Debra remembered the ring she had taken from Melody's hidden stash. At the time, she had noticed the ring was valuable but hadn't thought much deeper about it. Now there might be a connection to it. Erica said, "That gemstone is valuable. It could be an heirloom of the Potter family. You should ask Jordan about it. Find out where it came from."Debra shook her head. "I want to, but all of Jordan's accounts have been deactivated. No one can get in touch with him now."'Except for Andrew.' The thought of him made her feel regretful. He hadn't stayed to celebrate the wedding."By the way, where is Andrew's gift?" Erica asked, looking at Randy and Garland.They had been receiving gifts that day.Garland pointed to a folder nearby. "These are gifts, right? I thought it was just a list of dowry items.""What? You looked through them?""No. But the stack of papers was thick. I could tell just by touching it."Garland grabbed the folder and handed it to Debra.Debra felt the con
Debra didn't understand why Andrew gave her such valuable gifts. They were too much as wedding gifts.The next morning, they were sprawled out on the bed in different positions. Garland and Randy were sound asleep on the nearby sofa.The first light of dawn shone on Debra's eyes. She woke up groggily and saw the bed covered in opened gifts. Erica and Liza were lying next to her.She remembered that they had spent the night opening gifts and eventually fell asleep from exhaustion."Marion?" She looked around but only saw Marion's jacket draped over her.An attendant knocked on the door, the noise waking up the others in the room.Randy jumped up from the sofa. "I'm done opening gifts. No more."Erica rubbed her eyes and got up from the bed. "What are you shouting for early in the morning?"Debra spoke toward the door. "Come in."The attendant entered, followed by a staff member pushing a food cart."Madam, we're bringing you breakfast per Mr. Houston's orders.""Breakfast? Wh
Marion glanced at his trembling arm, wracked with pain. The blood trickling from his wound had turned black."Marion, tell your woman to behave herself," Robert said, his tone eerily calm. "If she keeps going against Theda, I'll kill her."The poison began to paralyze Marion's nerves."Or," Robert continued, "I could deal with you now, then take care of her and her friends. It'd save me a lot of trouble."Marion's eyes darkened. He tried to push himself off the ground, but the venom coursing through him forced a mouthful of blood to spill from his lips.Robert strode toward him, the blade in his hand glinting coldly."Hold it!" Drake called out. "You told me you wanted to talk to Marion. I gave you the chance. But killing him here? That's a mess I don't need.""That's your problem," Robert replied flatly. "I'm here to kill, not worry about your headaches."He glanced down at Marion, who was barely holding himself up. "Don't worry. Your friends and your woman will be joining you
The bodyguards grabbed Robert, who had been stabbed in the lower abdomen.Erica intended to hit him again, but Debra quickly shouted, "Randy, call an ambulance.""On it." Randy dialed the emergency number right away.Debra glanced at Drake, who looked troubled. "Marion got injured at your place. I demand an explanation."Drake knew she misunderstood, but he was unwilling to bow his head. "I've always wanted to kill Marion. I did this. Come for an explanation anytime you want.""Boss..." Kale tried to intervene."Shut up!" Drake snapped. "You can take Marion away. We'll settle this score another day."He turned and left with Kale.Debra didn't have time to deal with Drake. She looked down at the unconscious Marion, feeling anxious. This was the first time she had seen him so badly injured.Outside, Kale couldn't help but ask, "Boss, this has nothing to do with you. Why did you take the blame?""She already thinks I'm involved," Drake replied. "It doesn't matter if I admit it o
Debra booted open the door to the hotel room and stepped in with several bodyguards.Robert had been handcuffed and was tied to a chair. The blood was oozing from his injury which was inflicted on him by Erica.A guard went over and applied a basic bandage to him. Debra walked over and pressed her finger onto his wound.Sweat instantly broke out on Robert's face, and his lips lost all color."I'm not a complicated person. The only thing I'm good at is protecting my own," Debra said coldly. "Marion is in the operating room right now, fighting for his life. I'm going to make you feel the same pain he's going through."She signaled for the cart to be pushed over. The breakfast Robert had sent to them earlier was now laid out.Debra picked up a cup of coffee, walked over to him, and pinched his nose. She poured the entire cup into his mouth in one go.Robert's shirt was soaked, his whole appearance a mess. Yet he remained expressionless, as if he was incapable of feeling anything.
"Robert Fitchett," Robert confessed, swallowing his pride.Debra nodded. "Okay. Robert, were you working for Shawn, just like Marion and the others?""Wouldn't it be better if you asked him directly?""Why did you want to kill Marion?""You made it difficult for Theda.""Is that the reason?" Debra raised an eyebrow. "Well, you care about her so much."Robert looked away and said, "She is the best woman I've ever met.""I'm not interested in your love story. I need you to explain why you risked your life to try and kill Marion.""You don't know?" Robert sneered. "Marion has been thrashing the Buchan Group. He wanted to clear obstacles for you, and you're telling me you didn't know?"Debra frowned. "When did this happen?""Since the day you handed the share transfer papers to Theda," Robert explained. "The Buchan family has been getting crushed. Are you telling me you didn't know Marion was after the shares? If Theda didn't hand them over, he would've hit her family hard. Her s
"Oh, I don't have a habit of poisoning people," Debra said. "Those you just ate were poison-free. But I did add a bit of sleeping pills. You might sleep for eight or nine hours."She paused and added, "Oh, by then, you'll probably be shipped back to Seamar City in a container. I'll contact Ms. Buchan to pick you up. Hope everything goes well for you back there."She didn't mean a word of it. If Robert was sent back like this, Theda would be furious."You..." Robert tried to say something, but his eyelids grew heavy, and his vision blurred.The next second, he collapsed on the floor. Debra looked back at him and said, "Oh, I forgot to mention that besides the sleeping pill, I also added a bit of knockout drug. You'll sleep well and won't feel a thing on the way."Outside the hotel, a bodyguard opened the car door for her."Ma'am, are we going back to the hospital?""To the Lowe Mansion."...Drake was throwing darts in his study, feeling restless."Boss, Debra is here," Kale a
Drake shifted uncomfortably. "Are you interrogating me?""How could I?" Debra replied innocently. "But you know, the people I brought today were trained by Caleb. He hasn't left Orkgate yet, and knowing his temper, if he finds out Marion was hurt, he won't let you off.""Am I supposed to be afraid of him?" Drake snorted."That's why I'm trying to have a calm conversation with you," Debra said nonchalantly, resting her chin in her hand.Drake fidgeted, finally cracking. "Theda wants to work with me.""On what?""That's not important. I haven't agreed. I turned down Robert, and he said he wanted to meet Marion. You know, Marion threw him into the sea years ago. Robert wanted his revenge, and I just brought them together.""How did he even survive in the sea?""I've no idea. The world is full of surprises. Let's just say Robert had good luck.""Good luck?" Debra laughed. "That's an ocean. If you were thrown in, I doubt you'd survive. If Marion really wanted him dead, he would hav
Night settled in deep.Debra and the crew were still waiting for Michael's reply."Still nothing? They don't buy it, do they?" Erica paced, antsy."Give it time. They'll bite," Debra said, clutching her phone.She had promised Kale she would bring Drake back. No breaking that.A text finally pinged her phone. It was Michael.Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Like Debra said, the Illuminati couldn't rule out her having the real stone.If theirs was fake, Michael and his crew couldn't afford the fallout."Marion, it's on you now," Debra said.The Houston family had military muscle on tap. The Potter family owned elite guards and intel. Erica and Randy were solid backups.But this meeting? Debra had to go herself."Does it have to be now? Maybe wait till you're healed?" Erica said.Debra shook her head. "Drake is at risk every day he's with them. I can't take that chance. Just like they can't risk us holding the stone.""She's right," Randy jumped in. "Drag this out, and who
"What're you looking at?" Lara asked, stepping out and spotting Michael by the window."Debra says the stone Drake gave us is fake," he replied."What? No way." Drake shot up from his seat."Are you messing with us?" Lara's sharp gaze landed on him."No. Debra's talking nonsense," Drake insisted."We'll see," Michael said, unruffled.Debra was offering the stone on the condition of meeting with their leader. It fit her style."She thinks she can just waltz in and see our master?" Lara sneered."The stone's a big deal to him. I bet he'll agree," Michael replied, shutting his phone."Don't tell me you're sweet on Debra," she hissed. "You keep letting her off. Don't wanna kill her, huh?""Unlike you, I don't get off on killing," he countered. "If she's not in my way, why bother? You're out there slaughtering, just making enemies for the Illuminati. You're venting rather than serving.""You don't get it. I'm building fear for the Illuminati," she justified herself. "They need to
Oscar set down the receiver and threw his hands up. "I'm not resisting. Don't spook my staff," he said.Chace tried to step in, but Oscar's look stopped him.This incident was major. Almost half of Flesta's people had fallen victim.Everyone at the company, Chace included, got hauled in for questioning. As the head, Oscar was the main target.The line went dead, and Debra's heart sank."Those bastards," Randy cursed, "hitting us on both sides. No wonder the Illuminati has been quiet. They have been gunning for our partners.""They're smart," Debra said. "Can't take us head-on, so they go after our allies. They want everyone to see partnering with us as a dead end. If we let this slide, we're doomed eventually.""What should we do?" Erica stomped, fuming. "We just sit here and watch them pick off our friends one by one?""They're showing us what happens if we cross them. They want us to bow. The only way out is to flip the script and strike first.""Strike first? What does th
Seeing Debra's worried look, Marion said, "You should just focus on healing and leave the rest to us. We might not match the Illuminati, but they won't mess with us randomly here in Seamar City."The Four Great Families had ruled Seamar City for a century. Although the former heads had faded, the new generation was sharper and stronger. They could hold off the Illuminati's push.Debra's phone rang. It was Oscar calling."You free? I've got something to tell you," he said.Debra put it on the speaker. No one could guess the aim of his call.In Flesta, the Odom family's business was booming again. He should have been busy with work."What's up?" she asked."There's big trouble in Flesta," he replied. "We didn't want to bug you, but it's spiraling out of control. We're out of moves.""What happened?" She had a bad feeling.Oscar paused. "A new drug has popped up in Flesta. Tons of our staff got hooked, just like regular folks. The police are on it now. We checked our products and
Debra stared at the pendant.What had happened yesterday came flooding back.Kale was gone, and the fact hit her hard."It's my fault," she said in agony. "If he hadn't gone with me, he would have been alive.""Everyone makes their calls," Marion soothed her. "If there's blame, it's on the Illuminati. I was terrified, almost losing you.""I felt like you were nearby, so I wasn't afraid," she said, leaning into him. "They'll pay for hurting Drake and killing Kale. I'll make sure of it.""No matter what happens, we're in this together," he said.Exhaustion took over. She closed her eyes and drifted off.When she woke up, it was already noon the next day. Her injury kept her from moving much.Everyone gathered outside her bedroom. William came in to check on her."You're fine. Just change the dressings on time," he said, packing up his kit. "You guys can come in now."Debra adjusted her clothes and leaned against the headboard. "Sorry to trouble you.""We're in this together,"
William left quickly.Marion got up to lock the door and returned to the bedside.Sitting back into the chair, he switched on a dim lamp, making sure Debra would see him first thing if she woke up."Brother..." Debra mumbled.Marion leaned in. "I'm here."Her murmurs stopped, but her hands shot up, grasping at the air. "It's so dark. Save me."He grabbed her flailing hands right away. "Don't be scared. I'm right here."But she didn't calm down. She clutched his hand, her nails scratching at his skin. "Brother, save me," she murmured, feeling like she was trapped in a pitch-black hold.Cold seawater seemed to swallow her whole. The biting chill seeped into every crack of her body. The stench of the ocean made her gag.The water was up to her chin. She stood on tiptoes, desperate for a breath in that tiny space."Save me." Her eyes flew open.Familiar surroundings came into view. Her pupils darted until they landed on Marion. Her racing heart finally slowed."Marion?" Her v
Not long after, Marion came out with Debra.William nudged Erica and Randy. "Told you it would be soon.""How's she out here fresh after surgery?" Erica gawked.Debra was supposed to recover in the hospital, but seeing her unconscious form on the stretcher, Erica figured he had his reasons."Let's go back," Jordan chimed in. "The Potter Mansion's got a top-notch medical team. If we need gear, I'll grab it.""Yeah, hospitals suck anyway," Randy said. "Let's head back. It's freezing out here."They'd planned to grab food and head in, but Erica had made them wait so Marion could have more time with Debra. Now they were all sniffling."I'm... Achoo." William sneezed again, then bolted for the car. "I'm out of there. It's freaking cold."He had treated so many patients, but this was the first time he had fallen ill.Debra, still out cold, was loaded into the back. Marion stayed close, tending to her.By the time they reached the Potter Mansion, it was the middle of the night.Wil
William rubbed his eyes in disbelief.They had taken the emergency lane to the hospital, but Marion and the others arrived right behind their heels after going through a battle."We floored it. That's not the point," Erica replied.Marion and Jordan were already striding into the hospital.Randy grabbed Erica's arm. "Come on. Let's go.""Huh? William is still here." She was puzzled.Inside, the operating room's red light glowed.Marion arrived first. The hospital director greeted him, saying, "Mrs. Houston is in surgery now. Our top doctors have assessed her. The wound's been handled perfectly, and she is out of danger."Marion's face softened a bit. Erica heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank God. She's fine now."They'd been terrified seeing Debra collapse in a pool of blood."You're wiped out. Why don't you rest a bit?" Erica said, turning to Marion."I'll wait here," he replied, his eyes glued to the red light.Until it turned green, he couldn't rest his mind at ease."Well
Michael raised an eyebrow. "My plan never included you. Does our master know you snuck here from Orkgate? And you've got the nerve to question me?"Lara glared at him, her body aching from the burns. Her face twisted with anger."Take Miss Sharp back for treatment. It will take two hours to get back, so she'll have to tough it out," Michael ordered, unfazed.Before leaving with his crew, he lamented sanctimoniously, "Such a shame, ruining a pretty face like that."Lara clenched her fists, incandescent with rage....In the ambulance, Debra coughed up another mouthful of blood. It splattered right onto William's white coat."Aw." William almost griped about the mess, holding back only at the sight of her bad condition.He had to save her, no matter what. It was a promise he'd made to Andrew.He didn't even want to think about what would happen to him if Debra didn't make it today."Maybe another shot of painkiller? We've gotta get that bullet out fast," a medic suggested."Yo