Shelia was still waiting in the living room when Juan returned with a gloomy face. She probed, "Didn't Debra come back with you?"Juan snorted, "If she doesn't want to come back, she never has to."Shelia rejoiced at this statement. 'Debra is so foolish. She had the chance to win Juan's heart but chose to waste it.'That was good news for Shelia. As long as Debra wasn't around, she would have opportunities to get close to Juan and win his favor.She looked at Juan's face, feeling confident about her prospects with him.She could sense that Juan had feelings for her. He had always treated her differently from others.The next morning, Debra woke up groggy. She opened her eyes to see the white ceiling and unfamiliar surroundings.She rubbed her temples, remembering that last night she and Erica had gone to a nightclub and requested male models to join them for drinks. Later, Randy and Marion found them, and she seemed to fall asleep in the car. She couldn't remember anything after
With those words, all three people looked at Debra.She snapped out of her thoughts, touched her flushed cheeks, and said, "Maybe.""A cold shouldn't be taken lightly. I'll have Marion take you to the hospital later."Erica was eager to create opportunities for Debra and Marion to spend time together.Debra shook her head. "It's nothing serious. I'll be fine."Erica led her to sit down. Marion's meal was simple, while the others had more substantial, nutritious food.To relieve a hangover, they needed something rich and spicy. The soup with pepper was quite appetizing.Marion had just a couple of bites before he got up to clear his dishes. Seeing him grab his coat, Randy asked, "Where are you off to this early?""Out for a bit," Marion said, closing the door behind him.Randy mumbled, "Out to the supermarket?"Erica was frustrated. "What a blockhead!"Debra quietly ate her breakfast. About half an hour after Marion left, he returned with a large shopping bag.Randy stared a
Debra said, "You did pick some great fruit. You've done a better job than my housekeeper."Marion smiled. He wouldn't reveal that he had taste-tested each fruit, which was why it took him so long.A faint buzzing sound could be heard coming from the bedroom.Erica said, "Someone's phone is vibrating."Everyone exchanged glances, and Randy said, "I never keep my phone on vibrate."Marion stayed silent, and Erica pulled out her phone. "Mine's here."Debra suddenly remembered that she had set her phone to vibrate after hanging up on Joe yesterday.She quickly pushed back her chair and ran to the bedroom.There, her phone was vibrating on the bedside table. It was Joe calling.Debra answered, "Hello?"Relieved, Joe said, "Madam, you've finally answered."What's up?""Mr. Nichols was looking for you all night. He found out you left with Marion and got so mad that he hung up on me. He didn't go to the office today. Could you please call him and tell him about it? There are import
"Madam! You're finally back!"Debra rarely saw Sophie so emotional. Clearly, she had suffered a lot in the past few days."Sophie, is Juan home?""Yes, Mr. Nichols is home." Sophie hesitated and added, "But that vixen is here too."Mentioning Shelia made Sophie grit her teeth in hatred.Debra was surprised that Shelia could still stay there after Melody stepped in.Juan must really like Shelia, since he even went against his grandmother's wishes for her.Debra tried to use the fingerprint scanner at the front door, but it didn't work."Mr. Nichols changed the lock codes last night," Sophie explained.She entered the new code, allowing Debra to enter the house.Juan was with Shelia in the living room. Shelia was reading under Juan's patient guidance. They were acting like a couple in love.Sophie cleared her throat and announced in a stressed tone, "Sir, Mrs. Nichols is back."Juan glanced at Debra indifferently, as if she were a stranger."Who allowed you to enter my house
Debra walked away without looking back. Shelia tugged on Juan's sleeve and said, "Those were just her angry words. Don't be upset."Juan quietly pulled his hand away.Shelia looked at her empty hand, stunned.Juan said flatly, "There are things for me to do at the company. You stay at home and study. Tell Sophie if you need anything.""Juan..." Shelia tried to stop Juan, but he had already left.Sophie, who was cleaning the floor, snorted at Shelia's actions. 'The couple has just had a spat, yet Shelia fancies herself the hostess of this house.'Shelia's pride was injured by Sophie's expression.Debra returned to the apartment opposite the school, where she and Erica had gone that morning. Erica was excited. "You proposed a divorce to Juan? Did he agree?"Debra recalled it and said, "He didn't say anything.""Silence is acquiescence. I'll have my lawyer draft the divorce papers right away. We'll take a chunk of his fortune and kick that scumbag to the curb," Erica said enthu
Seamar City's sanitation workers quickly mobilized, and the sewage area Debra had bought started its cleanup and renovation. In a few months, it would be completely transformed. To save time, Debra had already begun other projects.Following the municipal statement, many entrepreneurs started investing in her project, ensuring ample funds and even a surplus.In the evening, Debra hosted a dinner at home. Randy placed a folder on the table and whistled, "In half a month, you've secured billions in funding. This is incredible!"Marion chimed in, "With extra money, we can start other businesses before this project finishes."Debra nodded. "I know. That's why I diverted some funds for a small investment.""Small investment?" Marion raised an eyebrow. "You spent hundreds of millions. That's not small."Debra didn't expect Marion to find out so quickly.But she hadn't intended to hide it from him. Recently, with her busy dealing with Juan, Marion had been handling many matters, making
As soon as Debra got into the car, Joe pleaded, "Madam, please go easy on Mr. Nichols. He won't divorce you."Debra closed her eyes. "When did the old lady arrive?""This afternoon," Joe replied.It was just as she had guessed.Melody must have caused a scene. Once things calmed down, they called her back.Melody was always domineering and wouldn't tolerate any disobedience.By now, Shelia should have been sent away.The car stopped outside the Nichols family's house, and the gate was open. Debra walked in, seeing Sophie standing by respectfully. Melody was sitting on the sofa.Juan was kneeling on the floor, while Shelia was nowhere to be seen.Melody asked, "Is everything packed?""Yes, Mrs. Nichols Sr." Sophie pushed out a suitcase. "These are all Miss Miles's belongings."Melody turned to Joe and asked, "How much of this was bought with Juan's money?"Joe nervously stepped forward. "Miss Miles's living expenses have always been covered by Mr. Nichols, so..."Melody sne
The Nichols family had always upheld strict discipline, and Juan was raised by Melody. He didn't even dare to dodge now. Melody's strikes were fierce, and Juan's body was soon covered in bruises.Debra watched impassively as Juan gritted his teeth and silently endured it.Melody didn't stop until the cane broke. "Will you apologize now?"Juan remained silent.Debra knew his stubborn nature. If he was still holding out after being beaten this badly, it meant he had no intention of apologizing.She intervened, saying, "Grandma, please take it easy. I don't blame Juan. Let's call a doctor to check on him."Debra put on a gracious act, which cooled Melody's temper somewhat.Melody knew Juan's personality too well.Getting him to apologize was mission impossible.Melody had just put on a show to make Debra feel better.She patted Debra's hand and said, "Don't worry. I'll keep him in check, and I promise you, that woman will never set foot in our house again. You're the only host
The bodyguards at the entrance were intimidating.When Debra handed over her invitation, she worried there might be fingerprint scans or facial recognition. That would make things tricky.But the guards barely glanced at it before waving her through. Debra was surprised by how smoothly things went.This castle was one of the top three landmarks overseas, and it had never been open to the public. During the day, it was a tourist attraction. But now, someone managed to host a private banquet right there.Once inside, she was faced with one more hurdle. Rows of scanners stood ahead, all meant to detect any restricted items.Debra was carrying no gun, but Marion had given her a Bluetooth earpiece to stay in contact.To minimize suspicion, they decided to enter separately. She would go in first, and he'd follow shortly after.She hesitated for a moment before taking off the earpiece and tossing it into a shadowed corner.Just as she stepped forward, someone in front of her triggered
When they entered the dream, the gems were real.Fermin had woken up faster than them and taken the gems. Then he must have found a way to hide them or hand them off to someone else.In other words, this whole thing was planned. "If that's the case, Mrs. Houston and the others are in danger," Barton said anxiously, realizing someone in their group was a traitor.The Illuminati couldn't have collected so many rare stones for nothing. There had to be a scheme."I need to think this through," Andrew muttered, pressing his forehead.Barton noticed his pale face and immediately stepped forward. "Sir, are you having another episode? William said you shouldn't stress yourself out. I'll get your medicine.""Come back," Andrew said. "I'm not taking any medicine right now.""It won't work, sir. The doctor warned you against thinking too much. That's why you left Seamar City to enjoy peace. Mrs. Houston has Mr. Houston looking out for her. You don't need to worry, sir."Andrew had thoug
Michael chuckled, "You probably won't believe this, but after I finished work, I found this thing right outside my door.""What?" Debra was shocked.Michael explained, "Since that night you asked me to keep an eye out, I reached out to a few international contacts. But I came up empty. Then, the very next day, this thing was sitting outside my door."Debra mused, "So, you think someone knew you were investigating, so they gave you a shortcut?""If that's the case, then the organization must be massive, and the entertainment industry could very well be their way of spreading their influence," Michael said.A lightbulb went off in Debra's head.At those banquets held by the Lowe family, most of the guests were from the entertainment industry. Whether they were once-famous stars or rising ones, these celebrities were typically the targets of wealthy businessmen.If the entertainment industry was being used to spread Illuminati teachings, then it wasn't the stars trapping the rich m
When the bathroom door opened, Debra was soaking in the bathtub.She asked awkwardly, "Uh, where's the towel?"It was her first time staying in that house, and she hadn't expected the towel not to be in the bathroom.Marion was relieved to see her fine. "I'll get it for you."He walked over to grab the towel, then entered the bathroom and draped it over her shoulders.Her cheeks looked rosy, maybe because of the heat in the bathroom.Worried about her injury, he gently lifted her out of the bathtub. She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. Their breaths mixed as she was held close to him.His arms were robust, easily lifting her with no effort."Are you tired?""I-I am.""Then lie down and let me serve you."He kissed her forehead, but she tapped his shoulder. "Hey! I just finished my shower."It was getting dark. Marion ordered takeout, all of Debra's favorite dishes.Her body was sore all over. She didn't want to move, and Marion had to feed her.Leaning on t
"Marion, what are you doing?" Debra shot him a warning look.Marion shrank back."Alright. I'll call again when I get there," Michael said."Okay." Debra ended the call and looked up to see Marion's frustrated look."I'm hungry," she said, pecking him on the lips.Marion lost what little control he had left. He tilted her chin up, pressed a hand to the back of her neck, and kissed her deeply.It wasn't until they were both breathless that he finally pulled away."Let's go eat," he said.Debra glared at him, knowing he was doing that on purpose."Well, I'm not that hungry anymore," she said deliberately.Marion looked back and met her limpid eyes. His lips, slightly swollen from his kisses, were soft and inviting like ripe cherries."I am hungry, though." His voice was low, teasing.This time, his kisses were slow, lingering. His lips trailed down to her neck, and their breaths both quickened.Debra's silk nightgown slipped down to her waist, the lace straps of her undergar
The doctor and nurses led Liza out of the room.She could tolerate it as long as they didn't use electroshock therapy.Fermin was left alone in the room.The moment the door closed, he shouted, "Hey! Where are you taking my sister?"But his head hurt too much. Instead of pressing further, he sat there, curiously scanning the room.His expression and actions didn't look fake."Sir..." The butler hesitated."Keep him locked up." Bert struck the floor hard with his cane.They couldn't let him out until they made sure Fermin's personality was gone."Understood." The butler followed Bert out of the room.Beyond the reach of the security cameras, the corners of Fermin's lips curled into a faint smirk....Debra curled up in Marion's arms.He never slept more than four or five hours a night. Any longer, and he'd wake up on his own.She shifted, rubbing against him."Want to sleep a little longer?" he asked gently.Debra opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I
The sounds of violent banging echoed through the enclosed room.Despite the nurses' best efforts to hold him down, Fermin pounded the bed in agony."Strap him down," ordered the doctor.The nurses quickly bound Fermin to the operating table.Behind the one-way mirror, Bert watched with pain. His hand gripped his cane tightly.Electroshock therapy was one of the most dangerous treatments. But it was the only way to make Fermin believe he was dead, allowing his personality to enter a dormant state."Sir, maybe we should leave for now," the butler suggested, unable to watch any longer."I can't, not when Fermin is still inside," Bert replied, his voice heavy.He didn't want Fermin to suffer or go out to hurt others."Fermin!" Liza stumbled down the stairs, nearly falling in the process.Several servants, who were chasing after her, stopped at the entrance since they were not allowed in there.They had sealed off the elevator, but Liza, in her desperation, had chosen to take the
Once everything was settled, Marion walked back to the living room and lifted Debra off the sofa.For over a month now, Debra hadn't needed to walk on her own."If you keep pampering me like this, my legs will be useless.""It's fine. I'll carry you for the rest of your life."He was confident in his strength. Even when he was old, he believed he could still lift weights without breaking a sweat.Debra was light. He had no trouble lifting her at all.The bedroom was dimly lit. Marion gently laid her down on the bed and lay beside her.Debra smiled, "You're always watching me sleep. This time, let me watch you.""Okay," Marion agreed, placing her hand over his chest.Soon, Debra heard his steady breathing.Marion was a light sleeper. The slightest movement would wake him.Debra stayed still, quietly watching his sculpted face, straight nose, plump lips, sexy Adam's apple, and well-defined collarbone.Suddenly, he murmured, "How am I supposed to sleep with you staring at me l
When she woke up the next morning, Debra instinctively reached out to feel around.She muttered, "Marion, what time is it?"There was no response. She opened her eyes and found Marion wasn't in bed.After a quick wash, she went downstairs.Marion, who had come back from his mission, was cooking breakfast in the kitchen. The sleeves of his black shirt were rolled up."You're up so early," he said, noticing it was only 7 a.m.He had gotten used to Debra's routine."Breakfast is ready. Come eat," he added, setting two sandwiches and a bowl of oatmeal on the table.Since Debra's injury, her health had been poor. While in the hospital, she'd repeatedly had fevers. Recently, she could only eat light food.She had slept deeply last night, probably because she was exhausted.After she took her seat, Marion sat next to her and began to gather her hair into a bun."You're getting better at this," she chuckled."Anything for you," he replied with a smile.A bodyguard came in and repo