Marion looked at the bandages on the table. "Weren't you just crying from the pain a second ago?""It doesn't hurt when I remove it myself. But when you do it in front of me, I feel bad and want to cry," Debra replied.Marion didn't know what to say. He sprinkled some medicine on her wound, and she immediately felt a cool, soothing sensation."Did you used to eat candy when you were hurt?""No.""Huh?""I don't like sweet stuff. It's Drake. We used to go on missions together. He was hot-tempered and often got hurt. He didn't bother carrying any candy, so he'd always stuff it in my pocket. I didn't know if it worked or not, but it seemed to help him.""No wonder.""There you go. Just rest for now. Don't think about anything.""Alright." Debra lay down but poked her head out from under the blanket. "Aren't you curious about how I made it back?""I don't want to ask.""Why?"Everyone else had been eager to know.She noticed his frown and said, "Actually, it was..."Marion qu
Marion and Debra came down the stairs hand in hand.Randy teased, "Well, well, look who finally decided to get out of bed."Marion tossed an apple to him. Randy caught it and wiped it on his shirt. "Hey, don't waste food."Debra noticed Oscar, Chace, Theda, and Robert were all there. She stepped forward and said, "It's rare to see everyone together like this."Drake said, "Thanks to you, we're all on the same team now."Erica frowned. "We chose to be on this team."Drake shrugged. "I was speaking the truth."Just then, Liza quietly came downstairs. Everyone fell silent."Debra, I'm sorry. I didn't know Fermin would shoot at you," she muttered."I kept him close. It's not your fault," Debra replied."I thought he wouldn't show up," Liza said, her voice trailing off."I'm not mad at you. But I want to know more about his condition," Debra replied.Liza lowered her head and began to explain, "Actually, I had two brothers. My mom was pregnant with twins. One of them died, but h
Randy didn't argue with Liza, knowing it was Bert's trick to comfort her.But everyone else there could see the truth.Fermin must have cracked under the pressure of growing up in the Eaton family and developed a second personality.Debra still felt something was off. The Eaton family had been keeping this whole thing under wraps. There had to be more to it.Erica muttered, "No wonder the media never reported anything about twins. Turns out Garland doesn't even exist."Liza sighed, "I've told you everything I know. I just want to apologize on Fermin's behalf. Debra, I don't think he really wanted to kill you. He..." "He was just blinded by greed and desperate to find the treasure?" Randy chimed in.Liza hung her head. Given the influence of the Eaton family, they didn't need any treasure. With the time and effort spent searching for it, they could've closed countless big deals.And yet, Fermin still went ahead with it.Debra concluded, "It doesn't matter why he did it. Fermi
Under the cover of the night, Liza slipped out with her suitcase.When Randy sent someone to take Liza to the airport, they found her room empty."Did you check the surveillance footage?" Debra asked upon hearing the news."An hour ago, she left with her suitcase," Erica replied.Randy sighed, "She just can't stay put. Going home was the best choice for her."Debra wasn't so worried about it. "Cancel the ticket. No matter where she goes, she won't be in danger.""Why not?" Erica was puzzled."She's Liza Eaton. Most people won't dare touch her. And since she's Fermin's sister, Jeffrey won't harm her. Just have someone follow her and make sure she gets back to Fermin."Erica sighed, "Now we have to clean up her mess. Doesn't she ever use her brain? If Fermin listened to her, he wouldn't have shot you in the first place.""What can we do? She's a rich girl who has never known real hardship." Randy shrugged, turning to Debra. "I'll let my people follow her.""Good," Debra replied
"I can cover your airfare," Juan replied."I'm not leaving," Liza sulked. "I'll stay here. Tell Fermin to come see me, or I'll..."Jeffrey's voice came from upstairs. "Or what?"Liza shivered and looked over. The man was looking down at her from a commanding height.She had seen Jeffrey in that cave, but she hadn't felt anything unusual at the time. Now, his presence was so overwhelming that she found it hard to breathe.Jeffrey then turned to Juan. "Miss Eaton is a guest. Give Fermin a call and tell him to come over."Juan nodded and ordered the maid, "Prepare a room for Miss Eaton."The maid quickly went to prepare the room. Liza restrained her arrogance and followed behind the maid.Late at night, Liza was tossing and turning. There wasn't even a bottle of water in the room.Suddenly, footsteps in the hallway broke the quietness of the night.A wave of fear swept over her. She was afraid that some freak from the Nichols family would come to harm her. She quickly ducked bac
Feeling someone behind him, Fermin swiftly turned and struck out.Juan dodged but saw a dagger hidden in Fermin's sleeve."Mr. Eaton, aren't you being a bit too cautious?" he said.Fermin smiled, but his voice was cold. "I don't like people sneaking up on me. Next time, this knife might slit your throat."Juan threw his hands up. "I mean no harm."Liza tugged at Fermin's sleeve. He looked down at her and slowly lowered the dagger. "I'm taking her with me. If Jeffrey has any problems, he can talk to me."He went inside and grabbed Liza's suitcase."I don't..." she protested."Don't want to go?" Fermin pinched her cheek. "Say that again."Liza held back her words. "I'll go with you."Satisfied, Fermin let go of her cheek.Juan suddenly spoke up. "Mr. Eaton, do you have time for a private talk?""There's nothing to talk about between us," Fermin said flatly.Liza glanced at Juan and blurted, "Just talk to him."Fermin raised an eyebrow. "Why do you speak up for him?""I nee
"No." Liza shook her head. "I'm just curious."Fermin put a finger on his lips and whispered, "Kids shouldn't be so curious."Liza stopped talking and left with him. She noticed the guards' fearful looks and asked, "Why are they all so scared of you?""The weak fear the strong. That's the rule of society." Fermin paused, looking at her. "But you don't need to worry. With me around, no one can bully you."Liza leaned forward. "Can you make peace with Debra and her people?""Oh?""You shot her.""Look, I didn't kill her for your sake.""But she was kind to me.""So, I only shot her in the shoulder.""That makes me upset.""Well, next time, I'll let her shoot back."Fermin opened the car door, placed her favorite pink pillow on the seat, and adjusted it to her liking before letting her get in. Then he helped her buckle up.Liza pouted. "You're making me lose all my friends."Fermin, driving with one hand, asked casually, "Who is more important, your friends or me?""You're
At the Potter Mansion, Marion was bandaging Debra's wound.She saw his careful look and teased him, "Relax. You're hurting me more like this."He stiffened, and she smiled, "I'll do it myself."She reached for the bandage, but he gently stopped her hand. "You don't have much time to heal."She nodded. "I know."Marion looked up. "I believe they'll make a move soon.""I have the same feeling.""So, we need to come up with a plan.""Indeed."Debra's voice dropped even lower. The past few days, she had been feeling like their time together was running out. Jeffrey's appearance was a threat to their lives.Among them, only she knew about rebirth. If Jeffrey managed to reset everything, she didn't know if they could still remember everything that had happened. She and her friends might forget each other.She didn't want to lose Marion or any of her friends.Marion took her hand. "Rest for a few more days and leave everything to me.""Okay." Debra nodded.Barton knocked on the
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