"Opportunity?" Drake scoffed. "I don't think so."He had been played like a fool. The machines made by his company had been shipped without him knowing. It was all a ruse for him to become a scapegoat.He was determined to settle this, no matter what."Get ready, Kale. We're going to Seamar City.""Seamar City?""Yes. To settle the score with those sneaky bastards."Late that night, Juan returned home. Unattended for a couple of days, the house was now thick with dust. He flicked on the lights, and a foul odor wafted down from upstairs.Covering his nose and mouth, he ascended the stairs. As he opened the master bedroom door, a putrid stench hit him like a wall. His eyes flashed with disgust as he took in the scene before him.On the bed lay Shelia, emaciated and barely recognizable. Her hair was dry and yellowed, her body skeletal, and her eyes sunken deep into their sockets. Her lips were cracked, and her body reeked of decay."Help me," she rasped, each word an effort."St
Inside the arcade, Garland strode up to the counter to exchange tokens.The cashier's eyes flickered to the stack of cash and the deck of credit cards. Then she couldn't help but steal a glance at the casually dressed man."Here are your tokens, sir."Garland grabbed the four large buckets of game tokens, handing two over to Debra. With deliberate emphasis, he raised his voice. "It's my treat today. Have fun!""Thank you, Mr. Eaton," Debra replied, stressing her tone.As they wandered over to one of the fishing machines, Garland leaned in and whispered, "Are you sure this will work?""Yeah," Debra whispered back. "Do you see anyone else in this arcade who would blow five thousand dollars on tokens without blinking? They'd be fools if they didn't take the bait.""But why does it have to be me footing the bill?""Because I didn't bring any money.""What?""Besides, what kind of men would make the ladies pay at places like this? These people are drawn to rich male customers. Don
Garland trailed behind Debra, looking more like a reluctant son dragged along by his mother than a boyfriend on a date.Debra glanced at him, recalling how confident he used to be at the Eaton Mansion. But in Seamar City, he seemed timid, barely holding his head up.Garland cleared his throat and asked, "What's that over there?"The employee leading the way explained, "Those machines in the back aren't meant for the public. Unlike the ones out here that dispense toys, they can pay out real money. Much more exciting than any fishing game, right?"Garland whispered, "But I heard these kinds of games are banned.""Well, we're playing it low-key. I wouldn't tell just anyone.""Oh, so you work here, huh?""Yeah, I help the boss bring in customers.""So, these machines pay out cash on the spot?""Yeah.""Your boss must be quite the businessman. I'm in business too, and this seems like a very profitable industry. Think you could hook me up sometime?""I'll have to ask the boss. If
Garland recognized Liza's voice and darted over.Debra followed closely behind. As they entered, they saw Liza being approached by a group of sleazy middle-aged men.Liza stood out like a beacon in her blue-and-white plaid skirt, the schoolgirl aesthetic clashing sharply with her golden curls that tumbled down her back. She looked every bit like the spoiled princess from a wealthy family. She was utterly out of place.Debra groaned inwardly, 'Dressing so conspicuously in a place like this is practically an invitation for trouble. Forget the low-key investigation.'"Get lost!" Garland's voice boomed as he reached Liza.Liza spun around, fury flashing in her eyes. "They got their hands on me. Chop off their hands. Feed them to the dogs."But Garland froze mid-breath, whatever fiery remarks he'd prepared dying in his throat. He noticed how the men's expressions shifted from slimy to menacing.Liza's threats might have worked overseas, but in Seamar City, such bold words were a sure
The arcade was filled with the sounds of scuffling, panicked cries, and the dull thuds of bodies hitting the floor.The leader of the gang was now pinned to the ground. "Mercy!"He managed to crane his neck and finally got a good look at Marion's face. "Mr. Houston? Please, have mercy, Mr. Houston."Marion nudged the man's face with the toe of his boot."West Dock?""Yes, sir. We're from West Dock.""Which hand of yours touched my wife?""Your wife?"The leader of the gang paled when he saw Marion embracing Debra.He stammered, "No, I didn't get to..."Before he could finish, he felt a sharp glance cut through him.Marion ordered, "Take him away and slap him until he can't speak.""Yes, sir." His men swiftly dragged the man away.Debra pointed to the punk who had just harassed Liza. "Bring him here and let Miss Eaton deal with him.""Yes, ma'am." Marion's men brought the punk before Liza.Debra smiled, "Miss Eaton, didn't you say you wanted to chop off his hand? I have a
As Garland scrambled to come up with an excuse, one of Marion's subordinates entered the room at a brisk pace.Upon seeing Debra, he hesitated for a moment and awkwardly moved closer to Marion."Sir...""There are no outsiders here. Speak."He snapped to attention and reported, "The Nichols Mansion caught fire. The entire place is burned to the ground."The room fell into stunned silence at the news. Marion shot a cold, calculating glance at the man, who immediately felt a chill crawl down his spine.With the tension thick in the air, Garland was the first to break the silence.He exclaimed and gestured dramatically, "The Nichols Mansion on fire? This is big. Juan was Mrs. Houston's ex-husband, right? I need to look into it and help clean up the remains if needed."The room went quiet again. Liza glared at him. "Seriously? Of all the things you could say, you chose that?"It wasn't a secret that the Nichols family and the Frazier family were on bad terms. The scandal of Juan's
Marion's men rounded up all the customers from the back rooms and brought them forward."Take them to the police station. Have Mr. Hardy interrogate them thoroughly," Marion ordered."Yes, sir."Watching batch after batch of customers being led away, Marion turned his attention to the staff pinned to the ground. "Are you going to talk, or do I need to make you?""I'll talk," one of them blurted out, lifting his head. "Sir, some of us dockworkers just wanted to make extra money. Someone said businessmen were investing in arcade centers. All we had to do was pay a franchise fee, and we could run our own business. The setup and machines were all taken care of. But there was a rule. Only locals with connections could join."Marion's eyes narrowed. "Connections? You mean my people?""Not just yours," the man stammered. "The Potter family, the Osborne family, the Mathis family, and even the Frazier family. Any of them would do."Debra felt a chill run down her spine. This was designed
Debra reached out to take his hand.On the surface, Marion acted as though nothing fazed him. But deep down, he was far more vulnerable than he let on.The employees they had just dealt with were likely people who had worked loyally by his side for years.The enemy's methods were insidious, aiming to force them to destroy their own foundation piece by piece."I'm fine," Marion murmured, squeezing her hand. "Let's go check the back room."Debra nodded and followed him.Burnt-out stubs littered the floor, and the faint haze of smoke still hung in the air. Rows of gambling machines lined up along the walls.She recognized them immediately. She'd seen machines like these back in Orkgate. She remembered the day Drake had shown her a vacant lot under construction, boasting about his plans to create a playground of sin.Her lips tightened, and she broke the silence. "Drake must have a part in this."Nothing moved in or out of Orkgate without his approval.With a flick of his hand, M
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