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
It seemed inevitable that Debra would be left alone with Kale.Before long, Kale entered the room, his demeanor as unyielding as ever."Mr. Lowe has asked me to take you home.""I know."With a sigh, Debra threw off the blanket and struggled to get out of bed. Kale, however, made no move to assist her, merely standing by like a heartless automaton.Debra inhaled sharply as pain shot through her. A nurse passing by rushed over to help. "Are you her family? How can you just stand there and watch your wife in pain without offering a hand?"Kale frowned, annoyance flickering in his eyes.Debra explained, "He's not my husband, but just a friend.""Even so, he shouldn't just stand by. He should be helping," the nurse insisted, placing Debra's arm in Kale's.When he tried to pull away, the nurse firmly said, "This patient is injured. You need to support her properly while she walks. If her wound tears open, she'll need another round of treatment.""Thank you. He'll take good care of
"I can't just stand by and watch a threat like you lurking around Mr. Lowe," Kale muttered.Just as he prepared to strike, Debra suddenly halted her retreat.Taking a steadying breath, she called out, "Drake, if you've had your fun, come out."Kale frowned, and Drake emerged from the shadows of a nearby tree. "Kale, stop scaring her."Kale's frustration was palpable, but with Drake's order hanging in the air, he reluctantly acquiesced.Debra shot a challenging look at Drake. "Is it fun?""Kale doesn't trust you, so he wanted to test you. I assumed you wouldn't mind.""I mind, actually," Debra retorted, narrowing her eyes at Kale. "How do I know your loyal subordinate wouldn't just decide to eliminate me right here?"If it weren't for Drake's earlier assurance in the hospital that Kale wouldn't harm her without his orders, she might have feared for her life.But thankfully, this time was merely a test.Drake gestured toward the lake. "I'm going to develop this land. I'm curiou
Debra didn't believe that lie even for a second.She didn't forget how he had disposed of Peter on the ship.But on the surface, she nodded in agreement. "We share the same goal. I'm not greedy. Once this is all over, I simply want to restore the Frazier family's name and status. That alone will suffice. As for everything here, naturally, it's all yours. I won't covet any of it.""Not covet anything? Do you have any idea how much this project will bring monthly?" Drake asked, a glimmer of amusement dancing in his eyes.It was likely the first time he had encountered someone faced with a mountain of wealth who claimed to be satisfied with mere scraps."Alright, since you're injured and not thinking straight, I'll pretend I didn't hear that nonsense. I brought you here not just to put Kale at ease, but also to make sure you understand that Orkgate is under my thumb. Partnering with me is the best decision you've ever made.""I understand.""Good. Get in the car.""Where are you t
Just as Debra was wondering how Drake was going to confront Yvonne, he simply booted the door open.The moans inside stopped immediately.'Doesn't Yvonne dislike Drake?' Debra thought, bewildered. 'How could she be so affectionate with another man in broad daylight?'Positioned at the threshold, Debra vaguely saw a large, rotund figure.Yvonne was a top beauty here in Orkgate, but her taste in men didn't match her appearance.Yvonne was startled by the noise, and the man above her scrambled to get off the bed. He fled without even pulling up his pants.Yvonne's face turned an ashen shade. She hastily threw on a revealing nightgown and barked at the maids outside the door, "Why didn't you inform me about Mr. Lowe's arrival? Is this how you do your job?"The maids trembled in fear."Drake, I was just..." Before Yvonne could finish, Drake's hand closed around her throat, a vice grip that stole her breath away."You're so bold.""I can explain."She tried to clarify the situat
Debra was stunned. "Geeze, what are you doing?"Drake had just shoved Yvonne down a flight of stairs in her own home. That would create a rift between the Sharp family and him.Down below, Yvonne lay crumpled on the floor. Her body was bruised, and a deep gash on her forehead was trickling blood.Just then, Conrad Sharp hurried inside with dense sweat on his forehead."Mr. Lowe, what happened here?""Yvonne was careless. She fell down the stairs."Conrad stiffened, eyeing the maids for confirmation, but they all bowed their heads.But instead of rushing over to help Yvonne, he urged the maids, "Take her to her room and call the doctor."The maids scrambled to action, lifting the unconscious Yvonne and carrying her away.From above the staircase, Drake looked down at Conrad."Keep her in check and prevent her from crossing the line again, or she won't be so lucky next time.""I understand. I'll see to it that she doesn't cause any more trouble for you.""Good."Drake turned
Once back in the Lowe Mansion, Debra was greeted with a display of supplements.Lara introduced, "Here are Caviar, Manuka Honey, Saffron, Truffles, and...""Hold on," Debra cut in, reclining on the bed. "Are all of these for me?""Mr. Lowe ordered them. You'll need nutrition to recover faster.""I can't possibly eat all of this. I'll just have a bowl of oatmeal. Take the rest away.""Mr. Lowe is concerned about your health."Lara started to move the dishes from the cart to the table. Debra helplessly looked at the lavish spread. It was hard to tell if Drake's gesture was out of genuine care or a calculated move to keep her in line.After a moment, she waved her hand. "Lara, you stay. Let the others go. I don't feel comfortable eating with so many people around."Lara nodded and gave a signal to the other maids. They quickly left the room, closing the door behind them.Lara helped Debra sit up, and she struck up a conversation."Well, do you know much about Yvonne's father?"
"Because of Miss Sharp. Mr. Sharp only acknowledges her as his daughter. There are rumors that Miss Sharp is the daughter of his late wife, and because he loved his wife so much, he treats Miss Sharp very well," replied one of the maids."That's not true," the other maid interrupted. "That's what they say to the public. The truth is, Miss Sharp wasn't Mrs. Sharp's daughter. Her mother is a mistress."Debra mused, "Pardon me for interrupting, but how do you know that?""I overheard Mr. Lowe arguing with Miss Sharp once. He called her a lowborn mistress' child. If it weren't for him, Miss Sharp would still be an illegitimate daughter. It's no secret in the upper circles. Everyone knows about Mr. Sharp's affairs. Outwardly, he's a philanthropist, but behind the scenes, he's a hypocrite."Suddenly, Lara's voice cut through the air. "What nonsense are you all telling Ms. Frazier?"The maids immediately lowered their heads in fear.It was clear that Lara held a higher position among th
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
Debra pulled up to the East Dock.To avoid being recognized, she stayed in the car and motioned for Drake to go ahead.Drake glanced at the row of thugs standing on the dock. His expression darkened. "Why didn't you tell me there'd be so many people?"Debra shrugged. "Relax. Most of them are your people. You show up, and they'll fall in line."Drake was speechless but got a picture of the situation. Many of the thugs bore distinctive tattoos of the Lowe Group. They were undoubtedly traitors who had infiltrated his ranks.Selling his machines without his permission was a serious offense.He got out of the car and made a quick call before heading toward the group.The leader of the thugs was a burly man in his forties. Both of his arms were tattooed. He frowned at the sight of Drake. "What is your boss thinking? Sending one guy to pick up the goods?"The shipment was an entire boatload of machines. The unloading work alone would need at least 20 workers.Drake had pulled a cap
"Yeah." Debra nodded."Huh? Aren't you a spoiled rich lady? I thought you were like my sister, never lifting a finger for anything," said Garland.Liza grumbled, "Says who? I can make chocolate.""Right, if melting chocolate and putting it into a mold counts," Garland scoffed.Andrew suddenly lost his appetite. He put down his fork and knife. "Barton, pack the food and send it upstairs. It's too crowded down here. I can't eat like this."Randy protested, "Wait. If you take the food away, what are we going to eat?""Didn't you and Erica already eat at the hotel? You probably don't have room for a second dinner," Andrew replied blandly.Randy blushed when their date was exposed. He jumped up and rushed up the stairs.Erica casually whistled as she strolled upstairs.Liza and Garland were puzzled.Debra watched Andrew leave and sighed. 'Sure enough, it's not easy to pacify him.'Marion saw her frustrated expression. "Did you upset him?"Debra explained what had happened during