By night, a steady stream of visitors began to arrive at the Frazier family's villa.Each one was a shareholder in the Frazier Group, and they all had one thing on their minds: withdrawing their investments. Among them were even members of the Frazier family itself, all eagerly awaiting Debra's solution.The expansive hall was abuzz with whispered conversations and tense anticipation. When Debra descended from her second-floor study, the room fell silent. She was a vision in a shimmering long dress, her makeup delicate yet striking.The elder shareholders spoke up."Ms. Frazier, given the current circumstances, we believe it's time for you to provide us with a solution.""All our projects have ground to a halt. We can't just sit back and watch the company go bankrupt.""And while the McKinney Group has acquired us, who's to say they won't terminate the contract, given the situation?"...Debra listened intently, her expression calm and composed. "I understand your concerns," sh
The executives of the Frazier Group cast worried glances at Debra.The prospect of shareholders withdrawing their support now could be a crippling blow to the company. The stark reality was that they lacked the money required to buy out these shareholders.Debra, however, maintained her composure. "If anyone wishes to leave, just sign here and leave."The shareholders weren't sure about the situation. One of them pointed at Debra and snapped, "Well then, we'll all withdraw our shares. If you can't produce the funds, we'll settle this in court."With that declaration, they began to file out of the house.In the aftermath, at least half of the people present in the hall had departed. Debra surveyed the remaining managers and directors, her expression unreadable. "Is there anyone else who wishes to leave? You can have your pay now."One of the executives stepped forward and said, "We're here because of Mr. Frazier. Now that he's gone, there's no reason for us to remain."Several ot
The next day, Debra initiated the transfer of five billion dollars into the accounts of the former board members.By the time the city was fully awake, Frazier Group had officially declared bankruptcy.Reporters swarmed like bees, buzzing with questions and eager to get Debra's take on the sudden collapse. She stepped out of her car and headed toward the entrance of the McKinney Group headquarters when microphones were thrust into her face, a barrage of questions following her every step."Ms. Frazier, do you have any comments on Frazier Group's bankruptcy?""There are reports that Mr. Frazier embezzled hundreds of millions and misappropriated one billion in public funds. He's facing decades in prison. What's your view on this?""Ms. Frazier, there's talk that you're remarrying Mr. Nichols. Is there any truth to that?"...The questions came thick and fast, but Debra remained stoic as she walked straight toward the building.Ben stepped in, blocking the reporters. "Sorry, Ms. F
If Debra, the person in charge, ever decided to step into the glittering world of show business, one could only imagine the storm she'd stir. The mere thought of it was exhausting.Debra stood up and patted Ben's shoulder. "I have every confidence in you, Ben. You can handle this. Consider your bonus doubled."Ben, however, couldn't summon even a hint of joy at the news.In the afternoon, Debra found herself seated across from Erica in a café downstairs. Erica nearly choked on her coffee when Debra shared her news."You're entering showbiz?" Erica sputtered, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "You can't be serious."Debra raised an eyebrow. "Why the surprise?"Erica leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Even though the Frazier Group went bankrupt, you still have the McKinney Group. There's no need for you to step into that circus and invite all that gossip."Celebrities were dazzling to commoners, but in their elite circle, celebrities were commodities and pawns to be mo
The coffee in Debra's hand sloshed onto the ground. Marion, in a swift motion, bent down and wiped the stain from her high heels."Sorry, I'm late," he murmured.Debra was taken aback. She rarely saw Marion like this—humble, remorseful, almost vulnerable.Her gaze fell upon his hands, noticing the fine scars that crisscrossed his skin and the bandage wrapped around his wrist. He was hurt.She reached out, her fingers gently encircling his arm, to inspect the injury. "You're hurt?"In the world, few people could hurt the formidable Marion.Erica paled at the sight of the bandage. "What happened? Wasn't Randy with you? Where is he?"She looked around, but there was no sign of Randy. "Is he..."Marion replied calmly, "He's still on the plane."Erica's shoulders sagged with relief, her anxiety dissipating as quickly as it had come. "I knew it. That careful guy would never risk his life on anything."Debra turned her attention back to Marion. "You've been away for days. What were
Marion drew in a sharp breath, and Debra, thinking she had caused him pain, swiftly moved closer to inspect the wound."What's wrong? I didn't use much force," she said, concern etched on her face.A faint smile tugged at the corners of Marion's mouth. Debra quickly caught on to his ruse and glared at him."I was genuinely concerned, and you're just teasing me," she chided.As she turned to leave, Marion acted swiftly, pulling her into his embrace."I was wrong. Forgive me," he whispered.The room seemed to crackle with an unspoken intimacy. Debra's face flushed with embarrassment, and she found herself torn between wanting to push Marion away and not wanting to aggravate his injuries. For a moment, the only sound in the room was the steady rhythm of their heartbeats."Hey, don't push me."Erica's muffled voice suddenly broke the silence, coming from just outside the door. Startled, Debra quickly extricated herself from Marion's embrace just as Randy and Erica stumbled into the
Debra wanted to escape, but Marion had blocked every possible way out."Debra, answer me," Marion insisted.She looked up, seeing the sincerity and longing burning within his eyes."I- I'm not divorced yet," she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Once I do, I'll give you an answer."Marion stroked her cheek. His touch was warm, almost feverish. His voice was deep and resonant. "Alright, I'll wait for you."Debra turned and opened the door, only to find Erica and Randy standing at the entrance, their ears practically pressed against the door. Her face flushed a deep shade of red, and for the first time in a long while, she looked genuinely rattled. She grabbed her bag and hurried away."I'm going with you," Erica called out, quickly following her.Randy slipped into the room, where Marion was buttoning up his shirt. "Man, you're such a flirt on the down-low. Who told you to confess now? You totally scared her off."Marion ignored Randy, his expression calm as he finis
Shelia's lips curled into a sneer as she stepped forward and slapped Debra across the face. Erica stared in shock and tried to hit back. But Shelia's bodyguards formed a barrier, blocking her path."Shelia, have you lost your mind?" Erica shouted. "How dare you hit Debra?"Debra's mouth was bleeding. Her ears rang from the force of the blow. It was clear Shelia had put all her strength into that slap.Shelia scoffed, raising her chin. "The Frazier Group is bankrupt, and she is now nothing but an empty shell. Why wouldn't I dare to hit her?"Erica shot back, "Even if the Frazier Group is bankrupt, I'm still here. You slapped Debra, and I'll make sure you pay a heavy price."Shelia smirked, unfazed. "Maybe you're not in a position to make that call.""Try me," Erica scoffed, dismissive.She was the head of the Mathis family and a relative of the Houston family. In Seamar City, no one dared to provoke her.But as she spoke, ten more bodyguards burst into the restaurant, surroundin
"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