"What about you, sir?" The attendant turned to Marion.He darted a cold look at her, and her following words died in her throat."Ladies, please follow me." The manager led Debra and Theda inside.Upstairs was a luxury presidential suite with a relaxing ambiance, a movie theater, and a top-notch design.Theda looked around, impressed. "This place must've cost tens of millions to build. The designers were probably brought in from the best. Mr. Lowe knows how to run a business.""This place is amazing," the manager smiled. "The therapist will be right in. Please make yourselves comfortable."Debra and Theda sat down in the massage chairs. Not long after, there was a knock on the door."Come in," Theda said.Six young, handsome guys in white shirts walked into the room. Debra's smile froze on her face."Dear guests, we're the therapists assigned to your session today," one of them said.Theda whispered to Debra, "Is this the special service Drake was talking about?"Debra rarel
Getting no response, Theda opened her eyes, only to see Robert standing right next to her.She cringed, suddenly feeling like she'd been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to."What's wrong? Why did you stop talking?" Debra asked, puzzled by her sudden silence.A familiar voice came. "Mrs. Houston, feeling good?"Debra's eyes flew open. She turned her head and saw Marion standing behind her, pressing into her shoulders."Marion...""Does it feel good?"Debra darted a glance at Theda, who quickly bowed her head.Debra forced a smile. "We're just doing market research."Marion raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did you find out?"Debra hesitated and looked at Theda again.Theda took the cue. "Oh, we found out a lot. For example, services like this attract female customers. I mean, who doesn't like a handsome guy? Money can buy joy."Both men's faces fell.To smooth things over, Debra said, "Of course, we don't think it's much fun. We were on edge the whole time.""Yea
In the end, Drake's face flashed in her mind."Drake Lowe!" She clenched her teeth.Drake sat up on the couch and sneezed loudly.Kale had just entered with a tray of ginger tea. "Boss, do you need to see a doctor? You might have a fever.""I'm fine. Don't make a fuss." Drake leaned back on the couch. "Just leave the tea here and go. I need to rest."His phone rang, and he answered impatiently, "Hello?""Drake, did you do this on purpose?" Debra demanded."What? Not enjoying it? This is our hottest service," Drake replied lazily. "If there's nothing else, I'm hanging up. Don't bother me."He ended the call, about to put the phone down when it rang again.Drake was irritated. "I said, leave me alone.""Mr. Lowe, it's been a while," a deep, eerie voice responded.Drake's eyes widened in shock, and a chill ran down his spine. That was unmistakably Jeffrey's voice.He held the phone away, noticing the call was from an unknown number.The caller continued, "See the black sedan
Debra couldn't help but frown.Drake wasn't familiar with Seamar City. There had to be more to his disappearance."He didn't send you any messages or call you? He just left like that?" Debra asked.Kale shook his head. "My phone's been on the whole time. There was nothing."Debra to Marion. "Send people to look for him. Seamar City's so big. Kale's people won't be able to find him on their own.""I've already sent people," Marion replied.Debra muttered, "That was quick."Marion put his phone down. "I've already had someone pull the surveillance footage around your place. We should have news soon.""Thank you, Mr. Houston," Kale said gratefully....Overseas at the Eaton Mansion, Bert groaned, "Come on. Not again."He stared at the chessboard in chagrin.Andrew put down his piece and smiled, "Since I won, shouldn't you give me what I want?""Why do you need something from me when you've got so many treasures in your possession?" Bert grunted.But when he looked up and saw
The footage stopped at this point because the surveillance cameras outside had been tampered with at some point.That black sedan was captured by a street camera a kilometer away. It was clearly headed toward the villa area, but the cameras within the area didn't catch any sign of it."I haven't seen this car before," Kale replied with a frown. "Doesn't look like one from this neighborhood.""Check the license plate.""Got it."Kale quickly recorded the plate number and began the investigation. In less than ten minutes, the results came back."The car is registered to Jeffrey," he said.Debra's mind reeled at the name. Even though she hadn't seen the body, many others had when Jeffrey was pushed out.The Nichols family had already prepared for the funeral. He couldn't be back from the dead again.Juan's earlier words sounded in her mind. "Things are not over yet."She quickly pulled out her phone and called Juan.The line went through quickly, and his voice came through, "Wh
Pedro waited outside the police station.As soon as Debra and Marion stepped out of the car, he approached them."Everything's ready. You can go ahead and begin the interrogation.""Thank you, Mr. Hardy.""No worries. Please, this way."Pedro led them to the interrogation room where Joe sat handcuffed. After the recent incident, Juan sent him to the police.He had been working with Jeffrey all these years, either knowing or participating in all those schemes. His arrest was far from unjust.Debra got straight to the point. "Who's behind Jeffrey?""I don't understand," he replied.Debra picked up a stack of documents. "Based on the evidence Jeffrey left behind, we've found clues pointing to someone else behind the scenes. You were Jeffrey's right-hand man. How could you not know?""I really don't know," Joe smirked. "I'm already in this place. Why would I lie?""You see, we've known each other for a while," Debra said. "If you tell me the truth, I can bail you out."Joe rema
Debra said, "Joe isn't afraid of death or jail. He is loyal to Jeffrey and committed to the Nichols family. The composure he demonstrated tells me something. Either he knows someone's coming to get him out, or he's just a die-hard follower.""What if it's the latter?" Marion asked."Then we have to gamble. I need your help to prepare a backup.""Got it."Debra and Marion walked out of the police station together.Pedro froze, then hurried up to their side. "Is it done? That was fast."Debra said, "Mr. Hardy, I'll need your help tonight."Pedro straightened up. "Just say the word. I'll do my best.""Someone is coming tonight. Aside from a police uniform, I'll need you to work with me and put on a show.""Sure thing. Let's do it.""Thanks, Mr. Hardy.""No problem. I'll get everything ready."...Soon, it was evening.Outside the police station, it was eerily quiet. Not a soul was in sight.Two officers escorted Joe into the interrogation room. Across from him sat Pedro."
Pedro was watching the interrogation room when, suddenly, gunshots rang out.He jumped up. "What is going on?"There was no response.He was alarmed, and the officer inside the interrogation room stopped punching.Lying on the ground, Joe turned his head and looked over.The door burst open, revealing a masked man holding a gun.Pedro instinctively reached for his pistol, but the masked man was faster. One shot, and Pedro dropped.The masked man stepped forward and pushed open the door to the holding area.The officer who had been roughing up Joe froze in fear, but the intruder had no intention of sparing his life. Without hesitation, he raised his gun and fired a shot straight into the officer's chest.Joe pushed himself up from the floor. His voice trembled with hope. "Did our master send you to save me?"The masked man didn't answer. He simply grabbed Joe and turned to leave.Joe whispered, "Why did you kill them? What if this causes an uproar?""Mere cops don't matter,"
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
His teacher had been worried about that.Randy had racked his brain, wondering what a dad should be like. He'd wanted to roughhouse like other kids, only to receive cold stares.His mother always brushed it off, telling him not to chase fatherly love."Randy?" Erica's voice yanked him back."Huh?" He blinked, seeing everyone's concerned stares."I called you a dozen times. Why were you zoning out?" Erica frowned.Randy grinned weakly. "Well, Theda's got a point. Now I'm kind of suspecting him too.""She left a minute ago," Erica pointed out, squinting at him."I'm not covering for my dad," Randy said. "She made sense. Maybe I'll swing at home. If he's the Illuminati's head, he will be in the valley.""You were absent-minded while we hashed out the plan. Now you're playing seriously?" Erica teased. "We're not pointing fingers at your dad, just saying Theda's theory holds water. If you want to check, I'll go with you. We'll watch each other's backs."She didn't say it out loud,
Theda added, "When Jeffery ditched the Nichols family, even with his smarts, he couldn't build up enough money and power to challenge the four families that fast. Someone had his back. He once told me not to judge a book by its cover. You never know who's laughing last."Her cryptic words left them puzzled.Debra asked, "So, who do you suspect?""I'd say Enoch Osborne," Theda replied.The name dropped like a bomb. Everyone froze and then swung their eyes to Randy.Randy gaped. "My dad? No way. He's a stiff old fart, decent at business but the weakest of the four families. Calling him lazy is generous. He's a stubborn rock. How could he be the head of the Illuminati?""Don't sell your old man short," Theda said. "The last generation of the four families got hit hard. But your family? Only your mother lost it. Your father has played it safe, staying low-key and outlasting them all. I bet he's the one Jeffery meant."She shrugged. "Could be wrong. But if it's him, you're in deeper
It wasn't that Debra's crew was weak, but the Illuminati was too strong.The room fell silent.Theda continued, "Everyone here is riding your call. You know what happens when you throw pebbles at a tank, right?""I'm not backing off. We've got our reasons," Debra replied."I'm not here to talk you out of it," Theda said. "I'm saying if you need me, I'm in."Everyone blinked, caught off guard. She smiled, "What? Surprised I'd join? Or wondering why? Forget Robert's ties to you. You've already done me solids in Seamar City. I can't pay you back much, but I can pitch in here.""How do you plan to help?" Erica asked."Inside job. Boosts our odds," Theda replied. "I worked with Jeffery before. Being a Buchan, he cut me slack. With his Illuminati ties, they might trust me too. Need a message slipped in or intel dug out? I've got you.""You don't have to..." Debra started."No convincing me otherwise," Theda cut in. "It's not just for you. Juan's blood to me. Call it a favor he owes.
"No biggie. I'm just that sharp," Randy grinned."Don't flatter yourself." Erica smacked his arm, turning to Debra. "If that's the play, we'll set up around the valley early.""We scoped it out last time. Here's the terrain map Marion roughed out. Memorize the basics, just in case," Debra said.Jordan spoke up. "I'll plant people inside to learn the lay. If things go down, we'll back each other up."He paused, frowning. "But we've only got one path. Without the full picture, it's still risky.""Got it here," a voice called from the door.Everyone turned to see Theda walking in with Robert. A map was in her hand."It's you guys." Debra was surprised.Theda had been busy with her business. She barely had time to breathe, not to mention show up there."This mess is huge. If the Illuminati takes Seamar City, my business is done," Theda said.She'd seen Jeffery's crazy side. The Illuminati couldn't be anything good.She unrolled the map and stuck it on the board. "This is the val
Liza eased up, knowing Debra was always faithful.She would help if she said so."Is the Illuminati really that bad?" Liza asked, having never seen Fermin cornered like that."Yeah," Debra said flat-out.Liza fought back her tears. "I'm not as smart as you guys, but if I can help...""You've done plenty," Debra said, patting her head.The once-bratty lady had grown into someone brave and kind. They'd all seen her change.But this was too risky. They couldn't bet on her life."Everything's set," Marion said, striding in with Jordan.Liza blinked at their suits. They looked solemn, as if ready for a last stand.Debra nodded. "Alright, let's go over everyone's setup and run through the plan."Randy wheeled in a blackboard that showed the outskirts map.The Four Great Families had owned Seamar City for ages. Their eyes and ears were on every corner.They'd linked up north, south, east, and west, with Juan's lines tied in.According to intel, the Illuminati hadn't sunk deep ro
"Just listen to me and go," Fermin said, pulling his hand free.The next thing she knew, he yanked her toward the emergency exit."Fermin!" she yelped.The restaurant staff, loyal to Fermin, hustled her into the stairwell. By the time the guards outside caught on, she was gone."Get her," the guards barked.If Liza slipped away, Michael would have their heads. But before they could chase, Fermin's crew boxed them in."You know what this means?" one guard spat, dropping all politeness.They knew he was just a puppet. If he broke free, Bert's life would be done."Kill them," Fermin ordered, turning back to the restaurant.A waiter dropped a tray, the crash drowning out muffled screams from the stairwell.Liza was already in a cab. She tried to turn back, but a staffer blocked her. "Miss, you can't go anywhere but Seamar City. The Potter Mansion is your safest bet. Think of what Mr. Eaton's doing for you."Her stay overseas made her a hostage. While she was here, Fermin was lea
The driver hesitated but complied. "Sure, Mr. Eaton. How long do you plan to stay? There's a meeting this afternoon.""An hour," Fermin replied.From their conversation, Liza caught on that their family was under the Illuminati's thumb. The driver would not grill Fermin about his schedule otherwise."Who're you to butt in? He'll hang out with me for as long as he wants," she snapped.The driver bit back his gripes. "My bad. Sorry."Liza clung to Fermin's arm, heart pounding. She had been pampered her whole life, and her family had always been untouchable. She never imagined they'd be under someone else's boot.The car stopped by the mall. Liza and Fermin got out.When the guards tried to follow, she whirled. "My brother and I are going shopping. What're you tagging along for?""Protecting you and Mr. Eaton," one said.She opened her mouth to argue, but Fermin cut in. "They can carry bags for you."She hesitated. With these guards tagging along, they couldn't talk about the si
"Dad." Liza rushed to the bed, grabbing Bert's hand.In her mind, Bert was a stern old grump. He was always tough and sharp.But now, the illness had taken a toll on him. He had shrunk, and his hair had gone gray overnight.Fermin stood behind her, watching with pain.In fact, Bert had been ill for a while now. He had been grooming Fermin for years.But once he'd caught wind of Fermin's plans, Bert would rather kill him and trash their legacy than let him join the Illuminati.Fermin knew this day was coming. Liza didn't. Bert never wanted her to.She froze, feeling like his hand had twitched. She stopped crying and spun to Fermin."Did you see it? Dad moved..." she exclaimed.Fermin clapped a hand over her mouth, a move that confused her.He shook his head, warning her off. She nodded fast, signaling she'd keep quiet.Fermin checked the door and eased his hand off. "Dad's fine. Let's head home, alright?"Liza glanced at Bert with reluctance but wiped her tears. "Okay.""Co