As the two were in a standoff, Joe rushed in from outside and urgently whispered something to Juan.Juan's expression changed. He said, "Let's go.""Yes, sir." Joe followed behind him, casting a glance at Debra with a mix of helplessness and concern.Debra frowned. "Marion, don't get involved in this."She knew something must have happened to Shelia. Otherwise, Juan wouldn't be rushing off like this.If Shelia died, Juan would really turn against her.She didn't want to drag Marion into this mess.Marion had nothing to do with it.Marion reassured her, "He wouldn't dare do anything to you.""That's right. Who does he think he is? Making such a scene here over a mistress. Does he think he can dominate Seamar City?" Erica said indignantly.Debra lamented, "We had a good launch today, and now it's ruined. I'm sorry about this.""It's not your fault. It's all because of Juan," Erica said. "I think you should just divorce him. You don't need such a man."Debra shook her head.T
"We?" Juan chuckled mockingly. "Do you mean Marion and you?"Debra frowned.Juan approached her, his steps carrying an oppressive aura. "Last time at the hotel, were you with Marion and Randy? Was Erica just covering for you? What exactly is your relationship with Marion? How far has it progressed?"He seized her wrist, his eyes boring into her. Debra instinctively shook his hand off. "Enough! I have no idea what you're talking about!"Juan looked at his hand that had been shaken off, saying, "Pray that Shelia's face can be restored.Otherwise, don't blame me for taking action against them."A scream suddenly erupted from inside Shelia's ward.Almost instinctively, Juan pushed the door open and saw Shelia smashing a glass. By the time Debra entered, Shelia had already grabbed Juan's arm, leaning into his embrace. "Am I disfigured? My face is ruined.""Alright, calm down. The doctor said you need to stabilize your emotions, or the freshly stitched wounds might reopen," Juan gentl
Juan felt a burning anger inside. "If she wants to leave, then let her go!"Shelia stopped sobbing and looked up pitifully at him. "Can I really stay at your house to recuperate?"Juan rubbed her head and replied, "I'll have Joe get your things from your dormitory. It's inconvenient to stay at school while recovering. Just stay at my house."Shelia sniffled and leaned against Juan's chest, softly saying, "Thank you, Mr. Nichols."Joe frowned, observing the scene with concern.As a bystander, Joe could see through Shelia's pretense, but Juan seemed oblivious.Debra arranged for a moving company to remove her belongings from the Nichols family's house.In the evening, Juan brought Shelia home to noticeably sparse furnishings and a somewhat desolate atmosphere.He felt a pang of discomfort.Shelia asked, "Mr. Nichols, where will I be staying?""We have guest rooms upstairs."Shelia nodded and then hesitated. "My leg hurts. I can't go up myself.""I'll help you," Juan said gent
Erica clapped, praising Debra's strategy. "That's brilliant!"A faint smile played on Debra's lips.She didn't intend to target Shelia specifically, but Shelia's scheme prompted her to take action.At noon, Shelia slowly descended from the second floor, struggling a bit due to her injured leg. But upon seeing Sophie working in the living room, she couldn't help but feel a sense of superiority."Sophie, I'm hungry. Prepare lunch," Shelia said, her tone lacking any politeness.It was a far cry from her softness in Juan's arms last night.Sophie didn't welcome Shelia there, but since Shelia was brought back by Juan, she had to hold back her annoyance. "Lunch is served at twelve o'clock, as per Mrs. Nichols's rules."The mention of Debra struck a nerve."I said, I'm hungry. Didn't you hear it? Is this how you do your job?" Shelia sulked, her temper frayed due to the pain and frustration from her injured face.Sophie, choking back her fury, reluctantly complied.After all, Shelia
"How can you say that? Debra is so kind, but this woman upsets her. Don't you have any sense of responsibility as her husband?" Melody snorted."Grandma, it was Debra's fault that Shelia had the accident! She..." Juan retorted."Enough!" Melody snapped. "Blaming your wife because of such a woman? Don't call yourself a man."Juan had never dared to defy Melody, so he fell silent.Melody glared at Shelia. "We paid for your education. Not only did you fail to appreciate it, but you also dreamed of marrying Juan. Do you think I can't see through your little scheme? You can dream on! As long as I'm alive, you'll never marry into this family."Juan couldn't hold back anymore. "Grandma, Shelia isn't like that.""Not like that?" Melody pulled out a stack of photos from her bag and threw them on the table. "See what kind of student you've been sponsoring!"The photos showed Shelia in heavy makeup and revealing clothes, dancing at nightclubs and drinking with men. Her behavior was very su
Juan instructed, "Call Debra and tell her to come home.""Huh?" Joe was stunned.Debra and Erica were partying at a nightclub.Though Debra rarely indulged, tonight she was drinking heavily. Since her rebirth, there had been too many stressful things. Now, with the alcohol, her worries seemed to vanish.Her phone rang. She answered it, and Joe faltered. "Madam, Mr. Nichols wants you to come home.""What? He wants me home? Why should I listen to him? Who does he think he is?" Debra slurred.Joe noticed her unusual tone. "Madam, where are you?""Somewhere without Juan!" she said, hanging up.Erica hugged Debra and laughed. "This isn't fun enough! Let's do something exciting!""Exciting?"Erica reached over and pressed the service bell. Soon enough, the manager came in with a smile."Miss Mathis, what can I do for you?""Bring me your hottest male models!""Sure, just a moment!"Soon, a line of handsome guys walked in. Their good looks amazed Debra.She had never seen anyth
Despite his words, Randy quickened his pace. Soon, they dashed out of the apartment and raced to the nightclub.The nightclub owner was waiting outside. As soon as Randy and Marion got out of the car, he hurried over and spoke obsequiously. "Gentlemen, I've kept an eye on them. They're still here."Randy halted his steps, asking, "So, they and the male models have been in the private room the whole time?"The nightclub owner gave an awkward smile.Everybody knew what that meant."Damn it!" Randy cursed as he strode forward. "Which room?""This one!" The nightclub owner was about to open the door for him, but Randy booted it open.Inside, several men were drinking with Debra and Erica, who seemed to be enjoying themselves."What, Randy and Marion?" Erica blurted out.Debra swiveled her head to find them looming in the doorway.Their faces were etched with disapproval."Are these guys part of the package?" one model asked suggestively.Debra sobered up and didn't know how to
Erica was already fast asleep, unaware of what Randy was saying.The car's warm air made Debra drowsy in the back seat, deepening the flush on her cheeks.Marion reached back, grabbed a blanket, and gently draped it over her."Get some sleep. We'll be there soon," he said.Debra nodded. She was exhausted and soon dozed off, leaning against the car window....Juan closed his laptop, and the room was silently oppressive. He rubbed his temples and picked up his phone, but there were still no messages from Debra.A moment later, Joe called back. Juan answered. "Where's Debra?""Mrs. Nichols seems to be at a nightclub.""A nightclub?"Juan frowned, thinking to himself. 'Debra rarely goes to such places. The last time she did it was to meet Jordan. With the recent online uproar, how could she risk going to such a place again?'"I think so. It was hard to hear clearly, but it was very noisy over there. Mrs. Nichols seemed drunk and unwilling to come back," Joe confirmed.The ne
Drake's logic was persuasive, almost hypnotic.Cathryn found herself wavering. "But Liza... ""She's your friend, right? She'll understand. Besides, this is just a business arrangement, not a real marriage. It's just to create some tension for Marion."Cathryn was convinced. "Alright, I'll prepare the gala. But you must explain everything to Liza afterward.""Okay," Drake replied.But his smile faded as soon as Cathryn left.Kale asked, "Boss, are you really going to explain this to Miss Eaton?""Explain my ass," Drake snorted. "Once I get engaged to her, I'll gain control of the Bernard family's resources. Then I'll have enough power to take on Marion. Who cares about her petty little scandals?"Kale mused, "So, you were fooling her?"Drake explained, "She's the only one left in her family. If it weren't for those resources, do you think I'd even consider an engagement with her? She's clueless. Once she hosts the gala and announces the news to the media, do you think she can
Drake sneezed in his study.Kale came in and reported, "Miss Bernard is here."Drake waved his hand. "Let her in."Kale opened the door to reveal Cathryn standing hesitantly outside. She had come upon learning that Marion had taken Debra away.Drake glanced at her and read her mind. "She was rescued. Helping you cost me a lot."Cathryn stammered, "Don't make it sound so noble. You did it for yourself.""What now? We're in this together. Marion has learned you collaborated with me to kidnap Debra." Drake rested his cheek on his hand. "But it's not a bad thing. At least, Marion can't ignore you anymore."Cathryn bit her lip, stepping forward. "I know you have other plans. We can't let her stay with Marion. You gotta help me for my father's sake."But the mention of the past only served to annoy Drake.Cathryn quickly added, "If it weren't for my father, you wouldn't have made it to Orkgate or become the Lowe family's adopted son. You owe me."Drake snorted, "You're right. I owe
She had known for a while that Melody was coming after her. That wasn't a well-kept secret. But seeing it plastered online and climbing the trending charts? That was a whole new level of absurdity."Let me see." Marion emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair.He leaned over, glanced at the phone, and nodded approvingly. "That's catchy.""I'm going to find out which genius published this." Debra's fingers flew over her phone, tracing the story back to its source. When the name of New Age popped up on her screen, she froze."New Age?" she murmured, remembering that it was Garland's news agency."Something wrong?" Marion asked.Debra blinked. "I spent 50 million dollars to buy that newspaper. So..." Her own company had just broken a report on her. That was the next level....In the study room, Garland was livid, yelling into his phone, "What were you thinking? Are you people brain-dead? Who let you publish that story? And then you dumped ad money into it too? Did you want t
"Those things aside, you need to explain something to me. What's going on with your post?" Juan placed his phone in front of Garland.He had only just seen it while walking from the study to the hallway. Garland had managed to edit and post it in that short period. The post read: [Shocking: Ex-husband's Grandmother Travels Thousands of Miles to Kill Me.]Garland was lost for words. He had forgotten to set it private.Juan demanded, "Are you going to delete it, or should I?""I'll do it." Garland grabbed his phone and logged into his alternative account.He clicked open the post, only to find that it had garnered over 99 likes.He hesitated. "How about we don't delete it?"With so many likes, the news must have spread like wildfire among his gossip-hungry peers.He added, "No one knows who I'm talking about anyway."But as soon as his voice died away, several comments popped up under the post.Love2Fly: [Bro, are you referring to Melody Nichols as the grandmother?]JusticeS
Suppressing the swirl of emotions brewing inside, he asked, "You mean, Juan's ex-wife?""Yes, it's her. She has brought nothing but misfortune to my family, and I won't allow her to keep deceiving Juan and ruining everything," she said, her voice rising with agitation.Seeing her get so worked up, Garland advised her, "Take it easy, Mrs. Nichols Sr. This matter is tricky, and we need to think carefully.""I know," Melody sighed. "Marion has been a thorn in your side. He even sent Liza back by force. The grudges run deep between you and him. If you were to get rid of Debra, it would be justice for all the grief they've caused us."Garland nearly rolled his eyes. 'Justice? Easy for you to say.'He didn't know where she got the idea of a feud between Marion and them.He believed some brainless reporters had spun the story. Now he was more convinced that the media needed an overhaul.With that thought, he replied, "That will take time and careful planning. But if it's Juan you want
Juan replied, "Just don't go too far."Garland straightened up. "Alright, let me handle this old..."Juan glanced at him, and he corrected himself. "I mean, Mrs. Nichols Sr."Turning to the mirror, he started to adjust his clothes.He put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, ensuring he looked perfect before smoothing his hair.Dropping his usual playful smile, he said, "Verna, to the study.""Yes, sir." Verna led Garland out.In the study, Garland sat behind the desk, trying out several poses before settling on a more relaxed one. Verna announced, "Sir, Mrs. Nichols Sr. is here.""Alright," Garland acknowledged. "Show her in."Verna opened the door, and Melody entered in a white dress. She carried herself with the grace of a noblewoman from a bygone era.Garland looked her over, impressed that she had maintained her appearance so well at her age.'Bert has good taste, though she doesn't look like my mother at all,' he thought. 'But why did rumors have it that my mother was her
The maid hesitated. "Mr. Fermin Eaton is often busy with company matters, so he's rarely home.""Is he home today?""Uh...""What? Don't tell me no one is at home."The maid stammered, "Mr. Fermin Eaton is home, but he's busy with work. He might not be able to see you right now."Melody insisted, "Is this how you treat your guests? Go tell Mr. Fermin Eaton that if he doesn't come to see me, I'll pack my things and leave immediately."Her tone left no room for negotiation. The maid could only nod and leave to deliver the message.In the bedroom, Garland was upside-down, reciting lines from economic textbooks.The maid opened the door and froze at the sight. "Mr. Fermin Eaton, you're doing this again."Garland's pained voice broke through. "Verna, perfect timing. A little help here."But not far off, Juan cut him off. "Ten more minutes. Hold it.""I can't. I'm about to collapse.""If you collapse, get back up and keep going.""This is brutal."Verna interjected, "Mr. Nichol
The cleaners were devastated, and Lara turned even paler.Drake sat on the sofa and said, "Why are you back here? What are you up to?""Boss, I'm sorry I messed up, but I swear, I didn't say anything," Lara pleaded."Is that so?" Drake scoffed. "I'd be a fool to believe you.""I'm telling the truth," Lara said. "They brought me back to get rid of me. You can't fall for their trap."Drake pondered her words. "Whose idea was it to send you back? Debra's or Marion's?""It was Mrs. Houston's idea," Lara replied.Drake nodded. "Well then, you can stay."The quick change in his attitude took Lara aback."Boss, isn't this a bit hasty?" Kale interjected."Do you think so?""Yes.""Then go to my office and print out a new contract for her. Sign it, stamp it, and then it won't be hasty anymore.""Boss...""Do it.""Yes, boss."Lara watched Kale leave, still in disbelief."Go upstairs. You don't need to clean.""Then what should I do?""Whatever you want. Can you order takeout?
Debra pulled Marion's hand away. "Alright, no more talk like that."Outside, the night deepened. Lara stood at the gates of the Lowe Mansion, hesitating to enter.The security guards spotted her. "Lara?"Lara froze in place. Her first instinct was to run away, but a glance toward the shadows revealed Marion's men watching her intently.Caught between flight and surrender, she noticed a black car slowly emerging from the gates. Her gaze drifted to the figure in the back seat, and she stopped cold.'Juan? What is he doing here?'Before she could make sense of it, Kale, who was escorting Juan out, noticed her presence.He demanded, "What are you doing back here?"Lara was startled and instinctively took a step back. Her face went pale as she stammered, "Mr. Mclean, it's Marion and Debra. They sent me back.""Sent you back?" Kale was skeptical. "Come inside.""Okay." Lara paused and explained urgently, "I didn't tell them anything. They brought me back and left."Kale didn't eve