Liza went on. "No doubt. Andrew loved you. He just never said it out loud, so you wondered if he cared. But he cared too much. That's why he was hard on you but shielded you."Debra's nose stung. It was true.At their first meeting, Andrew threw a woman off the balcony to scare her off.He knew she craved peace, so he made himself the bad guy and pushed her away.All his help came dressed up as deals. He taught her to trade her worth for what she deserved and kept their bond transactional.It was all business and no heart.He never opened up or crossed that line. Alone with him, she always felt off.Maybe it started when Jordan hit the Arcane Academy. Andrew's first chess move to connect, but their roles stayed crystal clear."I know nothing I say might help right now," Liza said, grabbing her hand. "But if you're hurting badly, don't force it down. Face it and embrace it. Drown the pain with good times."She paused and added, "You've got Marion, me, and those friends. We'll a
The crew clinked glasses and drank rounds.Debra smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. No one noticed it, except Marion.He squeezed her hand, knowing she was thinking about Andrew.Sitting close, Liza caught Debra's mood too. She didn't know the whole story, but she had heard bits about it back home.Mid-party, Debra hit the bathroom. Liza followed.The rowdy guys stayed behind, betting and drinking. Outside, it was dead quiet.Debra washed her hands and saw Liza behind her."Let's head back," she said."Nah, it's too loud in there," Liza replied. "Let's chat."Debra hesitated, then nodded.She'd buried herself in work in the past two weeks, thinking she'd accepted Andrew's death.But she hadn't. In the quiet, he still haunted her.They sat by the second-floor window, watching the snow blanket the city."I didn't expect so much to go down while I was gone," Liza said, listening to Debra unload.She regretted ever leaving. She should have stayed and been there for Debra's
By 7:30 PM, everyone had trickled in.Oscar wrapped up his business and arrived with Chace.Drake rolled in last. Juan didn't show, but he sent three bottles of wine.The big private room filled up fast, and the vibe got cozy.Debra asked, "Fermin and Liza aren't coming?""Overseas stuff's keeping Fermin tied up," Jordan said, settling in. "But he sent a gift. Should be here soon."Right on cue, a knock hit the door.A server opened it, and Liza poked her head in. She rocked a trendy floral skirt, looking cute but sharper than before."Hey, guys. Fermin is swamped, so he sent me with the goods." She dug into her bags and pulled out fancy cigar boxes.Randy's eyes lit up, then dimmed. "Couldn't you ask him to switch it up? Who here even smokes these? Me? Erica wouldn't let me. Marion? Quit ages ago. Chace and Oscar don't touch them. William hates cigars. Only Robert and Drake will hog the loot."Robert and Drake glared at him.Erica nudged him. "It's a nice gesture. Take it.
Debra checked her watch. "His expertise is limited, so I sent him to learn from a pro. Should be done soon.""Learn?" Randy and Erica exchanged puzzled looks....At the Nichols Group headquarters, Drake glanced at his watch, antsy. "Time's up, right? The party has started.""Ten minutes to go," Juan said from behind his desk."Ten minutes? Screw this, I'm out." Drake stood up.Juan hit a buzzer, and some big guys blocked the door."Every minute you waste here, you're a minute late leaving," he said coolly. "I'm not going tonight. Got all the time in the world to wait you out."Drake gritted his teeth, frustrated.If Debra hadn't forced him into this, he'd have bailed ages ago. Back in the day, he wouldn't have taken this crap."Back when I learned such stupid lessons..." he grumbled."Forget back then," Juan interrupted, flipping through files. "Those were shady means. Nothing legit about it."Drake had no comeback.Those loopholes were the foundation of the Lowe Group. T
"Let's go," Jordan said. "There's still a ton to do. Can't leave it all to Randy and Erica to figure out."Debra shook her head. "Let them handle it while they're willing. I bet Randy ditches it in a few days.""Ditches it?" Jordan frowned.Marion chuckled, knowing Randy all too well.Randy wasn't cut out to be a businessman. With no one else in the Osborne family, he had to take over Enoch's shares and lead. But over time, he would be tired of it.In the end, it would fall to them."Let's hang out tonight," Jordan suggested. "I booked a private room. You know, after this, we'll go our separate ways."They had teamed up to fight against the Illuminati. Now it was done, they would go back to their original lives.Debra nodded. "Did you tell everyone?""Yup," Jordan said. "We've all been swamped with the Illuminati crap. Today's a rare breather for everyone."He glanced at Marion. "I invited Juan too, out of courtesy. No clue if he'll show.""He won't," Marion said flatly.De
Randy's jaw dropped. "What's all this?""Mrs. Houston said you two might get bored," Ben explained. "So, she sent over some work for you guys to handle.""What the hell?" Randy grumbled. "How could she pull such a stunt? Totally Marion's thing."And Debra had anticipated their decision and prepared these files."Chill," Erica soothed him. "Debra's finally catching a break. Let her and Marion visit their folks. We can handle this."Randy grumbled but nodded. Enoch screwed over the other families. He had to own that."When I'm done with this, I'll dump the company on them," he said. "Then I'm throwing you a wedding. Something bigger than theirs.""Love the first part," Erica teased. "But topping their wedding? Good luck.""Are you doubting my abilities?" He raised an eyebrow."Don't take it personally," she said, scratching her head. "But that wedding cost a fortune.""No sweat. I've got cash," he bragged, then faltered.Marion and Debra's wedding was grand, and it had been li