"Mr. Lowe said that due to recent financial difficulties after breaking off the engagement with the Eaton family, he could only ask you to make do with this," replied the maid.Debra looked at the soup and laughed incredulously.Even if the Lowe family were broke, Drake wouldn't just serve her a bowl of boiled water.She knew he was doing this deliberately."Tell him I appreciate the thought, but I won't be drinking the soup." She stood up with the bowl.The maid was stunned. "Mrs. Houston?"Debra swiftly descended the stairs, with the maid trailing behind her. "Mrs. Houston, you can't just wander around."Drake, who was eating in the living room, watched as Debra walked past him.She called out, "Bobo, soup time."A black dog approached, sniffed the soup, and then silently retreated.As Debra returned from the doorway, Drake took a bite of his bread. "Who let you come out?"The maid quickly apologized, "I'm sorry I couldn't stop her."Drake frowned. "Did I ask you?"The m
"Alright, let's just say I believe you," Drake said."You should," Debra said.Drake leaned back in his chair. "But don't you think you owe me some compensation? After all, I lost my engagement because of you."Debra tilted her head. "I'm broke and don't have anything valuable to compensate you with.""I'm not asking for much," Drake said casually. "Just 20% of the McKinney Group's shares.""Are you trying to rob me?" Debra stared at him as if he'd lost his mind."No deal?""No deal.""Then maybe I'll have to take one of your hands instead.""Go ahead."Debra extended her hand with complete seriousness, as if ready to make good on her offer.Drake chuckled, both irritated and amused. "You'd give up your hand just to save money? Are you that desperate?""If I lose a hand, I can still eat. If I lose my money, I'll starve," Debra replied matter-of-factly.Drake batted her hand away. "Then go ask Marion to transfer the Houston Group's shares to me.""That will do.""Are you
"Mrs. Houston, let's go upstairs," said the maid.Debra glanced at her. "I've been cooped up in the house for days. I need some fresh air. That's not too much to ask, is it?""I guess so," the maid said hesitantly.After all, Drake didn't forbid Debra to walk around the villa."Good, then I'll take a stroll. You don't need to follow me," Debra said."Mrs. Houston..." The maid wanted to advise her, but Debra was already moving toward the door.Outside, the patrolling security guards were surprised by her appearance.Debra was still in her pajamas, walking leisurely and humming a tune as she headed toward the garden.Lara rushed out after her, and a guard approached. "What's going on? Mr. Lowe didn't say Mrs. Houston could come out.""I don't know," the maid replied anxiously. "Get someone to follow her. If she runs away, we're all doomed.""Got it." Several guards hurried after Debra, keeping a safe distance behind her.Debra glanced sideways, noticing the guards tailing her.
"Sir, what should we do with these people? Should we get rid of them?" asked one of Marion's men.Debra cut in, "What?"Marion cleared his throat. "Don't talk nonsense. When have I ever taken care of anyone?""Huh?" The man blinked, confused.They always handled things decisively and left no loose ends."Tie them up," Marion ordered. "Hold them for now. And take care of the surveillance footage.""Should we smash the cameras?" asked the man.Debra felt helpless. "Seriously?"Marion shot his subordinate a glare. "Erase the footage. Who told you to smash anything?""I thought simple and brutal was the way to go," the man muttered, scratching the back of his head.Debra cast a sidelong glance at Marion. "Is this how you usually hold such things?"He put on an innocent look. "No, it's their approach, not mine."The denial was so swift and complete that his men all froze in disbelief. Usually, they only acted on Marion's explicit orders. Without his go-ahead, they wouldn't dare
Soon, reinforcements arrived at the villa.Debra watched in awe as the crowd surged forward, their voices echoing through the air."Mr. Houston!"Debra couldn't remember the last time she had seen such a spectacle. Maybe in high school, on the sports field."You have five minutes to find her," Marion commanded.The men quickly dispersed throughout the villa. Some in black suits, adorned with the Houston family's insignias, stood out. They carried walkie-talkies and surveying instruments, tapping away on laptops. A detailed floor plan of the estate then appeared on their screens."What is this?" Debra asked, curious."Welcome to the age of technology," Marion replied with a smirk."But isn't this for outdoor surveying?" Debra questioned."Same difference." Marion shrugged.Before Debra could respond, a voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. "Found her."Marion glanced at his watch. Only a minute and a half had passed."Wrap it up.""Yes, sir."Debra heard countless footste
Debra's lips tightened into a thin line. "Looks like I underestimated you. Turns out, you're not as dumb as you act.""Thanks for the compliment.""That wasn't a compliment."Drake's gaze flickered to where Marion held Debra's hand, his smirk fading away. "I have to hand it to you, Marion. If Debra had followed Lara upstairs just now, she would have been my hostage. I thought your time away from overseas might've dulled your edge, but you're just as annoyingly sharp as ever.""I'm flattered," Marion replied calmly. "After all these years, I still can't outmatch your underhandedness."Drake chuckled and perched himself on the armrest of a nearby sofa. "Well, let's skip the small talk. I don't like traitors, and you know that. If you hadn't shown up, I might've let this drag out a bit longer for fun. But since you're here, you're not leaving."Around the villa, his men were already in position, and Marion's special team was being held at bay.Marion glanced at his smug expression
"So, you never relapsed. You and Marion set a trap, and I walked right into it?" Drake growled."Well, you're smart at times," Debra replied. "So, can we leave now?"Drake fumed, and she feigned a sudden realization. "Oh right, I don't even need to ask you."She turned to Marion and smiled, "Honey, let's go.""Sure," Marion replied, stepping beside her.His man pressed a knife to Lara's neck, forcing her to leave with them."Boss..." Lara trembled in fear, but Drake didn't even glance at her.His indifference to her safety rattled her.Drake demanded, "You can take her, but you must clean up this mess."Marion waved his hand without looking back. "A cleaner will be here in an hour."Debra watched them leave with a burning hatred.Kale whispered to him, "Boss, are we really letting them go with Lara?""Can you beat him?""I can't.""Or do you think our men can take on his crew?""They can't.""So, what else can we do?"Kale fell silent.Drake had thought he had seen th
"Alright," Garland said with a dramatic sigh. "Debra and Marion left the Lowe Mansion safely. They brought a whole entourage of a hundred or so people. The scene must've been wild. Too bad I wasn't there to score an exclusive scoop."Stuck there, he had to pose as Fermin. That was a waste of his talent and ruined his chance of becoming one of the top journalists on the international stage."By the way," Garland added with a grin, his tone growing nosy, "Debra's your ex, right? Why are you so caught up in her business? Shouldn't you be focusing on your current wife instead?"He scooted closer to Juan, practically vibrating with curiosity. "So, what is Shelia like? Is she gorgeous? I heard Debra was the top socialite in Seamar City. If Shelia managed to snag you in an affair, she must be even hotter, right?"Juan grabbed a piece of bread from his plate and shoved it into Garland's mouth. "If you can't talk like a decent human being, do me all a favor and keep your mouth shut."Garla
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