"What's the fuss?" Debra said.Drake hesitated. "I..." Outside, Erica and Randy shoved past Kale, ducking behind Marion.Kale initially tried to block them but retreated under Marion's icy glare.Inside, Drake noticed the door was slightly ajar. He scowled. "Hold on."Before Debra could react, he yanked the door open, exposing the three eavesdroppers.Debra raised an eyebrow. 'Really?'Erica cringed, looking at Randy. Randy pointed at Marion, and Marion blinked innocently.Debra smiled at them, slammed the door shut, and locked it.Randy gaped. "Did you hear that? She locked us out."Marion's jaw tightened."Let's go." Erica dragged Randy down the hall.Inside the room, Debra muttered, "We're alone now. Spit it out."Drake silently stared at her, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Do you have things to say or not?"Drake awkwardly cleared his throat. "Do you know Fermin likes you?"Debra barely flinched. "Yeah. Why?""You know?" Drake looked like his brain short-circuite
Marion's gaze turned icy when he saw Drake blocking Debra's path.Drake glared. "I wasn't done talking.""'Finished now,' Marion said coolly.Drake turned to Debra. "I need to..."She waved dismissively. "I'm going to hit the sack. You should too."Debra walked off, and Marion closed the door for him.Drake lunged forward, but Kale held him back."Boss, your injuries..." "Screw the injuries. Let me at him."Marion opened the door, deadpan. "Don't like it closed? I'll leave it open.""Damn..." Kale clamped a hand over Drake's mouth.It was not wise to fight Marion there at the Potter Mansion. Besides, they hadn't gotten the Lowe Group back.Back in their room, Debra smirked at Marion. "Thought you weren't worried. Why eavesdrop?"Marion pulled her close. "How could I not worry?""Then why let me talk to him alone?" She tilted her head. "I know you're jealous."He pressed his lips together. "I don't want to restrain your freedom. It was just a talk. He couldn't steal
Barton pushed open the door and entered Andrew's bedroom. "Sir, Mrs. Houston has found all the ledgers.""I see." Andrew nodded.Barton hesitated. "Sir, the mastermind will act soon. Should we...""Life goes on. No need to borrow trouble," Andrew replied. "You can go now."After Barton left, the gauzy curtains fluttered in the breeze.Andrew gazed at the dark sky outside and whispered, "This time, I'm here with you."...The next morning, Debra grabbed her bag, ready to go to work.Ivan blocked her path. "Mrs. Houston, have you eaten breakfast?""Not hungry, thanks." She sidestepped him.He scrambled in front of her again. "Maybe a sandwich?"Debra forced a polite smile. "I'm really not hungry."Ivan blocked her a third time. "Coffee, maybe?"Debra dropped her bag. "Out with it. What's going on?"Ivan looked torn. Debra crossed her arms. "No? Then I'm leaving.""Wait." Ivan quickly took out his phone. "There's news. Today's headlines."Debra snatched the phone. The scre
Ivan instinctively tried to step back but stopped himself, remembering his mission to earn her trust.Debra noticed his subtle movement and raised an eyebrow. It looked like he was still reeling from the fear of getting hit.Marion came downstairs and approached them. Ivan quickly retreated."Saw that earlier," Marion murmured."Just messing with him," Debra said, chuckling. "He thought he could win me over by playing innocent. Scared stiff but trying not to show it. Hilarious.""Was it so fun?" Marion flicked her forehead. "Not worried I'd get jealous?""He's just a kid. Why would you?" She flashed her phone at him. "This is what you should worry about."Marion glanced at the viral news headline. His expression stayed neutral until he spotted Juan and Andrew's names."Give me a minute.""What're you doing?""Taking them down."He pulled out his phone, fingers flying across the screen.Debra bit back a laugh at his intensity. Just then, her phone rang. It was Ben."Let me
Debra's car pulled up at the company entrance.Ben hurried over as soon as she stepped out. "Madam, you're finally here."Debra heard the commotion from down the hall. She frowned. "What's going on?""The shareholders and our partners are at each other's throats.""Over today's news?"Ben nodded. "The partners say the scandal's a public image disaster and demand answers. The shareholders are defending you. It's a warzone.""Let's settle this," Debra said, following him to the conference room.Inside, a shareholder jabbed a finger at a partner. "Mrs. Houston's integrity is rock-solid. You're buying into tabloid gossip? Wait till she gets here. She'll wipe the floor with you."The partner fired back, "We all know what kind of woman she is. A female CEO always seemed fishy. Now we see she climbed the ladder on her back."Debra strode in, silencing the room. Ben muttered, "They've been at this for half an hour."The partner who'd insulted her suddenly paled. "Mrs. Houston, we wer
Another shareholder chimed in, "Alexander has a point. We've been partners for a year. Are you really gonna bail over some gossip? Fine. You can leave after paying back every perk Mrs. Houston ever gave you."The room fell silent. Truth was, Debra had always been the fairest business partner they'd ever had.Emmett stepped forward. "It's not personal, Mrs. Houston. But Seamar City runs on rules. If we piss off Mr. Nichols, our businesses will suffer."Nods rippled through the group.Debra leaned back in her chair. "So, you think Juan's word carries more weight than mine?"The partners exchanged uneasy glances.Emmett scoffed, "Let's be real. Without Mr. Nichols, no one would've noticed you. Now you're remarried..."The room tensed at his brazenness. He continued, "Sure, Marion Houston's got your back. But a woman's still a woman. Without him, you'd drown here.""Oh?" Debra sneered. "Didn't expect you to think of me that way."She stood up and declared, "I'm the founder of the
The partners exploded, "Are you sure about this?""Think twice. Without us, your fancy commercial street means nothing.""Yeah. When you go bankrupt, don't say we didn't warn you."Debra leaned back casually."We'll see. Ben, collect their penalty fees and escort them out.""Understood.""Oh, and no one leaves this room until they pay up."Ben blinked, not expecting her to be so ruthless. These partners had worked with them since the founding of the company. Cutting ties with them now spelled disaster."Are you sure, Mrs. Houston?""Maybe we can renegotiate." Two partners wavered.Debra smirked, knowing their vulturous nature all too well."Come on, you're the ones threatening to leave," she said, sweeping a gaze across the room. "Since Nichols Group's offering sweeter terms, I won't hold you back. Enjoy your windfall."Howard Avery glanced at Emmett. The latter puffed up. "Fine. We'll go."Debra gestured to the door. "Don't let it hit you on the way out."Emmett glare
"We're staying," replied the two partners in unison.Debra scanned the room. "And the rest of you? All staying?""Yes. No one's leaving," they quickly replied.A single feast couldn't beat steady meals. Juan's lower rates came with no long-term guarantees. Cutting ties with McKinney Group meant losing four partnerships at once. That was too costly.Debra crossed her arms. "Well then, mind telling me what Nichols Group promised to make you gang up on me?"Emmett stepped forward. "It was Mr. Jordan Potter and Mr. Nichols. They said they'd undercut your prices by 10%, with extra perks like priority partnerships and top-tier promotions."Debra nodded. "How generous! No wonder you flocked to them.""We were momentarily blinded by greed," replied the partners.Ben took a phone call and whispered, "Madam, Mr. Nichols is here."Debra's jaw tightened. "Is he the important person you mentioned in the earlier call?"Ben shook his head. "I'm not sure, but this morning, the front desk did
It was afternoon already.Debra and Marion parked their car outside the valley.Looking at the sprawling terrain ahead, Debra couldn't shake the memory of trekking through it with Kale just days ago.Revisiting this place made her shiver."Your injury's still fresh," Marion said. "I can go alone."Debra shook her head. "We agreed on going together. Besides, I'm not here to fight. It will be fine."Marion ruffled her hair. "Alright, we're in this together."Enoch brought Erica here to lure them in. That much was clear.Now that they were here, they'd get her out.With night closing in, they quickly followed the route they'd mapped out and headed in.The map from Juan came in handy. In less than 30 minutes, they reached a clearing smack in the middle of four towering mountains.Mist hung light in the air, and the jagged peaks all around gave off a heavy, oppressive vibe.Through the fog, figures in black cloaks and white masks stepped out.Debra slid behind Marion, their han
Jordan signaled the guards at the door to stop Randy.But they didn't stand a chance. In three seconds flat, Randy laid them out.Jordan watched him vanish down the hall, dumbfounded. 'When did he get this good?'At the entrance, more guards tried to block Randy. He didn't slow down as he threw punches at them.Even with their number, they couldn't catch him.30 seconds later, Randy was in his car, peeling out toward the valley. Scenes from his childhood flashed across his mind."Leg up. Fist tight. Punch!" Caleb shouted.Erica eyed the wooden dummies in front of them and aimed for perfection.Randy's attention was all on her. He was not interested in these self-defense skills at all."Randy, focus!" Caleb whacked his arm with a cane. "Get real or go home."Randy couldn't care less. The truth was, he had already learned it all.At eight years old, his freakish athletic genes got him shipped off to a two-month boot camp. There, his raw talent made him untouchable in the junio
Lara came downstairs, smirking at Michael. "This time, even if you want to let them off, it won't happen."Michael was unfazed. "Don't say stuff that'll get twisted. I never plan to do that.""Oh, please. I know you better than that," Lara snorted. "Drop the act."Growing up, Michael had been given the best of everything.They were both in line to take over, but Michael got the bishop's favor from day one.Even if he didn't fight for it, he'd eclipse her. The bishop's partiality never failed to rattle her.She was a woman. True. But she was not any inferior to Michael.The partiality was unbelievable. This world's full of women outshining men.She was the one to help the bishop build something huge. The altar was only for her to ascend.She stepped up to Michael. "Wanna bet on what happens when Debra and Marion hit the valley? I can't wait to see Debra getting pierced by bullets. It would be so much fun."She observed Michael's expression, but there wasn't a crack."You done
The guard at the gate quickly stepped out of the booth. "Greetings, Mr. and Mrs. Houston. Unfortunately, Mr. Osborne isn't home.""We're not here for him," Marion said flat-out. "I want last night's security footage."The guard hesitated. "I'm sorry, but without Mr. Osborne saying so, I can't just hand it over.""Randy is lying in the hospital right now," Debra cut in. "Erica went missing from your place last night. If you don't cough up the tapes and something happens to her, can you take the heat?"The guard was shocked. "Mr. Randy Osborne in the hospital? And Miss Mathis is gone? I'll grab the footage. Hang on."He dashed to the security room. But when he pulled up the feed, the screen was pitch black."What's wrong? Is it busted?" Debra asked.The guard smacked the console a couple of times, and the picture flickered on. There was Enoch, stuffing a sack into his trunk and driving off.That explained why the cameras outside had only caught Enoch.Debra felt a chill run thro
A loud crash blasted through the phone, followed by screeching static.Debra's gut sank. "Randy's in trouble. Let's hurry."Jordan quickly rounded up a crew to track down Randy, while Debra and Marion bolted out of the house.That phone call screamed car wreck. Marion had Randy's location pinned fast, and an ambulance was already on its way."Don't panic. The ambulance is almost there," Debra reminded him, watching him push the speedometer.It was fine if it was just a regular crash. But if the Illuminati had set it up, the consequences were unimaginable. Enoch must have lost his mind to target his son.Debra and Marion had both lost their parents to car accidents. Marion would be devastated if he lost another person close to him."Quick! Get him out!"Thick smoke poured from the crash site. Debra's bad vibes grew.They jumped out and saw Jordan's people loading Randy onto a stretcher."How bad is it?" Debra ran up, desperate for details."Not too serious," Jordan replied. "
The maid froze. "Didn't Miss Mathis leave last night? I don't know where she is. But she's not here."A bad feeling hit Randy like a ton of bricks. He bolted out of the room and ran to the guest room next door. When he flung the door open, Erica wasn't there. The bed was pristine, with no sign of anyone sleeping in it.Erica was lazy as hell. There was no way she'd make the bed herself.Randy lost his head until what Theda had said suddenly echoed in his mind.If Enoch were the mastermind behind the Illuminati, he might have done something to Erica."Where's my dad?" Randy asked, his blood running cold.The maid had never seen him like this. He barked, "I'm asking you where my dad is."She stammered, "I called him last night like you asked. He came back for a bit and took off again."Now he confirmed that Enoch had taken Erica."Give me the phone.""Yes, sir."The maid handed it over.Randy dialed Enoch's number but could not get through.Sweat beaded on his forehead. The
Erica laughed, getting the implication.Randy coughed dryly. "Mom, what are you even saying? I'm not that kind of person."With that, he hustled Erica out of the room.As the door closed, she frowned. "What now? Your dad is suspicious.""Well, we'll deal with it when he gets back. Now take a rest.""Alright."He led her to a clean guest room."Yvette seemed fine just now. Didn't look like she's got any mental issues.""It comes and goes. She can be normal and confused at times.""Has she seen a doctor?""Yeah. They say it's from some big shock. If she takes it easy, she's pretty much fine. Her nerves are just shot. My dad kept her locked up here all these years. Probably doesn't want folks to know he's got a crazy wife."In his mind, Enoch always put profit and reputation first.If people found out he had a nutcase for a wife, he might ditch her. Even if he didn't, he'd freeze them out.One question was always hovering in Randy's mind. If Yvette wasn't tied to the Potter f
"Erica, let's head upstairs."Randy held Erica's hand as they walked up the stairs.The second floor was dead quiet, and the hallway lights were dim. At the far end was Yvette's bedroom.The door was wide open. Inside, Yvette sat at her vanity, brushing her hair.Nearing 50, she still looked good, though she'd let time take its toll. Her face was lined with wrinkles."Randy? You're back," she exclaimed, catching his reflection in the mirror.She turned around and saw him standing there, holding Erica's hand."Mom." Randy squeezed Erica's hand. "I brought Erica to see you."Yvette's eyes shifted to Erica, and she searched in her memories.After a while, she caught it. "Erica, I remember you. Randy always talked about you when he was a kid. I thought you two were just rivals or something."Yvette walked over to Erica and grabbed her hand. "Randy's a bit of a wild one, but he's great with girls. This is the first time he's brought a girl home. If you two are serious about each o
Everyone nodded at Marion's call. They split tasks fast.Randy drove Erica toward the Osborne Mansion, speeding through the dark.When they parked, he didn't budge from the driver's seat."Don't stress. I'm here with you," Erica said, squeezing his hand.She knew what ate at him. If Enoch was really the Illuminati's head, it would spark a war. His relationship with Enoch would be unmendable."I never saw this coming," Randy said, his face shadowed with a rare gloom.He had always known Enoch didn't care about him, Yvette, or their family.In fact, he had never known much about Enoch. Without Theda's hunch today, he'd never have linked Enoch to the Illuminati."If Enoch is tied to them, what will you do?" Erica asked, watching him closely.She knew that blood was thicker than water."I don't know." Randy shook his head.Being the heir to the Osborne family never mattered to him, but he could not deny his bloodline.If it came to picking sides, he didn't know if he'd back Mar