our artists to hers. If we lose most of our clients all at once, it'll throw our company into chaos. That's when she will swoop in."Andrew muttered, "So, it's a mind game? Theda knows how to play dirty."But Erica still looked troubled. "Now we know what she's doing. What can we do? Just sit by when she steals our clients?"If they lost their clients, their artists' commercial value would plummet. That would be a heavy blow to their business. Their revenue would dive, and they would lose their standing in Seamar City.Debra smiled mysteriously, "If Theda wants to disrupt us, we'll meet changes with constancy.""What do you mean?" Erica was puzzled."Didn't Michael just say that artists aren't machine
Compared to those mass-produced artists, these people under Theda's management had been trained for years.They were different from those who debuted just because of their looks. These people were versatile and unique in their own ways.Randy mumbled, "I've tried my best, but every time we fight back, they come up with something new. The advertisers we worked with before saw the momentum behind their publicity. Plus, their new talents were cheaper, so they all switched sides. Our ad revenue has dropped significantly. Even our commercial street has to feature ads for those Buchan artists. It's like quenching a thirst with poison."Erica chimed in, "This is the least we can do. Their artists are riding the tide. It makes sense that advertisers would go for them. We can't just tell people not to run ads for them."Debra nodded. "Advertisers choose who's trending. And those newcomers are popular and affordable. Michael is better but beyond the average advertisers' reach."Erica got an
Soon, the interrogators came out of the room. It seemed they wouldn't get any answers today.Kale had been waiting outside the station.When Drake and Debra walked out, he quickly went up."Boss, the plane tickets are ready.""Good."Before getting into the car, Drake said, "I'll give you an answer within three days. Don't forget our bet."Debra shook her head, surprised that he took that lopsided deal so seriously.Her phone rang with a call from Erica. "Check the news!"Debra, sensing her urgency, opened the news app.The top headline was about Buchan Entertainment. The article showcased a lineup of attractive artists and members of popular bands.Randy's words resurfaced in her mind. When she had just returned to Seamar City, he mentioned that a surge of artists had become wildly popular, rivaling the fame of Michael back in the day.Since Oscar left the entertainment industry to take over the Odom Group, these artists had been gaining even more momentum, almost as if the
"You think I'm scared of being caught?" Drake tried to pull his arm away, but Debra held on tightly.In the end, Drake snapped, "Fine! I won't go."The police were already closing in. Running now would only make things worse. Being dragged back in cuffs wasn't exactly appealing.Debra let go of him and smiled cheerfully, "Thank you for your cooperation."Pedro personally led the operation. Within minutes, the officers subdued the six thugs and loaded them into the vans.Pedro glanced at Debra and pointed at Drake. "About Mr. Lowe..."Debra explained, "Mr. Lowe is a witness. He's cooperating with us to clear his name and assist in solving this case. Isn't that touching, Mr. Hardy?""Thank you, Mr. Lowe. Much appreciated," Pedro said gratefully.But then he scratched his head and added, "Well, since Mr. Lowe is a witness, he'll need to come to the station for a statement. I know it's inconvenient, but I'm sure a generous and upright person like Mr. Lowe won't mind, right?"Befor
"I'll talk. It was Matthew Ledger. Please, spare me, Mr. Lowe," Silas said, terrified.He was just a small-time worker running errands for the bigshots.Drake narrowed his eyes, not expecting Matthew to be so bold."Boss, what should we do with these people?" Kale asked."Bind them all up." Drake glanced at the boat. "Stuff them in there, along with the machines, and send them to the West Factory. We'll go meet Matthew.""Yes, boss." Kale gave orders to cram those men into boxes.Among the group, six men suddenly pulled out their guns. "Don't move!"Debra saw it and opened the car door.Looking nothing special, these people had blended into the crowd and acted only at the critical moment.Debra knew that the shipment of so many machines couldn't go unsupervised. She hadn't noticed anyone hidden earlier, but it turned out they'd been embedded within the group.Clearly, whoever was behind this had infiltrated Drake's company."Stand back!" The six men grouped, scanning their s
Presumably, Silas had smuggled out countless machines and made a fortune over the years.Drake pulled out a bank card and said, "There's not much in here, but it's got 300-500 thousand dollars. I'd appreciate it if you guys could help carry all the machines down. Consider this a tip."Everyone was excited to hear that. It was easy money to make.The leader quickly ordered his men to unload the cargo. Drake handed the card over and glanced at his watch.Then he looked over at the car parked 100 meters away from the dock.Inside, Debra rolled down the window but had no intention of stepping in. She was simply enjoying the show.The men brought down the boxes, emptying the cargo ship.Drake nodded and said, "Thanks, everyone."The leader laughed, "No worries. You've already paid us."Drake smirked, "It's for carrying the evidence down."Before those men could react, Kale and his team sprang from their hiding spots.Realizing it was a trap, the men tried to flee, but Kale's peop