Bert sighed, "If you had any skills, would I have to resort to this retirement trick? Learn from Fermin. If he were still around, I wouldn't have all these problems to deal with."Garland rolled his eyes. "Fermin has been dead for years. If he knew how much work was waiting for him, he'd probably prefer to stay in his coffin.""He was identifying talent and managing people at 14," Bert snapped. "He was the youngest financial scholar, feared and respected by everyone in the company. He was my ideal successor. And look at you—lazy, always chasing after some justice with your newspaper. If it weren't for that car accident, I wouldn't have needed you to impersonate him.""You're right, Dad," Garland said sarcastically. "Fermin is the best. Liza and I combined aren't half as good as him."Bert took a deep breath, trying to control his temper. "You know your uncles are eyeing the family's power. If they find out Fermin is dead and I have no successor, they'll stop at nothing to take over
Garland paused, turning back to face Juan. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and asked, "You know who I am?""What do you think?" Juan replied coolly."Then go ahead and expose me, please. I'm tired of being an impersonator. You have no idea how boring it is to be Fermin," Garland said, a hint of weariness in his voice."Mr. Eaton," Carter interjected.Garland straightened his clothes and said more seriously, "Mr. Nichols, come with me."In the study, Bert had overheard their entire conversation. He took off one of his shoes and threw it at Garland. "You useless brat. What good are you?"Garland swiftly dodged the shoe, but it flew past him and headed straight for Juan. With a quick reflex, Juan caught the shoe in mid-air."Mr. Eaton Sr., let's talk business," Juan said, placing the shoe back on the desk.Bert appreciated his polite demeanor. "Wilbur's grandson is much better than Caleb's grandson. Alright, what business do you want to discuss?""My grandmother has come over
Juan was surprised by how perceptive Bert was.Sensing his reluctance to talk, Bert added, "If you don't speak up, you can leave. I'll handle the affairs myself. If you reveal our secrets, my family will be ruined, but your family won't fare any better."Juan frowned as Bert stepped closer. "Young man, I'm giving you a chance here. I'm helping you, not the other way around."Realizing Bert was serious, Juan finally spoke. "I want to investigate the secrets of Seamar City and the Four Great Families as well as the truth behind the car accident that killed Debra's parents."Bert's smile vanished instantly.Juan continued, "I believe you also want to know these things. Fermin's death was not an accident."Garland frowned because Bert and he were the only ones who knew the truth.He stood up and asked, "You know? How do you know?""That's not important," Juan replied. "I have my ways."Garland wanted to say more, but Bert cut in, "Alright. I agree to give you an identity to aid yo
In the morning, Debra was leaning against the sofa, enjoying her breakfast.A maid approached her and reported, "Madam, Miss Bernard is here to see you. Would you like to meet her?""You're sure it's just Cathryn alone?" Debra asked."Yes, she didn't bring anyone else," the maid confirmed.Debra's expression turned serious, and the maid offered, "If you don't want to see her, I'll send her away."Debra said, "I'll see her. Also, dismiss half of the security guards in the house, but do it discreetly. Don't let anyone notice."The maid looked confused.Debra added, "If anything unusual happens, just act naturally. Notify Marion and call the police if needed."The maid agreed and left to carry out the orders.Soon, Cathryn entered the room. There Debra was, lounging on the sofa, wearing a champagne-colored silk nightgown that accentuated her perfect figure. The lace trim at the chest hinted at her cleavage, making her look incredibly sexy. Even a woman would be captivated by her
Cathryn had believed Marion would never love anyone else. She thought he would eventually turn to her. But Debra's appearance shattered all her dreams.Cathryn clenched her fists. "If it weren't for you, Marion might hate me, but at least he wouldn't ignore me."Suddenly, the sound of a struggle echoed from outside. Several men burst into the room, surrounding Debra.Debra looked at Cathryn. "You and I are different. Do you know in which aspect?"Cathryn was taken aback, and she continued, "The person I loved fell in love with someone else. I foolishly gave him everything, thinking he would come back to me. But I realized that if someone doesn't love you, they just don't. Loving yourself is the only way to be loved by others. And I never intentionally hurt anyone. That's the difference between you and me."Just then, applause echoed from the doorway, followed by a familiar voice."What a moving speech! I almost shed a tear." Drake stepped into the living room, a cold smile on his
Kale pushed Debra into the car and placed a blindfold over her eyes.Debra frowned. "Is this necessary?""Yes, it is," Drake replied from the side. "You're too clever for your own good. I can't risk you outsmarting me again. Prevention is better than cure."Debra sighed and put on the blindfold. She didn't need to see. She already knew that Drake had bought a villa in the city center.According to their plan, Marion should be waiting outside the villa by now.Cathryn, sitting in the front, looked at Debra through the rearview mirror."What are you planning to do with Debra?""Miss Bernard, you've achieved your goal. Why do you still care about her life or death?""Are you going to kill her?"If Debra returned to Marion alive, all her efforts today would be in vain.Drake raised an eyebrow. "Do you want her to live or die?"The question caught Cathryn off guard. She hesitated, unsure of how to answer.She had never taken a life before. But if she let Debra live, she would ne
Cathryn's face paled as she realized that Drake had no intention of killing Debra."Then why did you even ask for my opinion earlier? How could you do this?" Cathryn's voice grated on Drake's nerves, making him rub his ears in annoyance.He couldn't stand stupid people, especially clueless heiresses like Cathryn.But given her connection to Liza, he felt compelled to explain, "If I killed Debra, wouldn't Marion come after me?"Cathryn was taken aback. "So, from the beginning, you never intended to help me? You just wanted to kidnap Debra to threaten Marion?"Debra chuckled, "Wrong answer. If he wanted to kidnap me, he would have done it already. Why go through all this trouble to have you negotiate with me first? He wanted to drag you into this. Now that you've helped him kidnap me, you're in the same boat as him."Cathryn's face paled. She hadn't expected Drake to be so calculating. "Why me?"She would rather have Marion hate her than know she was the one plotting against him.
Across town at the Eaton Mansion, Garland was doing a handstand against the wall, groaning in discomfort. "How much longer?"Juan glanced at his watch and said blandly, "Ten minutes for each wrong answer. There are 32 questions on the test. You got 31 wrong. Do the math.""What? Are you insane? Are you here to tutor me or torture me? I'm gonna tell my dad about this," Garland exclaimed."Go ahead. Let's see whose side he takes," Juan replied nonchalantly.Just as Juan reached for his tea cup, his hand suddenly trembled, and the cup fell to the floor, shattering into pieces."Hey! Those cups are expensive. Be careful," Garland scolded."Got it," Juan said as he bent down to pick up the shards.Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his finger. Blood dripped onto the broken porcelain. Juan frowned, looking at his injured finger.At his newly acquired estate, Drake removed Debra's blindfold as Kale opened the car door.Debra stepped out to see an expansive garden with artificial hil
Debra's eyes narrowed. "I get why you want to kill me, but Drake was your ally. Isn't this a bit too cruel?"Cathryn spluttered, "Drake used me like a pawn. I just want him to pay for it. Compared to the humiliation he put me through, 20 billion dollars is nothing. It can't even restore my dignity.""Dignity is something you give yourself," Debra retorted. "Drake gave you choices. You were blinded by greed.""Shut up!" Cathryn snarled. "Don't act all high and mighty with me. You think you're so pure? If you were, why did you throw yourself at Marion? At your engagement party, Erica protected you. Randy stood by you. Andrew had your back. You have Michael and Oscar supporting the McKinney Group for you. Even Juan can't forget you. With all these people loving you, why did you have to steal Marion?"Debra hadn't realized Cathryn harbored so much resentment. She let out a cold laugh. "Everything I have, I earned with my blood, sweat, and tears. Do you think Marion would love you if yo
Frederic caught Liza, who was paralyzed with fear, and pushed her toward the car.Meanwhile, Debra kicked Edgar in the chest and pinned him under her heel. "Tell me, what's in Seamar City?"She had gone to great lengths to corner Edgar, intending to have Randy keep an eye on him in Seamar City until she could return to confront him.But Edgar had fled overseas, taking Liza and Cathryn hostage in his desperation.With his thigh pierced, Edgar could barely fight back. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he spat, "What's in Seamar City? Are you seriously pretending you don't know? It's wealth beyond imagination. The kind of fortune every merchant dreams of.""What treasure?" Debra leaned in, her expression intense. "Be specific."Edgar's hand suddenly darted to his waist. In a flash, he drew a concealed dagger and slashed toward her. In reflex, Debra caught it.Frederic immediately raised his gun, only to find it hard to aim at Edgar. He was trying to use Debra as a shield."Help
"True." Drake stood up. "Get the car ready. We're going.""Yes, boss." Kale shook his head.Drake never cared about his reputation. He just needed an excuse to go.Once in the car, Kale started the engine and asked, "Boss, where are we headed?""How would I know? Didn't Cathryn tell you where she was?""No, she didn't."Silence settled in the car.Inside the abandoned factory, Edgar glanced at Liza. "Fermin hasn't shown up yet. Looks like he doesn't care about you that much."Liza retorted, "No way. He loves me the most. He'll come to save me.""Seems like we can't rely on you. I should contact Marion instead." Edgar pulled out his phone, planning to instruct Marion to leave the money in a safe spot.Suddenly, a pair of headlights penetrated the darkness, shining directly at him."See? I told you my brother would come to rescue me." Liza pointed at the black car in the distance.Quickly, a figure emerged from the car. It was Frederic, who was dressed in a sharp suit that bo
"Me?" Debra muttered.Edgar held no personal grudge against Liza. The only person he hated there was Debra.She was the only reason for his downfall."Yes, you," Edgar replied. "You're full of tricks, and I don't trust you. If you don't take her place, I won't let her go."Debra laughed, "Then don't let her go. The Eatons are not after me anyway. And a little heads-up. If I get a scratch, Marion will make you pay a heavy price."Before Edgar could respond, she continued, "Well, I can go over and take her place."Edgar's eyes narrowed, and she added, "Relax! I might be able to fend off a couple of amateurs, but against you? I wouldn't stand a chance."Edgar scoffed, "At least you're self-aware."Only then did he cut Liza loose. The marks on her skin were deep. For someone who had lived a life of luxury and privilege, the humiliation was unbearable.She glared at Edgar, eager to slap him, but the cold steel of his gun kept her rooted in place.Meanwhile, Marion sped down the de
Kale hesitated.Drake furrowed his brow. "What is it?"Kale sighed, "Miss Bernard was kidnapped by Edgar.""Oh, and what does that have to do with me? Edgar needs money, right? He wants a ransom?""Yes.""Well, he should be asking Marion for money. Marion was the one who promised to take care of Cathryn."Drake brushed it off and loosened his tie. "Go pack your things. We don't need to get involved in Cathryn's affairs. Someone else will take care of it.""But...""What is it now?""Debra has also been kidnapped.""By Edgar? Ha!""I heard it over the phone. Besides Debra, Liza has also been taken. It sounds like Edgar is demanding a ransom of one trillion dollars.""One trillion? Has he lost his mind?""Desperate people do desperate things."Inside the abandoned factory, Debra leaned against the van and took out her phone."Are you sure you don't want me to call Marion? Both of them have already made calls. What's holding you back?" she said."Shut up!" Edgar snapped.
The line went through, but the one answering the call was Kale.He warned, "Miss Bernard, I believe Mr. Lowe made himself clear. If you insist on bothering him, he'll show you no mercy."Cathryn hadn't expected this number to belong to Kale. It turned out Drake hadn't given her his number at all.But with Edgar staring at her from the side, she had to bite the bullet and try again. "Can you please let Drake take the call? I have something very important to tell him.""Mr. Lowe isn't interested," Kale refused flatly, ready to hang up.Cathryn cried out, "I've been kidnapped by Edgar. He'll kill me if I can't come up with a ransom of 20 billion dollars."But Kale was unimpressed. "Well, you're no longer engaged to Mr. Lowe. Whether it's 20 billion or 20 dollars, it has nothing to do with us."Cathryn's last hope was dashed. Edgar heard it and said, "So, you're useless now.""No. Don't kill me," Cathryn pleaded.Edgar snorted, "The Eaton family would pay 40 billion for Miss Eaton
"Not your concern," Edgar spat, pressing the gun barrel against Liza's forehead. "Call Marion and tell him to prepare the ransom. Otherwise, I'll kill her.""Go ahead," Debra said indifferently. "Cathryn and I are rivals, and I've never gotten along with Liza. Killing either of them won't affect me."Liza was pissed off. From the look on her face, Debra knew she was cursing her.Debra added, "Save your energy. Using their lives to threaten me won't work. You'd be better off making them call their families. Maybe Drake cares enough about his fiancée to pay up. As for Mr. Eaton Sr., he's old and ruthless. I'd suggest contacting her brother instead. Maybe then, you'll have a chance to walk away with the money."Liza listened with growing irritation. Undoubtedly, Debra was the devil's advocate."You make a good point," Edgar admitted, ripping the duct tape off Liza's mouth.She immediately shouted at Debra, "You shameless viper! You...""Shut up!" Edgar pressed the gun harder agains
Edgar sneered, "All three of you are in my grasp. Marion, the Eaton family, and Drake are at my mercy."Debra glanced at the stun baton in her hand, her voice calm but biting. "What makes you think that way?"She began walking toward Edgar, her every step steady and deliberate.Edgar used to be the head of the Odom family. His fighting skills were not bad.But Debra's confident demeanor made him hesitate and wonder if she could really take him on.Liza struggled, managing to bring her stiletto heel down hard on Edgar's foot. He grunted in pain and loosened his grip on her.She bolted, but Edgar quickly recovered, grabbing her by the hair and yanking her back.Debra coldly stared at him. "Let me guess. You used Cathryn to lure Liza here and then used Liza to trick me, didn't you?"Edgar snorted, "So what?"Debra laughed mockingly, "Edgar, you used to be the most powerful man in Booton, and now you've stooped to kidnapping women to survive? No dignity left?""Dignity?" Edgar sn
"How did you know?" one of the men exclaimed, reaching for the stun baton in his pocket.Debra casually touched the crest on their chests. "The logo is wrong. Be more careful with your forgeries."She turned around and raised her voice. "I'm already here, Mr. Odom. Why don't you come out with Miss Eaton? We'll have a little chat."Soon, a figure emerged from the abandoned factory. In just half a month, Edgar had become extremely haggard. His face was covered in stubble. His hair was disheveled, and his shirt was dirty.Debra clicked her tongue. "Mr. Odom, you don't look so good. Is the allowance from the McKinney Group not enough for you?"Edgar was infuriated. If it weren't for her schemes, he wouldn't be in this state.Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "How did you know it was me?""Liza, a spoiled and arrogant girl, would never apologize to me. I had people track your moves, but you got away. So, I guessed you'd come here. You need money, don't you?"Now that everything was expo