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
"I..." Cathryn struggled to find the right words.Drake stepped in. "Miss Bernard intended to make amends with Mrs. Houston, isn't that right?""Yes, that's right," Cathryn said, her smile forced.Liza scoffed, "Cathryn, you're too kind. Why bother making amends with her? If you want Marion, I'll have my dad help you."Debra couldn't help but laugh at Liza's words.Liza glared at her. "What are you laughing at?""Nothing," Debra replied, restraining her smile. "I just think your dad is amazing. He can even help snatch someone else's husband. It seems there's nothing he can't do here.""Of course," Liza boasted, then realized she was being mocked. "Are you making fun of me?""Not at all," Debra said, her expression sincere. "I meant every word."Liza fumed, "This woman is infuriating. Drake, I want her out of here."Drake smirked but made no move to comply."Are you dull? Didn't you hear me?" Liza demanded.Cathryn quickly intervened, grabbing her hand. "Liza, please don't.
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