Andrew cast a glance at the bodyguard, who immediately stepped in front of Debra, his voice firm yet respectful. "Ms. Frazier, please wait outside.""Okay." Debra nodded, a hint of concern in her eyes as she glanced at Andrew.Once outside, she turned to the bodyguard and asked, "Is his asthma very serious?""Asthma?""Yes, wasn't he having an asthma attack just now?""Mr. Andrew Potter often coughs up blood and sometimes has trouble breathing, but he never has asthma.""Not asthma?" Debra paused, recalling Andrew's hesitance earlier. "If he doesn't have asthma, what would happen if he took asthma medication?""What?"The bodyguard looked at her, not understanding the implications of her question. Debra's gaze shifted back to Andrew, who was patiently answering the doctor's questions.Once the doctor finished his examination, Debra stepped back into the room. "Mr. Andrew Potter, if you don't have asthma, why did you take that medicine?""Who told you that?"Debra's gaze flic
"Authorities? Which one? I'll go find them," Juan demanded.In Seamar City, there wasn't a soul Juan didn't know or couldn't influence.Pedro, already flustered from the recent events, felt a bead of sweat trickle down his temple.Ever since Debra had been imprisoned, his life had been a whirlwind of stress. He had just managed to deal with Erica, and now Juan was here, demanding answers he couldn't give."Mr. Nichols, don't worry," Pedro said, attempting to reassure him. "Ms. Frazier is very safe with us. There won't be any mistakes. We'll finish the process soon and release her."Juan cut him off sharply. "I'm asking who the authorities are."Pedro squirmed under Juan's intense gaze, sweat pouring down his face. He stepped closer to Juan and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Mr. Nichols, you know the person. Mrs. Nichols has been bailed out, so please make things difficult for me."Debra had already left, yet people kept asking him. Being a police chief was not that easy."Is
Debra, who had been observing from the sidelines, felt a sudden surge of nervousness.The silence on the other end of the phone was deafening, and she couldn't help but wonder how Juan would react to the news of her death.She had expected him to be pleased, as her demise would allow Shelia to legitimately take her place as Mrs. Nichols.As if on cue, Shelia's sweet voice filtered through the phone. "Juan, whose call was that?"The line disconnected, leaving Debra with a bitter taste in her mouth. Even if Juan knew she had died, he wouldn't show an ounce of emotion. Shelia was his true love, after all.As Debra prepared to leave this eerie dream, she was suddenly jolted by the sound of the doctor's angry voice. "Who moved the type A blood? Didn't you check beforehand? Do you even know who's lying here?"Debra's eyes fluttered open to find the doctor fuming. She looked down at her lifeless body, the baby she had been carrying now lost forever.She was Mrs. Nichols, and the child
"Alright, please wait here for a moment," said the nurse, leaving Shelia alone in the morgue.Shelia stepped forward and lifted the white cloth, revealing the lifeless body beneath. Debra's face was bloodless, with dark circles beneath her eyes. It was a far cry from the refined lady she used to be.Debra looked at her body with a wry smile. In her previous life, she had tortured herself for Juan, ending up in such a miserable state. It seemed all for nothing."Debra, don't blame me for this. Only by your death can I take the position of Mrs. Nichols," Shelia murmured, slipping the ring off the corpse's finger for a closer look.Debra remembered that ring. It was given to her by Melody after she got pregnant. Melody had said she was the only hostess of the Nichols family. Now, it all seemed like a cruel joke."I didn't expect Juan to give you the heirloom ring," Shelia mused, slipping the ring onto her own finger. "But it doesn't matter. From today on, this ring belongs to me."D
"Is Mr. Andrew Potter up?" Debra asked."Yes," the maid replied. "Do you want to meet him?""It's time for me to leave," Debra said, her grip tightening on the envelope in her hand.She held evidence of Ralph's crimes, and she could leave at any moment. But exposing Ralph would mean sending him to prison.Across town, Ralph had just risen from bed when he heard a knock at the door. The maid hurried to open it and was startled to see Debra standing outside."M-Ms. Frazier?"Ralph came downstairs, asking, "Who's it?"When he saw Debra at the door, his expression froze for a moment before he quickly composed himself. He hurried over to her, his face a mask of concern. "Debra, how did you get out? What happened? Did the police clear everything up?"Debra didn't answer any of his questions. Instead, she smiled faintly and said, "Uncle Ralph, you really care about me.""Of course. You're the only child of my elder brother. How could I not care?" he sighed. "I don't know who framed u
"You tell me, Uncle Ralph," Debra said, gesturing to the documents laid out on the table.Ralph reached for the papers with a trembling hand, his eyes scanning the first page. Soon enough, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to the ground.Debra watched him, her expression impassive, as she suppressed the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "You're my uncle, and I never imagined it was you."Ralph looked up at her, his aged face streaked with tears and cold sweat. "I had no choice. If I can't repay that money, they'll break my arms and legs, and I'll be dead.""So, you set me up?" Debra laughed coldly. "You should know, with charges like embezzlement and bribery, I'd spend the rest of my life in prison. But you still did this."Ralph's breath hitched, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I never wanted to harm you, but you were restless, insisting on divorcing Juan and running the Frazier family."He paused and added, "You don't know what my life was like. It was only af
"Debra, don't talk like that. I am your only family left in this world. If you agree with my request, I'll treat you well just like before," Ralph said.Debra snorted, "I used to think Rosalie had thick skin, but I didn't realize you were the same."Whether in her past life or this one, she had been blind to Ralph's true nature.She stood up, her chair scraping loudly against the floor. Ralph suddenly lunged forward with a raised ashtray in his hand.But before he could bring it down, several black-clad bodyguards burst into the room. Debra's eyes darkened as she looked back at Ralph, whose face contorted with rage and desperation. It was a mirror image of Stanley's twisted expression from before.She had once believed that Stanley had been corrupted by Rosalie, but it seemed they were all birds of a feather."Are you planning to kidnap me and extort Marion?"The bodyguards watched from the doorway, ready to intervene at the slightest sign of trouble. Ralph knew he had lost, dro
Rosalie rushed forward, her voice shrill and accusing. "Debra! Do you have any conscience left? Ralph was so kind to you, and what did you do in return? You made him take the blame for you."Stanley echoed her mother. "My dad must be blind to always favor you. Debra, you're an ungrateful wretch."His expression was fierce, but he dared not lay a hand on Debra, having learned his lesson from his previous encounter with Marion.Debra, however, didn't turn a hair. "Guards!"The security guards rushed into the room, their heads lowered in apology. "Madam, we're sorry. Ms. Rosalie Frazier insisted on coming in."Debra cut him off. "Ralph and she are already divorced. She is no longer a member of this family.""We see.""I hired you to guard the gate, not to let anyone in casually.""We'll get them out right away."They stepped forward to escort Rosalie and Stanley out."Hands off my mother!" Stanley shouted, holding up his phone. "Debra, you made my dad take the blame for you. You
"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
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