The cleaners were devastated, and Lara turned even paler.Drake sat on the sofa and said, "Why are you back here? What are you up to?""Boss, I'm sorry I messed up, but I swear, I didn't say anything," Lara pleaded."Is that so?" Drake scoffed. "I'd be a fool to believe you.""I'm telling the truth," Lara said. "They brought me back to get rid of me. You can't fall for their trap."Drake pondered her words. "Whose idea was it to send you back? Debra's or Marion's?""It was Mrs. Houston's idea," Lara replied.Drake nodded. "Well then, you can stay."The quick change in his attitude took Lara aback."Boss, isn't this a bit hasty?" Kale interjected."Do you think so?""Yes.""Then go to my office and print out a new contract for her. Sign it, stamp it, and then it won't be hasty anymore.""Boss...""Do it.""Yes, boss."Lara watched Kale leave, still in disbelief."Go upstairs. You don't need to clean.""Then what should I do?""Whatever you want. Can you order takeout?
The maid hesitated. "Mr. Fermin Eaton is often busy with company matters, so he's rarely home.""Is he home today?""Uh...""What? Don't tell me no one is at home."The maid stammered, "Mr. Fermin Eaton is home, but he's busy with work. He might not be able to see you right now."Melody insisted, "Is this how you treat your guests? Go tell Mr. Fermin Eaton that if he doesn't come to see me, I'll pack my things and leave immediately."Her tone left no room for negotiation. The maid could only nod and leave to deliver the message.In the bedroom, Garland was upside-down, reciting lines from economic textbooks.The maid opened the door and froze at the sight. "Mr. Fermin Eaton, you're doing this again."Garland's pained voice broke through. "Verna, perfect timing. A little help here."But not far off, Juan cut him off. "Ten more minutes. Hold it.""I can't. I'm about to collapse.""If you collapse, get back up and keep going.""This is brutal."Verna interjected, "Mr. Nichol
Juan replied, "Just don't go too far."Garland straightened up. "Alright, let me handle this old..."Juan glanced at him, and he corrected himself. "I mean, Mrs. Nichols Sr."Turning to the mirror, he started to adjust his clothes.He put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, ensuring he looked perfect before smoothing his hair.Dropping his usual playful smile, he said, "Verna, to the study.""Yes, sir." Verna led Garland out.In the study, Garland sat behind the desk, trying out several poses before settling on a more relaxed one. Verna announced, "Sir, Mrs. Nichols Sr. is here.""Alright," Garland acknowledged. "Show her in."Verna opened the door, and Melody entered in a white dress. She carried herself with the grace of a noblewoman from a bygone era.Garland looked her over, impressed that she had maintained her appearance so well at her age.'Bert has good taste, though she doesn't look like my mother at all,' he thought. 'But why did rumors have it that my mother was her
Suppressing the swirl of emotions brewing inside, he asked, "You mean, Juan's ex-wife?""Yes, it's her. She has brought nothing but misfortune to my family, and I won't allow her to keep deceiving Juan and ruining everything," she said, her voice rising with agitation.Seeing her get so worked up, Garland advised her, "Take it easy, Mrs. Nichols Sr. This matter is tricky, and we need to think carefully.""I know," Melody sighed. "Marion has been a thorn in your side. He even sent Liza back by force. The grudges run deep between you and him. If you were to get rid of Debra, it would be justice for all the grief they've caused us."Garland nearly rolled his eyes. 'Justice? Easy for you to say.'He didn't know where she got the idea of a feud between Marion and them.He believed some brainless reporters had spun the story. Now he was more convinced that the media needed an overhaul.With that thought, he replied, "That will take time and careful planning. But if it's Juan you want
"Those things aside, you need to explain something to me. What's going on with your post?" Juan placed his phone in front of Garland.He had only just seen it while walking from the study to the hallway. Garland had managed to edit and post it in that short period. The post read: [Shocking: Ex-husband's Grandmother Travels Thousands of Miles to Kill Me.]Garland was lost for words. He had forgotten to set it private.Juan demanded, "Are you going to delete it, or should I?""I'll do it." Garland grabbed his phone and logged into his alternative account.He clicked open the post, only to find that it had garnered over 99 likes.He hesitated. "How about we don't delete it?"With so many likes, the news must have spread like wildfire among his gossip-hungry peers.He added, "No one knows who I'm talking about anyway."But as soon as his voice died away, several comments popped up under the post.Love2Fly: [Bro, are you referring to Melody Nichols as the grandmother?]JusticeS
She had known for a while that Melody was coming after her. That wasn't a well-kept secret. But seeing it plastered online and climbing the trending charts? That was a whole new level of absurdity."Let me see." Marion emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair.He leaned over, glanced at the phone, and nodded approvingly. "That's catchy.""I'm going to find out which genius published this." Debra's fingers flew over her phone, tracing the story back to its source. When the name of New Age popped up on her screen, she froze."New Age?" she murmured, remembering that it was Garland's news agency."Something wrong?" Marion asked.Debra blinked. "I spent 50 million dollars to buy that newspaper. So..." Her own company had just broken a report on her. That was the next level....In the study room, Garland was livid, yelling into his phone, "What were you thinking? Are you people brain-dead? Who let you publish that story? And then you dumped ad money into it too? Did you want t
Chapter 1"Get the defibrillator! Increase the voltage!""Doctor! The patient is experiencing massive bleeding, and the A-type blood from the blood bank was just urgently taken away."The intern nurse's hands were covered in blood, and she trembled.The operating room reeked of blood.She had never seen so much blood before.At that moment, a thought flashed through her mind.'Who would suddenly take away A-type blood from the blood bank?'The woman lying on the bed was pale. Her lips were dry, and her eyes started to lose focus. "Juan...""What?""Juan Nichols..."The intern nurse made out the name murmured by Debra Frazier.Juan Nichols was the most influential businessman in Seamar City.The doctor was on the verge of collapse. He dialed the wrong number three times before finally getting it right. He quickly pleaded with the person on the other end of the phone, "Mr. Nichols, your wife is experiencing massive bleeding, but the blood from the blood bank has been taken a
Chapter 2Juan also looked over.A red figure stood out in the crowd.Debra, clad in a burgundy dress, seemed to captivate hearts with every gesture. Cameras flashed at her like she was a reigning superstar walking the red carpet.'Debra?'Juan took a moment to recognize her.In the past, Debra preferred light makeup and plain dresses. This was the first time Juan had seen her like this.Seeing Debra for the first time, Shelia was filled with jealousy.Compared to the alluring Debra, she seemed too plain."Debra looks stunning."Shelia's tone carried a subtle envy.Debra spotted them and walked over.Shelia thought Debra, unaware of her relationship with Juan, would be surprised or awkward, but Debra was poised and smiling."Mrs. Nichols is here. Who's the lady beside Mr. Nichols?" whispered a reporter.Debra approached, linking her arm with Juan's, and extended a hand towards Shelia. "You must be Shelia mentioned by Juan. Nice to meet you! I'm Debra. You can call me Mrs.
She had known for a while that Melody was coming after her. That wasn't a well-kept secret. But seeing it plastered online and climbing the trending charts? That was a whole new level of absurdity."Let me see." Marion emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair.He leaned over, glanced at the phone, and nodded approvingly. "That's catchy.""I'm going to find out which genius published this." Debra's fingers flew over her phone, tracing the story back to its source. When the name of New Age popped up on her screen, she froze."New Age?" she murmured, remembering that it was Garland's news agency."Something wrong?" Marion asked.Debra blinked. "I spent 50 million dollars to buy that newspaper. So..." Her own company had just broken a report on her. That was the next level....In the study room, Garland was livid, yelling into his phone, "What were you thinking? Are you people brain-dead? Who let you publish that story? And then you dumped ad money into it too? Did you want t
"Those things aside, you need to explain something to me. What's going on with your post?" Juan placed his phone in front of Garland.He had only just seen it while walking from the study to the hallway. Garland had managed to edit and post it in that short period. The post read: [Shocking: Ex-husband's Grandmother Travels Thousands of Miles to Kill Me.]Garland was lost for words. He had forgotten to set it private.Juan demanded, "Are you going to delete it, or should I?""I'll do it." Garland grabbed his phone and logged into his alternative account.He clicked open the post, only to find that it had garnered over 99 likes.He hesitated. "How about we don't delete it?"With so many likes, the news must have spread like wildfire among his gossip-hungry peers.He added, "No one knows who I'm talking about anyway."But as soon as his voice died away, several comments popped up under the post.Love2Fly: [Bro, are you referring to Melody Nichols as the grandmother?]JusticeS
Suppressing the swirl of emotions brewing inside, he asked, "You mean, Juan's ex-wife?""Yes, it's her. She has brought nothing but misfortune to my family, and I won't allow her to keep deceiving Juan and ruining everything," she said, her voice rising with agitation.Seeing her get so worked up, Garland advised her, "Take it easy, Mrs. Nichols Sr. This matter is tricky, and we need to think carefully.""I know," Melody sighed. "Marion has been a thorn in your side. He even sent Liza back by force. The grudges run deep between you and him. If you were to get rid of Debra, it would be justice for all the grief they've caused us."Garland nearly rolled his eyes. 'Justice? Easy for you to say.'He didn't know where she got the idea of a feud between Marion and them.He believed some brainless reporters had spun the story. Now he was more convinced that the media needed an overhaul.With that thought, he replied, "That will take time and careful planning. But if it's Juan you want
Juan replied, "Just don't go too far."Garland straightened up. "Alright, let me handle this old..."Juan glanced at him, and he corrected himself. "I mean, Mrs. Nichols Sr."Turning to the mirror, he started to adjust his clothes.He put on a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, ensuring he looked perfect before smoothing his hair.Dropping his usual playful smile, he said, "Verna, to the study.""Yes, sir." Verna led Garland out.In the study, Garland sat behind the desk, trying out several poses before settling on a more relaxed one. Verna announced, "Sir, Mrs. Nichols Sr. is here.""Alright," Garland acknowledged. "Show her in."Verna opened the door, and Melody entered in a white dress. She carried herself with the grace of a noblewoman from a bygone era.Garland looked her over, impressed that she had maintained her appearance so well at her age.'Bert has good taste, though she doesn't look like my mother at all,' he thought. 'But why did rumors have it that my mother was her
The maid hesitated. "Mr. Fermin Eaton is often busy with company matters, so he's rarely home.""Is he home today?""Uh...""What? Don't tell me no one is at home."The maid stammered, "Mr. Fermin Eaton is home, but he's busy with work. He might not be able to see you right now."Melody insisted, "Is this how you treat your guests? Go tell Mr. Fermin Eaton that if he doesn't come to see me, I'll pack my things and leave immediately."Her tone left no room for negotiation. The maid could only nod and leave to deliver the message.In the bedroom, Garland was upside-down, reciting lines from economic textbooks.The maid opened the door and froze at the sight. "Mr. Fermin Eaton, you're doing this again."Garland's pained voice broke through. "Verna, perfect timing. A little help here."But not far off, Juan cut him off. "Ten more minutes. Hold it.""I can't. I'm about to collapse.""If you collapse, get back up and keep going.""This is brutal."Verna interjected, "Mr. Nichol
The cleaners were devastated, and Lara turned even paler.Drake sat on the sofa and said, "Why are you back here? What are you up to?""Boss, I'm sorry I messed up, but I swear, I didn't say anything," Lara pleaded."Is that so?" Drake scoffed. "I'd be a fool to believe you.""I'm telling the truth," Lara said. "They brought me back to get rid of me. You can't fall for their trap."Drake pondered her words. "Whose idea was it to send you back? Debra's or Marion's?""It was Mrs. Houston's idea," Lara replied.Drake nodded. "Well then, you can stay."The quick change in his attitude took Lara aback."Boss, isn't this a bit hasty?" Kale interjected."Do you think so?""Yes.""Then go to my office and print out a new contract for her. Sign it, stamp it, and then it won't be hasty anymore.""Boss...""Do it.""Yes, boss."Lara watched Kale leave, still in disbelief."Go upstairs. You don't need to clean.""Then what should I do?""Whatever you want. Can you order takeout?
Debra pulled Marion's hand away. "Alright, no more talk like that."Outside, the night deepened. Lara stood at the gates of the Lowe Mansion, hesitating to enter.The security guards spotted her. "Lara?"Lara froze in place. Her first instinct was to run away, but a glance toward the shadows revealed Marion's men watching her intently.Caught between flight and surrender, she noticed a black car slowly emerging from the gates. Her gaze drifted to the figure in the back seat, and she stopped cold.'Juan? What is he doing here?'Before she could make sense of it, Kale, who was escorting Juan out, noticed her presence.He demanded, "What are you doing back here?"Lara was startled and instinctively took a step back. Her face went pale as she stammered, "Mr. Mclean, it's Marion and Debra. They sent me back.""Sent you back?" Kale was skeptical. "Come inside.""Okay." Lara paused and explained urgently, "I didn't tell them anything. They brought me back and left."Kale didn't eve
"Silly," Debra murmured, reaching up to pinch Marion's cheek. "Why do you have a beard now?"Marion took her hand in his. "Who do you think has been standing guard outside the Lowe Mansion all this time?""You haven't left at all?""Not even for a moment.""What about bathroom breaks?""I have my ways."Debra chuckled and nestled into his arms, feeling exhausted. "Now I know why I've been sleeping so well these past few days. It's because you've been watching over me."Her soft hair brushed against his chest, tickling him.His throat bobbed, his voice growing husky. "Since I've been so good, don't I deserve a reward?""Yes, you do." Debra paused. "But you men suggested killing people and smashing cameras. Don't you think... Ah, put me down."Marion simply scooped her up and carried her inside."Marion!" Debra protested, her cheeks flushing.He set her down on the sofa, looking at her with a soft smile. "No fuss. I'll go run you a hot bath.""Bedtime prep?" Debra quipped.
"But there's one thing I know. Drake kept me around as a backup for Yvonne. If something ever happened to her, I was supposed to step into her role and take over her duties," Lara said, looking at Debra. "It wasn't just Yvonne's beauty that drew those CEOs to her. What they really wanted was the thrill of sleeping with the Sharp family's daughter and Drake's fiancée. After all, on the surface, the Sharp and Lowe families were untouchable, but behind the scenes, those men were feeding their egos by having someone so far out of reach."Her voice dropped, her shame evident. "Honestly, I thought if I could take over Yvonne's position, I'd find a way to gather evidence against those people and expose Drake's crimes. But instead of putting me in Yvonne's place, he just dropped the Sharp family altogether."Debra folded her arms. "He didn't let you take over because he'd already decided to align with the Eaton family. Looks like you were just unlucky."Lara's lips trembled, her frustration