Debra eyed the school emblem on Phoebe's chest. "Miss Parker, I've heard about your high school. The annual tuition is in the seven figures. I doubt Parker's salary could cover such expenses."Phoebe looked at her father with fear. Sibyl interjected, grasping anything that came to mind. "It's my parents' money and has nothing to do with Parker.""Mrs. Parker, don't be so hasty. I'm not finished yet," Debra said, glancing at Parker. "This doesn't even include the expenses for Parker's mistress. I noticed that his secretary has quite a figure and some expensive jewelry. He has a wife, a daughter, and a mistress to support. I doubt his salary is enough for all that.""What?" Sibyl was surprised by the revelation.Phoebe was equally shocked that her dad was keeping a mistress."Parker, how could you do this to me? You were a nobody when my family helped you rise. How dare you cheat on me? You won't get away with this," Sibyl snapped.Debra signaled to the guards, who quickly untied S
Marion frowned, and the guards quickly stepped forward to pull Phoebe away."Dad, please apologize to Mr. Houston. Promise him you won't do it again. We're willing to give up all our assets. Mr. Houston, please spare my dad," Phoebe pleaded.Debra watched with cold detachment.Marion stood up, not even sparing Phoebe a glance. "Take them away."The guards exchanged uncertain glances, moved by Phoebe's pleading, but they dared not defy Marion's command. They dragged the three away from the office."Mr. Houston!" Phoebe continued to cry out, but she was quickly gagged and dragged out.Debra remarked, "The situation here is truly something else. Even an underage girl has such deep thoughts."At her age, she was not as deep as Phoebe. Blame it on her fate. Phoebe was facing them. Any other person might have softened."Jealous?" Marion asked, embracing Debra from behind.Just moments ago, Phoebe had rushed at him so quickly that he couldn't dodge in time.For people like them, who
In the conference room, several shareholders were chatting amongst themselves."We only respected Marion because of Mr. Bernard. But now that Mr. Bernard is gone, Marion is still acting like he owns the place. Today, at the shareholders' meeting, we'll vote unanimously to remove him.""Exactly. How can a kid from the slums become the head of us? When the Bernard Group was changed to the Houston Group, I was already unhappy. It's time to settle this score."...Outside the conference room, Debra listened to their disdainful words about Marion, and her heart ached.She had heard many rumors about Marion. Some called him cold-blooded, and others called him evil. Before his heir status was exposed, everyone deemed him a grim reaper from hell. No good expressions were associated with him.But after his lineage was revealed, no one dared question his origins again. Now Debra found it hard to believe those people, living off their ancestors' achievements, had the nerve to look down on M
The door to the conference room swung open, and in walked Cathryn, surrounded by a throng of bodyguards.She was dressed in a flowing white gown, her long hair cascading down to her waist. She was exuding the grace and elegance of a noblewoman.Debra hadn't seen Cathryn in quite some time. The last time they met was at her and Marion's engagement party.Flanked by her entourage, Cathryn sat down across from Marion.Anton Ellam stepped forward and declared, "Cathryn is our chosen leader."The other directors echoed his words. "Cathryn is Shawn's daughter, and she majored in finance and economics, with outstanding academic achievements. She is far more suitable for this position than you, Marion.""At the end of the day, you're just an outsider. You caused Shawn's death and took his position."The room buzzed with murmurs, each voice dripping with contempt for Marion. In the past, no one would have dared to speak to him this way.But now, things were different. They were now back
"Cathryn, is this true?" Anton asked.Cathryn replied calmly, "The will is genuine, but there is a condition attached to it."She turned to look at Marion and continued, "The condition set by my father is that Marion must marry me. Only then will he be the legitimate heir to the Bernard Group and inherit all of my father's assets."Everyone then turned to look at Debra. Just moments ago, Marion had publicly acknowledged Debra as his wife, which meant he had violated Shawn's request.As her fingers trembled, Marion tightened his grip on her hand."Marion, when my father passed away, he entrusted me to you, asking you to take care of me for the rest of my life. You promised him. When he was alive, he always intended for you to marry me and become a part of the Bernard family. Everyone here knows that," Cathryn added.The directors immediately echoed her words."That's right. When Shawn was alive, he treated Marion like a son-in-law.""But you betrayed that trust. You took over th
With her words, the air in the room seemed to freeze.Cathryn stared intently at Marion, knowing full well the influence the Bernard family held overseas and how crucial it was to Marion's position.She couldn't believe that he would give up everything just for Debra's sake.Debra smirked at her naivety. Cathryn had clearly been sheltered too much by Shawn, unaware of the harsh realities of the world outside.In this situation, she had no leverage against Marion at all.Debra asked calmly, "Where's the evidence?"Cathryn was confused. "What evidence?""Naturally, the evidence of Mr. Bernard's request for Marion," Debra replied. "You keep saying that your father required Marion to marry you. Got any witnesses or documents to prove it? Otherwise, people might think you're just using this as an excuse to force Marion to marry you."Cathryn paused. "My father made this request on his deathbed. I was there, and so was Marion.""Just the two of you?" Debra said, looking troubled. "T
If Cathryn took over the company, it was anyone's guess what kind of chaos would ensue."Um, I have something to say," one of the minor shareholders spoke up. "I don't care who is in charge, as long as I can make money and get my annual dividends. So, I'm staying neutral."Another minor shareholder chimed in, "I'm neutral too.""Me too. Sorry, Anton."Several shareholders who had previously agreed to side with Anton began to back down.Just then, Marion broke his silence. "By the way, your old buddy Ted has just been removed from the company. If any of you want to end up like him, feel free to step forward."Anton was shocked. "What? Ted is one of our major shareholders. What gives you the right to fire him?"Marion replied coolly, "Because I own 60% of the shares, which gives me absolute authority in this company. If any of you want to leave, just say the word. I have plenty of money to buy back your shares and plenty of ways to make you sell them. A lot of people out there wou
Anton drove back home, his car tearing through the streets.In the backseat, Cathryn felt his rage and said, "Anton, please slow down.""Shut up!" Anton yelled, his eyes flashing with anger in the rearview mirror.He had thought that Marion would care about their old feelings, but Cathryn had proven utterly useless, defeated in just a few rounds. Compared to Debra, Cathryn was nothing more than a pretty face.Cathryn's expression darkened at Anton's rebuke. Just as they arrived at Anton's place, they saw the front door wide open, with security guards moving in and out.Anton slammed on the brakes and rushed out of the car, shouting, "Who authorized you to move my things? Who sent you?""Mr. Ellam, this is your termination letter," a secretary said, handing him a document. "We are following company protocol. This villa is provided by the company for its directors. Since you have been dismissed, we must reclaim the villa and allocate it to the next director.""What did you say?" A
Debra's eyes narrowed at this guy she'd never heard of.Michael had kept it under wraps, proving he had never fully trusted her."Mrs. Houston," Jason said, "I'm here for Mr. Austin to negotiate. He called this shareholder vote in the name of the biggest stakeholder. He's got the right to kick it off. Any objections?"Debra plopped into the head chair. "Cut the polite crap. Everyone's here. Objections or not, this vote's happening, right? No way it's that simple.""Mrs. Houston," Jason said coolly, "today's vote's straightforward: who's better suited as the McKinney Group CEO, you or Mr. Austin? Everyone here sees what you both bring. In the past two years, you've barely shown up. Mr. Austin ran the show, held a key role, and raked in profits. He's the clear pick for CEO.""So, you're saying I suck as the boss?" Debra shot back.Michael didn't even show, sending this random assistant instead. That already pissed her off.Now this guy's veiled jabs annoyed her even more."I'm ju
Debra's heart sank.Back when she'd teamed up with Michael, she had nothing, offering him Frazier Entertainment shares to seal the deal. Later, Frazier Entertainment merged into the McKinney Group, and she handed it off to him.To keep her identity hidden, she'd tossed him more shares. With Frazier Entertainment, he'd racked up 30%.She'd thought he deserved it. For two years, he'd run the show plenty. She'd never seen this coming."Madam, you there?" Ben's voice shook.This was huge and should stay quiet. Otherwise, the company would fall into chaos.Debra's blood ran cold. She hadn't expected Michael to go so far."I'll be there soon," she said, hanging up.She turned to Marion. "Michael scooped up loose shares. He's gunning for a vote as top shareholder."Over 40% wasn't half, but it made him the biggest player. Calling a vote was his right.Debra only had 40%. If 10% of the rest sided with Michael, he could oust her."Don't sweat it," Marion said. "We'll hit it together.
That shut everyone up.If Jordan was right, Drake was gambling with his neck."That's too risky. I've gotta drag him back." Debra spun to leave.Erica grabbed her. "Jordan's guys are on it. They'll ping us if they find him. You can't go out like this and become their target.""I'm not their focus anymore," Debra said. "They'll zero in on Drake."She looked at Marion. "Get your people searching. We need his trail fast, or he's dead."Once the Illuminati squeezed the stone's location out of Drake, they'd kill him.Orkgate was now controlled by Lara. Drake had no other value for them."On it," Marion said.They split up. Erica and Randy tapped their networks."Debra, don't freak," Jordan said. "Drake is not dumb. Injured like that, he couldn't have gone far. As long as he keeps that secret, they won't kill him."Debra nodded. "Hope he doesn't do anything stupid."She should've seen it coming. A proud guy like Drake couldn't handle being down for so long.His injuries were bru
Outside their room, Drake froze mid-knock.His head was down, and his expression was hidden. Eventually, his hand dropped, and he sighed.He turned around and shuffled downstairs, leaning on the wall. He was a broken mess now, unwilling to drag them down....Debra woke up the next morning, reaching for Marion.He wasn't there. She bolted upright, threw off the covers, and ran barefoot downstairs, shouting, "Marion?"In the hall, Marion and Jordan turned as she stumbled in, still in her pajamas.Marion rushed up, slipping off his slippers for her. "What's with the panic?""I didn't see you." She heaved a sigh of relief. "Thought you'd...""Any luck?" Jordan asked Kale, who'd just walked in.Kale shook his head. "Not yet.""What's up?" Debra asked, clocking everyone's grim faces."Drake's gone," Marion said. "No note, nothing. We're looking.""Did the cameras catch anything? Could it be the Illuminati...""Not them. He walked out himself.""Why the hell would he just up a
Debra jolted awake from a nightmare, her forehead slick with sweat."Still torn up about Michael?" Marion's voice came from beside her.She settled into his arms, finally feeling a little relieved. These past two months, they'd faced everything alone. She hadn't curled up with him like this in forever."It's my fault," she whispered. "If I hadn't trusted Michael so much, the Eaton family wouldn't have been a mess. Mr. Eaton Sr. wouldn't have been in the hospital.""It's your fault," Marion said, patting her back. "Even without your trust, the Illuminati would've found a way in. That was their goal.""I just can't wrap my head around why Michael's one of them," she said.She'd spent all night recalling the past, from meeting Michael to building the McKinney Group with him. He was key to its success, but everything had been a lie."Maybe he was never with us," Marion said. "The Illuminati's everywhere. Didn't you check his background when you teamed up?""I..." Debra faltered.S
"We're all in it for ourselves." Michael shrugged. "Jeffery did his part for the Illuminati, so I'll cut you some slack.He pushed the teacup to Juan. "But I don't buy it that you're all-in. Following in Jeffery's footsteps sounds nice, but you killed him, which shows your ruthless nature. We need people like you. I don't care if you're Debra's mole or chasing your angle. Save your energy. It's pointless. Just do your job and back us up. I won't say a word about it.""Should I thank you for it?" Juan scoffed.He'd thought Michael was forced into it, but now he saw how naïve that was.Though young, Michael was already a core member, suggesting his connection to the Illuminati dates back a long time.Only intelligent and influential ones could enter the core circle. That meant he hadn't defected midway.Michael sat down across from him. "Don't look at me like that. We're not the same, and you know it.""When'd you turn on Debra?" Juan asked."Doesn't matter," Michael said, smilin
It was true they were both members of the Illuminati, but Fermin never signed up to be a lapdog.Back then, he'd teamed up with them for mutual gain. But the Illuminati wanted more than a partnership. They wanted the Eaton family on a leash.When Fermin didn't bite, Michael added, "I saw Miss Eaton crying her eyes out. We go way back. Should I cheer her..."Before he could finish, Fermin's knife flashed to his throat, nicking him. Blood trickled, but it was just a scratch."Stay away from her," Fermin growled. "Touch her, and I'll end you.""I'm just being nice here," Michael chuckled. "But if you're not cool with it, I'll drop it. But those terms? Think twice. We only help our own. If you keep playing your own game, that heart goes elsewhere. And trust me, you won't find another match."Fermin hated to admit it, but Michael was speaking the truth. Without the Illuminati's help, he couldn't find a match for Bert's heart.He lowered the knife. "Fine, it's a deal. Get your people
She only had Fermin and Bert left in this world.She had no mom and no real friends. She couldn't lose Bert or watch Fermin turn into this.She didn't want Debra's crew hurt either.Fermin pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry. Dad will be fine. I'll make sure of it."His promise unleashed her tears. The hospital hallway echoed with her cries.Once she calmed down, Fermin had someone take her away.A guard stepped up. "Mr. Eaton, our master is waiting ahead.""You've tailed me this whole way," Fermin said coldly. "Gonna keep it up? I don't like shadows."The guards stayed silent, just following orders. If their boss said stick to Fermin, they'd die before leaving his side."Loyal dogs to your master," Fermin scoffed, brushing past them.He walked into an empty ward. A tall figure in a white shirt stood by the window."You've really opened my eyes," he said, surprised."I'm flattered, Mr. Eaton," Michael said, turning around.His crisp white shirt had dried bloodstains. Notic
Liza rushed to the ICU upon receiving the news.A bodyguard stopped her. "Mr. Eaton said no one gets near the room and disturbs the patient's rest."Liza smacked him, and he bowed his head.Her eyes were red, her vibe darker than ever. "That's my dad in there. Why can't I go in? Move!""Mr. Eaton forbids it. Please, don't make things hard for us," the bodyguard said, stuck.No one there dared to defy her. They all knew how much Fermin doted on her."I don't care," she snapped. "Step aside, or I'll have my brother skin you alive. Let's see if you still block me."Her threat chilled him. She might be bluffing, but Fermin wouldn't."What's the ruckus?" Fermin's voice cut through."Mr. Eaton." The bodyguard bowed his head."Didn't I tell you no one gets near?" Fermin's tone dripped danger.Coming with him was a group of elite guards. The bodyguard was daunted by their aura.Liza stepped forward. "Dad is in a bad condition. Why wouldn't you let me see him? Does this have anythin