In just three days, D&M had booked out all its spots for the next month.Even though it covered more than ten thousand square meters, it was still packed to the brim.A knock sounded at the door.Debra was in a good mood. "Come in."The door opened, and it was Jordan with a hesitant look.She realized that he'd seen the news. "Are you upset that I didn't tell you in advance?""You must have your reasons. I won't ask, and you don't have to say anything. But don't you think the club's name is a bit too obvious?" he replied. "Anyone could guess that it's related to you and Marion. If the Illuminati finds out, wouldn't everything you've done be for nothing?"Debra brushed it off. "It could be Drake and Marion."Right now, the news about her only focused on her romance with Jordan. Their cohabitation had been exposed, but neither of them had clarified anything.Jordan had thought she didn't care about the rumors. But now, it was clear that he had misjudged. Debra was dropping smoke
Even though Jordan had put it mildly, Drake's pride was still injured.His name alone used to instill fear. The other big shots in Orkgate had to yield to him.But with Fermin's interference, the power dynamics had shifted. Although Drake had regained control of the Lowe family, they were facing reforms.Orkgate was now more chaotic than ever. On the surface, everything looked calm, but behind the scenes, there was a storm brewing. Everyone was eying the throne."I'll go back now," Drake said suddenly.Debra frowned. "Kale, stop him."Kale immediately stepped in to block him.Drake's expression darkened. "Your boss is me, not her.""Boss, you can't go out now," Kale said.The people from the Illuminati were probably waiting outside the villa for Drake to come out and step into their trap."Lara is still there," Debra chimed in. "The Sharp family has some influence in Orkgate now, and the Trennery family wouldn't dare to act recklessly. They couldn't be so stupid as to attack
Debra instinctively tried to open the bag, but Drake stopped her. "Open it when you get to Orkgate."Debra paused at his serious expression. "Alright."She took the bag and went upstairs.The trip didn't need much packing. The last time she had gone there, she had been with Marion.She quickly shook her head, trying to push him out of her mind, but the longing wouldn't go away. Back then, Marion had taken care of everything. All she had to do was trust him.By evening, she landed in Orkgate.A car was already waiting for her at the airport.Inside, Lara sat elegantly in a purple dress, looking even more refined than before."I've already arranged your accommodations. The Sharp family may not be as powerful as the Lowe family, but at least we can offer a decent place to stay.""I already spoke to Drake. I'll be staying at the Lowe Mansion tonight.""That's fine. But no one's been living there for a while. It hasn't been cleaned. I can send someone over now to take care of it b
Lara also had a dark memory of the Jovial Hotel.That was where she had overthrown Conrad, but she managed to keep her composure on the surface.The hotel was still bustling with people coming and going. Debra held Lara's hand as they walked into the hotel.The pale moonlight cast a cool glow on Debra's face. People around them couldn't help but stare. Everyone knew about the troubles in Debra and Marion's marriage.Debra noticed the looks but kept a faint smile on her face. She knew too well these people were judging her, wondering how she would react to seeing Marion later.Grover stood at the hotel entrance, welcoming the guests. When he saw Debra and Lara, a smug look crossed his face.The last time they met, he wasn't important enough to stand with them. But now, he was the host of this grand banquet."Mrs. Houston, Ms. Sharp, long time no see. How have you been?" he greeted.Most of the other guests were to watch the fun. In the past, Debra would have been the center of a
The Illuminati was so eager to take back the Jovial Hotel. Its significance to them was plain to see.Just then, a round of gasps interrupted her thoughts.Debra looked up and saw a woman in an elegant outfit descending from the second floor. Her beauty was undeniable, drawing the attention of many people."That's Mr. Trennery's goddaughter," Lara snorted.Grover was doing the same thing Conrad had done before, using his so-called goddaughter to lure in wealthy businessmen. It was disgusting.Yvonne had ended up jumping to her death. It was unknown how long this woman could hold up."Lexie, come here," Grover called out warmly.Lexie Trennery beamed. Her elegance was ethereal, and her pure innocence far exceeded Shelia's back in the day.The wealthy businessmen stared at her as if she were a perfect commodity on display.Lara frowned. "That bastard is planning to make a fortune off her tonight. Or maybe he wants to use her to gain power and influence."But then, the crowd's a
"I'm going to find out," Lara said, ready to walk over.Debra stopped her just in time. "No need. Just stay put.""But..." Lara hesitated.Any wife couldn't just sit by and watch her husband flirt with another woman.Marion continued to pay zero attention to Debra. They acted like strangers.The guests around them seemed to be enjoying the drama, but Debra looked unfazed.She continued to smile and greet everyone as if nothing was happening."That's Mrs. Houston, right? She's gorgeous." Lexie blinked. "Why don't you go greet her?"She looked like a sweet, innocent girl, the kind that men loved to protect."Yes, she is beautiful," Marion replied curtly, clearly unwilling to talk about it.Lexie grabbed his arm. "Did you two fight? I have an idea to help you make up. Want to give it a try?"Before Marion could respond, Lexie pulled him toward the dance floor.The guests whispered among themselves, surprised to see Marion so close to Lexie. Everyone knew he usually kept his di
Lexie hurried over, looking anxious. "I thought you two were arguing, so I wanted to give Mr. Houston a chance to clear up any misunderstanding. I'm sorry. He didn't actually want to dance with me."The other guests looked outside, eager to witness a classic showdown between the two women.Debra, however, only gave a faint smile. "It's just a dance. What does it even mean?"Her indifference took Lexie by surprise and hurt Marion's feelings."But," Debra continued, "it's indeed improper for him to dance with another woman while we're still married."Marion tensed up. "What do you want me to do?"Debra raised an eyebrow. "What, you want to make up for it?""Yes." His response was firm."Then jump into that fountain," she said. "And don't get out unless I say so."It was winter in Orkgate, and the weather was brutally cold.Anyone who jumped into that fountain at this hour would end up catching a cold and falling ill.Lexie panicked. "That's too much, Mrs. Houston. You can't ju
"Miss Trennery, please keep your distance from me. Don't do anything that might make my wife misunderstand," Marion said."Why? Why are you listening to her? It's wrong to always give in to her like this," Lexie countered, pointing at Debra. "This woman keeps saying you shouldn't be in touch with me, but everyone here knows better. She's been fooling around these past few days. She's not faithful to your marriage, and you should have divorced her."She stood on the high ground of morality, eager to expose Debra's hypocrisy.Debra only found it laughable. "That's right. We should get a divorce, but Marion doesn't agree. Try convincing him."Lexie quickly came over to help Marion out of the fountain. However, he didn't appreciate it and wouldn't even let her touch his clothes.Lexie was stunned that someone like Marion chose to be humiliated like that."Mr. Houston, I've always liked you," she confessed earnestly. "If you accept me, I'll do anything for you."Few men would turn do
"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
Drake's mouth hung open, but no words came out."I swapped the drug for saline," Juan said. "You're on your own tonight. You've only had one dose, so there might still be a chance. If you don't wanna die here, suck it up. Don't let Kale die for nothing."Juan dropped that and left the room.Drake slumped on the bed. Old memories came flooding back, from their first meeting to their camaraderie. They had been through thick and thin together.If it hadn't been for him, Kale wouldn't have been dead....In the hospital, Liza kept watch outside the ICU where Bert lay.Two black-suited guards blocked the door. Even after surgery, they wouldn't let her in."When can I see him?" she asked, clenching her fists.The guards stood like statues, ignoring her."That's my dad," she shouted, pounding their chests. "I need to be with him. Move. Get out of my way.""Stop it." Fermin strode up, grabbing her swinging fist. "You're an Eaton. Act like it."He turned and slapped a guard hard. "Y
Juan arrived at a villa on Seamar City's outskirts. It was where Drake was locked up.It was pitch black in the room, with only a bed. The windows were nailed shut.The moment Drake handed over the stone, he'd guessed his fate. The Illuminati had rules for traitors: the blessing ritual.But that "blessing" was just injecting their latest drug into turncoats. They would be used as free guinea pigs. Death was the best outcome. Surviving meant real torture.It didn't hurt. Rather, it felt like heaven. That was why they called it a blessing."When did they shoot you up with that stuff?" Juan asked.Drake leaned back on the bed, nonchalant. "I gave them the stone. It doesn't matter to you. Just give me the drug."By night, he was a mess.The stuff could ease the pain for an hour. Then hell would kick in. Once the cravings hit, it felt like ants gnawing his bones.The pain wired into his nerves. At its worst, he'd bash the wall, tempted to bite his tongue off.He couldn't leave wit
To the bishop, Debra and her crew were small fry.A hundred years ago, the Four Great Families might've been untouchable. But now? Their roots were shaky.The Illuminati, on the other hand, had grown unstoppable.For the stone, he'd see them and let them feel the Illuminati's might. It was something callows like them couldn't touch."Tell them I pick the time and place," he said. "Get the stone ready. If it's fake, they'll get the harshest punishment from God.""Yes, Master," Michael replied, turning to leave.Lara stood up to protest, "I'm against this. We should take the chance to wipe them out and take their assets."In her mind, the four families were nothing. When they could snatch what they wanted, there was no need for deals or games."God spares all," the bishop muttered. "I'll give them a shot to live. If they bow, why kill them?"Lara fell silent, but Frederic stepped out of the shadows. He asked, "What about the stone Drake gave us?""Only one of the two stones is
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,"