"Debra!" Drake growled. "I came to track down the guy who set me up. Give me back the key.""Oh, come on. Are you seriously trying to tell me that someone managed to smuggle out thousands of machines under your nose and set you up? No kidding. You're the CEO of Lowe Group, infamous for your ruthless control. Who'd dare cross you?"Drake huffed, "Ruthless control? Where'd you get that idea? Sure, the reputation precedes me, but that doesn't mean no one dares pull tricks under my nose."Debra dug at her ear, unbothered by his outburst. "You mean, this whole thing has nothing to do with you? Alright, I believe you, and so does Marion. But how are you going to convince others? After all, you were caught at the docks for transporting over 100 machines. Only Kale and you were found at the scene. How could anyone not suspect you?""I told you. It was a setup.""And who was it?""I had the guy in control, but as soon as the police showed up, he escaped."His explanation sounded weak, ev
Debra and Pedro waited outside the police station.Debra had her arms crossed, not happy that Drake asked everyone else to get out.She believed the two men were hiding something from her.A moment later, Marion came out, followed by Drake.Drake shook the cuffs. "Take them off."Marion turned to Pedro. "Uncuff him.""But the key is..." Pedro glanced at Drake."Oh, the key is with me," Debra said, handing it to Pedro.Once he was uncuffed, Drake simply walked away.Debra pointed at him. "He's just leaving like that?""Let him go," Marion said, leading her into the car.Debra couldn't help but ask, "What did you two talk about?""Some stuff between men," Marion said, making a shushing gesture."Are you just hiding it from me?" Debra pouted.Marion chuckled, "Drake isn't the mastermind behind all this. I knew that already. He's not smart enough to pull off something this big. He just told me some secrets about the Lowe Group.""What secrets?" Debra's curiosity was piqued.
"Please, don't get me into this," Randy pleaded."I don't want to die," Erica echoed. "I'm still young."Debra peeked out. "Excuse me, is K that terrifying?"Randy and Erica nodded vigorously. When they realized plugging their ears wasn't helping, they finally put their hands down.Erica said, "Listen. Whatever this is about, let them handle it. As for K's identity, we have no idea.""And we're not curious about it," Randy echoed.Debra studied their expressions. "But you look curious."Marion chimed in, "We don't know K's identity, but Drake has been secretly working for K's organization all along. We couldn't find anything because they've been hiding their tracks."Randy frowned. "Hiding? How? Every listed company needs a business license and detailed records. All their information should be online."Debra explained, "When Marion mentioned hiding, he meant their identity was concealed. The company wouldn't be called 'K Group' out in the open. It's probably a conglomerate tha
Garland and Liza were brought to the Potter Mansion. They were both bewildered as they were pushed down onto the sofa.Randy and Erica leaned in, eyeing them with a mix of caution and suspicion."Why are you looking at me like that?" Liza huffed.Garland fidgeted. "Is something wrong?""Suspicious, very suspicious," Randy muttered, stroking his chin. "The son and daughter of the Eaton family are both here. Are you planning something big in Seamar City?"Erica chimed in, "I've heard Fermin Eaton is a big shot overseas. He's top-notch in every way and has a reputation for being decisive. How could someone like that wear cartoon pajamas?"Garland was wearing SpongeBob pajamas. He retorted, "I was sleeping when you brought me here. What's wrong with my clothes? These are limited editions. You can't even buy them."He stopped mid-sentence, sensing everyone's gaze on him.Randy asked, "We're curious. You and your sister didn't come to Seamar City just for sightseeing, right?"Before
Garland and Liza were dragged to the guest rooms on the third floor."Give me a minute. Your rooms will be ready soon," Erica said cheerfully, rushing to arrange things.Liza, dressed in her pajamas, glanced at Garland. "Are they holding us hostage here?""I'm not sure," Garland replied, glancing at Erica and Randy, who were enthusiastically directing the maids to clean up the rooms. "Probably not. They seem pretty friendly."Downstairs, Debra asked Marion, "Do you think the Eaton family is connected to K?""I'm not sure about the Eaton family," he replied, handing her a peeled orange slice. "But Garland and Liza? Definitely not."Debra took the orange and popped it into her mouth. "I don't know. It just feels strange that they came to Seamar City at a time like this. Garland, in particular, is acting like a different person from before.""Don't worry too much," Marion reassured her. "Now that they're here, Randy and Erica will keep tabs on them. Their every move will be under o
Joe never thought Juan would be so heartless.When they found Shelia's body, they figured out the details. Shelia was killed by a bullet rather than fire.It didn't take a genius to figure out that Juan was behind it.Even so, Shelia was still Juan's wife before she died. If her funeral wasn't properly arranged, it would raise suspicions and wouldn't be good for the Nichols family or Juan."Joe, should we listen to Mr. Nichols?" asked one of the guards.Joe thought for a moment. "Let's go back and consult Mrs. Nichols Sr."At the old house of the Nichols family, Melody listened to Joe's report and frowned. "Juan is being foolish. So are you? No matter what, Shelia was his wife. Even if they divorced after her death, the funeral must be grand. Make the arrangements.""Yes, Mrs. Nichols Sr."After Joe left, Melody asked Sophie to bring her a mirror. She looked at her aged, weary reflection and felt a bit down.She was no longer young and beautiful. That explained Bert's disinter
At the Potter Mansion, Debra watched the news coverage of Shelia's funeral on the TV.She glanced at Andrew and said, "Come on. Is this really necessary?"The volume was so loud it seemed like he had cranked it up just for her. She didn't know before that Andrew was so into gossip."Sorry, I just turned it on randomly," Andrew replied, deliberately turning the volume further up.The corner of Debra's lips twitched. "Is there something you want to say?""Strangely, Juan is not at the funeral," he replied, rewinding the footage a few times.Melody and others were present, but Juan was nowhere to be seen.Andrew added, "His wife's dead, and he doesn't even show up. Could the rumors be true? Did he kill her?""What are you talking about?" Debra was puzzled.Andrew turned to her and said, "You haven't heard? Maybe I shouldn't say more."Debra didn't buy his act. "Didn't you say that just for me to hear? Why don't you go ahead and tell me what is going on?"Andrew leaned back and
"Thank you for your kind offer, but I don't think it's necessary," Debra sighed, setting her glass down. "Honestly, whether the Nichols family stays intact or not doesn't matter much to me."She got up and headed toward the door.Andrew called after her, "I thought you weren't interested in the funeral.""I'll just take a look." Debra grabbed a mask and slipped it on.The funeral for Shelia was grand, and she could blend into the crowd easily.Andrew turned to Barton. "Give her my invitation.""Yes, sir." Barton pulled the funeral invitation from his pocket and handed it to Debra.She glanced at it and raised an eyebrow. "Now you can't deny you've planned this."Clearly, Andrew had been waiting for this moment.Without another word, Debra turned and left the house.Barton spoke. "Sir, it seems Mrs. Houston doesn't want to spread the rumors.""We'll help her," Andrew said.He had anticipated Debra's disinterest in such things. She wasn't the type to harm others. She always t
For a moment, the castle fell silent after the gunshot. Then, more shots rang out, each one chipping away at the crowd's composure.A man, trembling, slowly raised his hands and stood up. "I'm a member of the Illuminati."Others scrambled to follow. "Me too."Within moments, nearly 70 to 80 percent of the people in the room were on their feet.The ones who stayed seated were mostly the "merchandise"—people the Illuminati had prepared. They quickly stood as well."Mr. Houston, have mercy," one of them begged. "We were just hired. We don't even know who's in charge."The men and women, who had been laughing and flirting with the wealthy elites, were now shaking in fear.Barely covered, they huddled together, terrified that Marion would kill them.Marion leaned back in his chair, glancing at the crowd. "Words don't count. Prove it."His men raised their rifles, aiming at the heads of the so-called members."I have proof," said one of them, pulling out a badge. "Here. Look. This
The Illuminati lackeys, totaling 30, were all dead now.Their bodies lined up neatly in a row.Marion took off his mask and casually tossed it into the corner. The guests recognized him and froze in place.Everyone there had heard of his infamous name. But they never thought he'd be bold enough to do a massacre.One of his men placed a chair behind him, but Marion didn't sit. Instead, he slowly stepped forward and casually removed the mask of a plump man.He smirked, When he saw the man's face, Marion smiled in a way that was hard to describe. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Pearson.""M-Mr. Houston..." Harvey Pearson sweated nervously.Marion casually asked, "Does your wife know you're here?" "We're just here to have some fun, Mr. Houston. We haven't done anything to offend you. We wouldn't dare."Marion ignored him, turning to rip off more masks."Mr. Glenn, Mr. Stokes, Mr. Salazar..." he muttered, raising his hand.At the signal, his men removed the masks of the remaining guest
The moment the gunshot rang out, Debra felt a gust of wind rush past her ear, followed by a ringing in her ears. It felt like the whole world went silent.In the nick of time, Marion had appeared and twisted the guard's neck. Then the bullet missed its target.Marion was dressed in a suit and a black mask, like many others did. Still, Debra recognized him at a glance."Let's go," he urged.With the alarm set off, all the guards would be gathering on the second floor in less than two minutes.The two of them rushed downstairs and quickly blended in with the chaotic guests.Unfortunately, the exit had been shut, and guards were closing in on them from every direction.Debra, who had inhaled too much of the gas, was already delirious.Her mind was foggy, and her legs felt as though they were floating. She focused on Marion's hand gripping hers, and memories of someone else holding her hand flooded her mind.The memory was blurry, like a dream, and the figure of the young man in t
It was the symbol of the Illuminati.A man's voice echoed through the castle."Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Kingdom Come. Here, you can fulfill your every craving."The atmosphere in the room seemed to get even hotter because of it, but the voice rang a bell to Debra, whose cheeks were starting to burn.Back in Orkgate, the scent released by Drake's men wasn't this strong.The people around her seemed hypnotized. Many had abandoned their dignity and danced wildly in the ballroom.The gamblers were all in deep, their faces flushed with excitement. Meanwhile, the women on sale started using every trick they could to satisfy the buyers.The male pets were even openly draped around the rich women, their hands roaming all over their bodies.Debra felt sick just watching it from the corner. She looked around, trying to find Marion.Without success, she focused on tracing the source of that earlier voice. She looked up at the second floor, but there wasn't a single soul.She was
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