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
Lara stiffened at those words.Debra added, "You're about my age. The only reason Drake keeps you around isn't for your meticulous nature, but for some other value you can provide. Ever since I mentioned Conrad, your expression has been a telltale sign. Drake can't possibly entrust you with such a high position if you can't control her emotions.""I..." Lara bit her lip, unable to form a counterargument.Debra leaned in. "Yvonne might be Miss Sharp now, but she's just an illegitimate child. For years, she's used sex to benefit both the Sharps and Drake. But Drake is worried that Yvonne would slip out of his control, so he keeps you close, right?"Lara's face turned pale, confirming Debra's suspicion. Debra asked, "May I know why you chose to stay here?"Lara bit her lips. "My mother was once a toy for the wealthy, groomed and raised by the Lowe family. Conrad approached her, keeping her as his mistress. But when she became pregnant, he vanished. After I was born, my mother learned
Lara trembled, her pale face contorted with pain. "Just to keep me around as a potential pawn, he sacrificed so many people. Orkgate is a den of evil. Human lives mean nothing here. There's no justice. The rich keep getting richer, while the poor are forever trapped in misery. This city is rotten to the core."Debra was taken aback, finally realizing how lawless Orkgate was. If Drake reigned here, more lives would be gone.Tentatively, Debra asked, "Are you staying here for revenge?""Revenge?" Lara laughed bitterly. "This is Orkgate, and Drake is the king here. Do you think I can even dream of revenge? No. I am staying here because I've accepted my fate. Just want to survive."She wiped her tears and stepped back."I'm telling you this because I don't want you to make any pointless sacrifices. No matter what you plan to do, you won't win against them.""Lara...""I've said enough for today. I need to go now."She turned and walked out of the room. Debra silently walked to the
"You've been there and seen everything, haven't you?" Drake replied.Debra walked straight to his desk. Drake frowned, ready to close his laptop, but Debra blocked his action, moving to his side to catch a glimpse of whatever he had been watching.He quickly closed the video and frowned. "What are you up to?""Nothing," she replied, and as he relaxed his guard, she quickly grabbed the laptop.Drake stood up, his face darkening. "Debra!"Debra reopened the video. The room's decor mirrored one on the third floor, confirming that Drake had been monitoring. The screen displayed a man and a woman tangled on a bed. The woman looked painful, and the man was none other than Conrad.Feigning astonishment, Debra said, "I didn't expect you to enjoy these kinds of films.""Give it back!" Drake snatched the laptop from her and closed it forcefully. "What exactly are you here for?""I just wanna know if Miss Sharp had worked on the third floor before.""So what if she has?""Well, you foug
"Juan has arrived in Orkgate. I want to see who he's really here for," Drake replied.Kale reasoned, "He's here to discuss business with the Sharp family. It can't be for Ms. Frazier, right?"Drake waved his hand in disapproval. "Don't be so naïve. She's his ex-wife. Back on the island, Juan would've walked through fire for her."Kale replied, "But Juan lost his memory. He doesn't even remember Ms. Frazier. This seems pointless."Drake snorted, "Memory loss? You really believe that?""I...""As long as he isn't targeting me, I don't care if he's pretending or not.""Understood."As night draped itself over the city, Debra was helped up by Lara. Her gaze fell on Kale, who was holding a burgundy gown."A banquet?""It's Mr. Lowe's arrangement.""Is he doing this on purpose? I'm injured. How am I supposed to attend any banquet like this?" "You can choose to go or not.""I don't...""But Mr. Lowe wants to let you know that Mr. Nichols will be there too.""Juan? Why is he in
No one in this crowd recognized her as Juan's ex-wife, but that was to be expected.Orkgate and Seamar City were worlds apart, and the currency here was twice as valuable. It was reasonable that no one there had heard of Debra, especially since her family had gone bankrupt."As Debra scanned the bustling venue, Drake suddenly halted, extending his arm in front of her. She frowned at the gesture."What are you doing?""As my companion, shouldn't you behave like one?""So?"As she played coy, Drake withdrew his arm and snorted, "Whatever."With that, he turned on his heel, striding toward the hotel entrance. Debra hurried to catch up, taking his arm with a sweet smile. "I was just joking. As your companion, I'll stay by your side every step of the way."Drake was unimpressed. "I don't like jokes. If you do it again, I'll leave you here. The night here is cold. With your toughness, I believe you can hold up for several hours."Debra forced a stiff smile. She wouldn't admit that s
"Shaken? Marion is such a weak man. Can his grandfather lock him up if he really wants to save me? He is just pathetic. Don't worry. I won't change my mind. In this world, no one is reliable but yourself," Debra said."Well said," Drake replied, a hint of approval in his voice. He smiled, adding, "Once we bring Marion down, I'll hand him over to you. You can do whatever you want with him—whips, canes, anything you like. I guarantee we'll make him beg for his life."His words shook Debra's nerves, but she kept her calm facade intact. "Alright, I imagine that day won't be far off."As they stepped into the banquet hall, all eyes turned to them, glasses raised in greeting."Mr. Lowe doesn't usually attend events like this. What brings him here tonight?""Didn't you notice his companion? I've got the scoop that Miss Sharp has fallen from grace. This lady is his new favorite. Mr. Lowe brought her here to flaunt."Gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd. Everyone had been convinced
"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
Five dishes and a soup were spread across the table. That was the best Debra could manage in two hours.Andrew glanced at the pots and pans scattered across the kitchen. "I bet the kitchen never expected all four stoves to be used at the same time."Debra took off her apron and replied, "Good thing you have four stoves. Otherwise, it would've taken me all day."Just as she turned back toward the kitchen to get something else, Marion winked at Randy, who quickly got up. "Let me help you."Erica chimed in, "Me too."Marion fetched the rice and placed it on the table.Debra got the bowls for Marion and Andrew."Here is your bowl, Andrew."Erica leaned toward Randy and whispered, "Don't you think the vibe is a bit awkward?""A little, yeah," Randy muttered back. "Are we really supposed to eat?""What else can we do? Look at Marion's face. If we don't eat, it'll look like we're not appreciating Debra's effort. If you do that, he'll definitely teach you a lesson.""Woe is on me. S
"Really?""Yeah. Spitting it out would be uncivilized.""Good to hear.""Is there anything else?""Not really.""Uh...""Has he had dinner yet?"The sudden question puzzled Barton. "Not yet.""Perfect. None of us have eaten yet. I'll invite him to join us in the dining hall.""Er...""I'll cook."An apology should come with sincerity. Besides, Erica had told her earlier that Andrew was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. Persistence was the key."You don't have to trouble yourself.""It's no trouble. None of us have eaten anyway." Debra dismissed him with a wave and hurried downstairs.Randy and Erica came back from their candlelight dinner. Debra grabbed them and sat them down in the living room."What's going on?" Randy asked, confused. "Isn't your wedding banquet still a few days away? Are you throwing a feast early?""Something like that. I'll cook for us."Erica chimed in, "But we already ate.""One more meal won't hurt." Debra dashed off toward the kitc
Erica gave Debra a thumbs-up and hurried to catch up. "You're gutsy!"Having been in Seamar City for so long, she had never seen anyone speak so boldly in front of Andrew.Erica was impressed. Debra was truly one of a kind."Do you think Andrew might try to get back at me?" Debra muttered, suffering from the aftershock.Andrew was a tough nut to crack. Even Marion couldn't handle him.If he weren't lenient enough, she would be in great trouble."I'm not sure. But I do remember the last person who was rude to him. They were exiled," Erica replied, clicking her tongue. "Well, that person wasn't as bold as you. So, I can't imagine the consequences."Debra threw up her hands. "Do you think it's too late to apologize now?""If you're sincere enough, maybe it'll work," Erica said. "But Andrew has a terrible temper. You'll probably need to soften him up a bit."Debra was a little upset, but she didn't regret her actions. If she hadn't forced him, he never would've taken the medicine.
Erica gaped at Debra."That was fast. Less than an hour.""Where's Andrew?""In the study."Erica didn't know what Debra was up to, but her expression suggested something serious.Debra marched straight to Andrew's bedroom. The maid cleaning the room froze when she saw Debra enter."Mr. Andrew Potter is in the study. You can find him... there."Debra didn't respond, just rummaging through drawers and cabinets.The maid was baffled. "Mrs. Houston, what are you looking for?""The medicine that was here earlier," Debra said, pointing to the coffee table.The maid recalled. "I think he threw it away.""What? Where?"The maid glanced at the trash can, and Debra reached into it without hesitation.Erica arrived just in time to witness the scene. She was puzzled. "What are you doing, Debra?"Debra found the medicine and rushed out without a word."Debra, wait," Erica called out, quickly following her.Barton was briefing Andrew on work when the door burst open."Who's there?"