Liza and Garland rushed to the airport.Debra couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Bert's sudden illness. The last time they met, he was in perfect health."Hey, stop poking at your food. It's becoming mushy," Drake grumbled across from her.Debra snapped back to reality, realizing she had poked several holes into her food.Marion picked up dishes for her and countered without looking up. "Just eat your food."Kale rushed in from outside and reported, "Boss, we found an underground passage at the Jovial Hotel. We followed it and found that it led to a church.""A church?""Yes, a big church on Hailstone Road. The priest there holds sermons during the day.""What kind of sermons?""I'm not sure."Debra frowned. "The atmosphere last night was creepy. Those people wore masks, and it felt like a cult. Like some kind of ritual, and we were the sacrifices."She recalled the events and continued, "Cathryn said she spent all her fortune on the setup. I don't think her m
Outside a church, Drake leaned against his car, lighting a cigarette.By the time he finished smoking, Kale had sealed off the church with his team."Anything?" Drake asked.Kale gestured for his men to bring over a few boxes. Inside lay black cloaks and white masks resembling those from European theater."Nothing else?""No."Drake picked up a mask and turned to Debra, who was sitting in the car. "Is this it?"Debra looked at it and nodded. "That's the one.""Pack them up and take them away.""Your one-swoop takedowns are pretty polished.""It's passable.""That wasn't a compliment."Drake had brought her there so early in the morning. She had thought there was some urgent matter, but it was just sealing off the church."If you shut the church down, how will we catch them in the net?""I've taken control of the Jovial Hotel. Do you think they'd still come back?""Makes sense. So, you do use your brain occasionally.""Of course.""Then what's the point of sealing this
Ivan opened the car door for Debra, and she got out.Kale came back after handling things. "Boss, did Debra and Marion just leave like that?""What else? Should I have kept them for lunch? I owe them nothing," Drake said irritably. "Drive! Back home.""Understood." Kale got in the car, fastened his seatbelt, and handed Drake a bank card. "Debra found me this morning and asked me to give you this."Drake took the card and looked at it. "What's this? The accommodation fees?""Seems like it.""She's not that clueless after all."However, when he checked the balance, his smile faded. There was only 7,698.6 dollars left.'Really? It's got both the whole and the decimal. Debra wouldn't let herself lose out even a little,' he grumbled inwardly."Get some people to investigate the Trennery family. Have Grover under watch.""Debra has taken Ivan to Seamar City. He didn't do anything unusual the night before. Is there still a need to act?""My gut tells me something's off with them."
Half an hour later, Debra looked at the financial reports in her hands.She was amazed. "Not only did we not lose, but we made a profit? That's impressive, Randy.""Really?" Erica leaned in for a look. "Must be owed to the strategies you made.""That's not it," Randy argued. "The profits are owed to Andrew. You know, since Debra left, Theda has been attacking us like crazy. There is no way I could handle it. Andrew sorted it all out."Intrigued, Debra asked. "How did he handle it?""Who knows? Maybe charm or trick." Randy shrugged."Come on. You think Andrew's like you?" Erica swatted his neck. "Use your brain sometimes. Of course, Andrew tapped into his business savvy and connections.""Ouch! I was just kidding." Randy pouted.Debra asked again, "Has he been at home these past few days?""Yeah. Where else would he be?" Randy replied. "He rarely leaves the house since he was born. This time, he flew all the way to Orkgate for your wedding. That's really something."He paused
"Alright then," Debra said. "I'll leave Ivan with you for the night. I'll come pick him up tomorrow.""Sure. Wait! What?" Randy snapped back in time.His expression twisted in disbelief, and he protested, "That doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, he's..."He was afraid this spy might hurt them.Debra reasoned, "That's why he needs to be kept close. Well, if it's inconvenient for you, you can drop him at the Potter Mansion. Andrew knows how to handle people like him.""Sounds like a plan." Erica nodded, patting Randy on the shoulder. "Stop standing there like a statue. Get to work."Randy scowled, muttering under his breath, "Why is it always me dealing with this stuff? Babysitting a teenager? Come on."As Debra and Marion turned to leave, Ivan instinctively followed.Randy called out, "Hey, wait up."Ivan stopped in his tracks and turned back. "Mr. Osborne, is there something you need?""You're not leaving with them tonight. You're coming with us," Randy declared.Erica c
Finally, Marion set Debra down from his back."Open your eyes and see. Do you like it?" he said.Debra opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by warm, simple decor. It wasn't a cold black-and-white color scheme but a soft, creamy shade. The room was filled with fluffy, cute stuffed animals and a cozy, pretty sofa. Any girl would love such a place.A golden retriever dashed out from the corner, leaping toward Debra and showering her with enthusiastic licks.Debra laughed, barely able to fend it off. "Ori, stop. Alright, I will let you lick me. Then you should stop."She crouched down, and the dog happily licked her cheek several times before finally sitting down and wagging its tail."This is our new home." Marion wrapped his arms around her from behind and continued, "After we're done with things here, we can go to the mountains and spend a few relaxing days. If you want to stay in the city, we can always come back. No matter where you want to go, I'll be by your side.""S
Marion gently kissed Debra.The mist in the bathroom made the air thick, and Debra's face turned even redder.Marion's voice was low and husky. "Honey, what do you say? Shall we make up for our delayed wedding night?""One round is enough," Debra stammered. "One round.""Ten rounds? Okay," Marion grinned....The next morning, Debra woke up from the soft bed, feeling sore all over. Even the hunter game was not as exhausting as last night.She glanced at Marion, who was lying beside her with his eyes open."I'm going to sleep in a separate room from now on," she huffed."This is the only bedroom. Don't even think about running away," Marion said, tightening his embrace....At the Potter Mansion, Randy was sitting in the living room, watching Ivan prepare food in the kitchen.He felt uneasy. "Haven't Debra and Marion come yet? It's already afternoon."Erica reassured him, "Relax. With Andrew here, nothing will happen.""I don't know, but this guy keeps giving us cold looks
Debra looked over at the kitchen.He came out wearing an apron, with a pot in his hands and a harmless smile on his face."Mrs. Houston, I made soup for you and Mr. Houston," he said.His double face was something else.Randy rubbed his eyes, making sure he wasn't imagining things. The guy had been all gloomy in the kitchen, but in the blink of an eye, he looked sweet and innocent."Put it there," Debra replied.Ivan complied and went back to the kitchen.Neither Debra nor Marion seemed interested in the soup.Randy ventured, "Aren't you two going to try it?""No need. It's undrinkable," Debra responded.Skeptically, Erica lifted the lid and sniffed at it. There was no smell.She tasted a spoonful and frowned. "How did he manage to make something that's both bland and bad?""Really?" Randy stepped forward to have a taste.His face twisted. "How did he make it sweet and salty? Doesn't he even try his own soup?"Debra wasn't bothered by it. Ivan wasn't going anywhere anyway
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