"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
Drake's eyes narrowed as he considered the possibility.He recalled how Marion had injected a syringe of drug into him to save Debra, leaving him with no choice but to consume drugs every few days to stave off withdrawal symptoms.That drug came from the Lowe Group. Drake wondered if it was prepared for Debra."No wonder she looked so healthy the last time I saw her, not begging for mercy or caring about anything. Turns out Marion had bought our drugs to help her manage her addiction," Drake sneered.He had thought Debra had remarkable self-control, but it seemed she was no different after all.Drake ordered, "Spread the word. Our newly developed drug is to be taken off the market and sales halted temporarily.""Halt sales? But if we do that, our previous customers will suffer too. Things could get very messy," Kale cautioned."It's fine. When they can't get their fix, they'll come back to us. And so will Debra," Drake said, his gaze fixed on the computer screen displaying a pho
At the old house of the Nichols family, Melody stood before the guards at the entrance, her voice stern."How long does Juan intend to keep me locked up here?""According to Mr. Nichols, you may go out at any time, but you must be accompanied by us."Melody was furious. She was the matriarch of the family, yet she couldn't even leave her home freely."All of you, step aside," she commanded.Just then, Joe walked through the grand entrance. The guards quickly made way for him."Joe, you're finally here," Melody said eagerly. "Where is Juan?"He hadn't responded to my messages since yesterday. They might have their differences, but Juan was still her grandson. She couldn't believe he was ignoring her for some woman.Joe replied, "Mrs. Nichols Sr., I was just going to talk to you about this. Mr. Nichols hasn't been to the office since yesterday. I checked his flight records and found that he left for overseas last night.""What?" Melody exclaimed. "Why would he go overseas out of
Melody watched as Sophie packed her bags, a cold smile playing on her lips.'Debra, you might have Marion's protection in Seamar City, but overseas, your luck might just run out,' she thought.In Marion's house overseas, Debra looked at the array of jewelry, designer gowns, and limited-edition bags that the maid had brought in.She glanced at the three wealthy ladies sitting across from her on the sofa and smiled. "These gifts look exquisite and quite valuable. It's clear that a lot of thought went into them."Those ladies looked flattered and tried to sound humble."Mrs. Houston, your figure is the best among all the socialites I've seen. Even our top models can't compare. We just finished a top-tier luxury gown, and I thought it would be perfect for you. Only someone with your figure can do justice to this dress.""My family is in the jewelry business. We've been fortunate to have Mr. Houston's support over the years, so we wanted to give you our store's most prized possession.
The three ladies nodded, and Debra smiled as things were getting interesting."What are you guys talking about?" Marion asked, walking into the room.He was casually dressed in a white shirt and no tie, with several elegant shopping bags hanging from his arm.The three ladies' eyes lit up. Not only was Marion powerful and wealthy, but he was also devastatingly handsome. With a husband like him, who would ever want to leave the house?"We didn't expect to see you here during the day, Mr. Houston," one of the ladies said. "We would have brought an extra gift.""Mr. Houston, you're so devoted to Mrs. Houston," another chimed in. "You spend all your time with her, unlike my husband."The ladies blushed slightly, their intentions clear to Debra. Despite their age, they were still attractive and had their eyes on Marion.Before Debra could respond, Marion spoke up. "Debra is new to the area, and she's not familiar with the surroundings yet. Feel free to chat with her, but please don't
Erica rushed forward and said, "Barton, you're here just in time. I need to ask you something."Barton cut her off. "Mr. Andrew Potter's condition has suddenly worsened. It's very serious right now. Please come back with me immediately.""What?" Debra exclaimed. "He was fine yesterday."An image of the previous day suddenly popped into her mind. Jordan had gone into Andrew's room right after she left."Do you know about this?" Debra asked. "Jordan is the new president of the Lowe Group?"Barton, as Andrew's trusted aide, was supposed to know if this was part of Andrew's plan."What?" Barton was puzzled. "Mr. Jordan Potter?"Debra decided to go upstairs to confront Jordan. Erica quickly reached out to stop her."Where are you going? Didn't you just say we can't go up there earlier?""I have to go and ask him. What is he doing? Betraying the family?""Betrayal it is," Liza chimed in. "I'm going with you."She grabbed Debra's arm and rushed up the stairs.The guards immediatel
"What's going on?"Liza looked around, and her gaze landed on a huge pendulum clock on the wall.It gave a low, echoing chime. Debra looked over and saw it struck eight at night.A beam of light shone down onto a sofa on the second floor. Sitting on it was a masked man.Debra stared at him and had an oddly familiar feeling.Erica had the same feeling. "This guy...""Welcome to the party. I am the Lowe Group's new president."The voice was so familiar that both Debra and Erica froze in shock.Liza patted them on the shoulder. "Is that Andrew's brother? Did I hear wrong?"She didn't know what was going on, but the new president turned out to be Jordan.Just a few days ago, when they saw the news, he hadn't said anything.On the second floor, Jordan removed his mask, revealing a frosty face. Everyone stared at him in surprise because Jordan had disappeared from Seamar City for an entire year.He used to be reckless and lazy. Somehow, he became the new president of the Lowe G
"What is this? Do I have to wear this ugly thing to attend your party?" Liza grumbled, tossing the mask back with disdain. "I spent two hours on my makeup. If I wear this, all that effort will go to waste. No way I'm wearing it."The security guard replied politely, "I'm sorry, but rules are rules. Without the mask, you can't go in.""I've never heard of such a ridiculous rule," Liza huffed, ready to leave.Debra grabbed her hand. "Don't you want to have fun anymore?""I..." Liza hesitated.Debra leaned in and whispered, "The new president of the Lowe Group is trying to impress people. Just put on the mask and take it off once you're inside. What are they gonna do? Can they just throw you out?""Sounds like a plan." Liza nodded. "Even Drake didn't dare mess with me. Why should I care about them?"She picked up the mask again and put it on.Erica nudged Debra. "I guess you're going to be a pro at handling kids."Debra pressed a finger to her lips.The three of them entered the
Faced with the same question, Debra explained again, "Got it from a fall when I was a kid.""Fell?" Erica muttered, skeptical. "It doesn't look so."She suddenly remembered something major from back in the day. The major families all sent their representatives over.There had been a little girl who was injured on her back and rushed to the hospital.Erica remembered it well because Andrew had been holding that girl."What's wrong?" Debra turned and saw Erica spacing out.Erica came to her senses. "Ah... Nothing. It doesn't look like a fall.""You're talking like Liza." Debra twirled in front of the mirror and said, "What do you think? Should I change into something else? It doesn't look so good if it reveals the scar.""Why not wear this one instead?" Liza came out, holding an azure gown. "It's pretty and not too flashy."Debra took it and nodded with satisfaction. "This one it is."Liza grabbed Erica and pulled her toward the changing room. "I picked one for you too. Let's g
At her call, ten bodyguards walked into the room.Debra explained, "For safety's sake, these are our bodyguards for the day. Get familiar with them so there are no misunderstandings later."Liza was unimpressed. "Are ten of them enough? I usually bring 20."Erica snorted, "You want 20. Ask your daddy. Too many people will be arrestive.""What? Are you judging me?" Liza fumed."I am. I haven't even slapped you yet," Erica countered, rolling up her sleeves.Debra quickly stepped in. "Alright, it's about time. Let's go."She grabbed Erica's arm and headed toward the door. Liza followed them reluctantly.The whole morning was spent at a salon. Debra and Erica kept yawning, but Liza was full of energy."Is she really a spoiled lady?" Erica muttered, trailing behind Liza. "My barn needs a workhorse like her."Finally, they arrived at the store Liza had mentioned. Debra and Erica were grateful for a short break.Liza pulled Debra over. "Look at all these beautiful dresses. Can't wa
The next morning, Debra was shaken awake by Liza."Debra, get up," Liza urged, moving to pull off the blankets.Debra had stayed up all night going through the materials that Andrew gave her.She was still exhausted and buried her head under the covers."It's still early. What do you want?""Get up. Let's go pick a dress. I heard there's a great store."Debra couldn't focus, and she didn't want to hear any of it. All she wanted to do was sleep."Marion, get her out of here," she yelled.Marion knocked and came in. "Please leave."He had just finished preparing breakfast for Debra.Liza was upset. "I asked my dad to help you guys. And this is how you repay me? Fine, I'll go by myself tonight."With that, she headed toward the door.Debra sighed and got up. "Alright, I'll go with you. Is that okay?""That's more like it," Liza smiled. "I'll wait for you outside. Hurry up."She hummed a tune and skipped out of the room.Debra rubbed her temples. Marion said, "If you don't w
Barton held the medicine in front of Andrew and pleaded, "Sir, please take your medicine, alright? Take it, get some rest, and by tomorrow, you'll feel better. Mrs. Houston will still be here."Andrew relaxed a little. It was true.Debra was alive. She was beautiful, elegant, and clever, just as he had always imagined. She had gotten married and was living a happy life."Being my wife is dangerous," he murmured to himself. "The life she has now is the best path I could have given her."He swallowed the pills and leaned back against the bed. Sleep eluded him, but his memories didn't.Once again, he was transported back 16 years.Jordan and the six-year-old Debra were kidnapped. His parents rushed to save Jordan but were ambushed. Both lost their lives.Andrew did his best to rescue Debra, but his legs were injured during the process.He cradled the unconscious, injured Debra in his arms, crawling desperately away from the explosions. For the first time, he understood what despai
"Help me!"A little girl's desperate cries echoed in Andrew's mind, and he woke up from a dream.The room was pitch black and eerily silent. As if drained, he weakly leaned against the head of the bed. Fragments of a memory flickered in his mind like a haunting replay."Hold my hand.""Hug me."A sweet, childlike voice seemed to call out to him again, as if it had traveled through time to reach him. He opened his eyes and was pulled into a memory from many years ago.The summer air carried the fresh scent of grass. In the courtyard, koi fish chased one another in the pond. Sunlight bathed the entire yard, its warmth embracing everything in its reach.He was just an 11-year-old boy then. In front of him stood a little girl with a chubby face. Her little hands tugged at his sleeve.Andrew bent down, as if this moment had been predestined, and smiled at her. "What now?""Swing-swing," replied the girl, pointing at a swing set not far away."It's a swing.""Swing-swing.""Alrig
Standing outside was Jordan.He asked bluntly, "What are you doing here?""I came to visit Andrew," Debra replied with a frown, sensing hostility. "Anything wrong with that?"Jordan pressed his lips together. "How is he?""Not so good. He's been coughing," Debra replied, shaking her head. "I'll leave now."Barton spoke up. "Mrs. Houston, you left something behind.""Oh right, the report Ben gave me," Debra responded, walking back to the desk to grab the papers.Once she left, Jordan went into the room and closed the door behind him.Debra paused, wondering why Andrew asked her to hide his fake illness from Jordan."Hey."Suddenly, a voice startled Debra. She turned around and saw Liza standing behind her.Liza looked puzzled. "What are you staring at so intently?"Debra composed herself and asked, "What's up?""Nothing, just bored. I haven't seen you around lately," Liza pouted. "Didn't you guys get into some kind of trouble? I called my dad. Don't worry. Within three days