In the cabin, Drake rested his face on his hand and stared at the mirror that displayed Debra's every move."Sir...""What do you think she's doing?""She..."Peter looked over and saw Debra curling up in the corner, unmoving."Maybe she's scared.""Scared?"Drake raised an eyebrow. He'd seen people terrified out of their minds in this same room, but none of them acted like Debra.That was not fear."Make some noise.""Yes, sir."Peter went out, and soon after, the muffled sound of women screaming echoed from the adjacent room. Debra, however, remained in the same position.Peter returned. "It's done, sir."Drake frowned, observing Debra's lack of reaction."Is the mirror tampered with?" he asked, suddenly standing up. "Go open the door.""Huh?"Peter snapped out of it, grabbed the keys, and went to open the door.When it swung open, Debra remained slumped in the corner. Drake strode forward, yanking her up by the arm. Still, she didn't react.Drake frowned and felt h
Debra woke up groggily, unsure how long she had been out. The room around her was pitch black, and memories started to rush back.She remembered that she had been thrown into this dark room by Drake's people.A sharp pain shot through her arm, causing her to suck in a breath. She instinctively tried to pull her arm away, but a man's voice cut through the darkness."Don't move.""Who are you?"A nurse turned on a flashlight, and Debra squinted against the sudden brightness."You've got a fever," the nurse explained, "Mr. Lowe ordered us to treat you."Debra glanced at the discarded plastic packaging on the floor. It said fever medication.She relaxed slightly, though her tone remained cold. "How long does Drake plan on keeping me locked up in here?""That's up to Mr. Lowe," the doctor said without any emotion. "We don't question his decisions."Seeing that they were only there to treat her, Debra pressed further. "Is he planning to kill me?""If Mr. Lowe wanted you dead, he w
"Where is she?"Drake scanned the surroundings, noting that there was nowhere to escape.Peter replied, "She's still in there. It's been five minutes, and she hasn't come out yet.""Check," Drake ordered."Yes, sir." Peter banged on the restroom door, his voice harsh. "Open the door."There was no response."Mr. Lowe is here, and there is no escape. Open the damn door!" Peter's voice grew increasingly agitated, but there was still no response from inside.He looked back at Drake, confused. "Could it be that she passed out again?"Drake wasn't a man known for patience. With a swift motion, he pulled a gun from his waist and fired at the lock. The door splintered with a loud crack, and he kicked it open."Move," he barked.Rushing in, they found Debra standing by the sink, drying her hands casually.Not happy about the intrusion, she huffed, "Mr. Lowe, is there anything you need in the women's restroom?"Drake sullenly looked back at Peter, who shifted awkwardly.He barked a
Almost instinctively, Drake grabbed Debra's arm.He was shocked by her actions.Debra was already dangling off the edge of the ship, the ocean waves crashing against her ankles. All it would take was for Drake to let go, and she'd plunge straight into the sea."Mr. Lowe!" Peter was horrified. Drake's voice was filled with fury as he shouted, "What are you waiting for? Get her up.""I-I'll go get someone," Peter stammered."No need." Debra struggled against Drake's grip.But he only tightened his hold. "Are you so eager to die?""My life is my own to decide. Either you give me the respect I deserve, or..." Debra insisted.Drake gritted his teeth, anger flashing across his face. No one had ever dared threaten him like this before."Sir, I've got the rope.""Pull her up.""Yes, sir."A rope was lowered down, hanging right beside Debra. But even with it within reach, she made no move to climb up.Drake's jaw clenched, and he sighed, "Fine, you won. Get up now."Seeing that
"Sir, she's arrogant. We should just toss her into the sea and feed the sharks," Peter said.Debra's provocations had long irritated him."Shut up!" Drake silenced him with a glare.Debra was betting on the fact that Drake had something to do with the car accident that killed her and Marion's parents.If that were true, Drake would be after the supposed treasure of Seamar City, a secret guarded by the Four Great Families. Now, with the Fraizer family fallen, she was the last living heiress.He couldn't afford to kill her just yet.Seeing the defiant look in her eyes, Drake let out a bitter laugh before releasing her throat."You're a clever woman. I like that," he said.Debra let out a small sigh of relief.Drake turned to a maid nearby and instructed, "Prepare a room. Take her there.""Yes, sir." The maid rushed over, gently helping Debra to her feet.Exhausted from her ordeal, Debra could barely stand on her own.Peter watched them leave, his confusion deepening. Not only
Marion frowned, his sharp eyes catching something off. "No, this isn't right.""What's wrong?" Randy asked, confused."This ring is so small. How could it have been pulled up with a fishing net?" A ring like that should have sunk to the bottom of the water, impossible to retrieve by chance. It seemed more like someone had deliberately placed it there, making sure it would be found.Marion's instincts flared, and he said, "Where's the fisherman who found this ring? Bring him to me.""Right away," Randy stammered, finally realizing Marion was right.It was highly unlikely that a small ring could be caught in a fishing net, and even if it were, no ordinary fisherman would willingly hand over such a valuable item.Before long, the fisherman was brought before Marion by Randy's men. Looking at the trembling fisherman, Marion held up the ring. "Who told you to give this ring to me?"The fisherman's hands shook as he avoided Marion's gaze. "I-I found it. Just pulled it from the sea."
"Ms. Frazier, was that ring something important?" asked the maid.Debra forced a calm expression, trying not to give away her emotions."It's nothing. Just an expensive piece of jewelry. Since it's lost, then forget it.""Well, I'm Lara. If you need anything, just let me know.""Do you know where we're headed?""We're returning to Seamar City. We'll reach the shore in about three days."That wasn't surprising. Drake must have business in Seamar City, and that meant Debra needed to find a way to get word to Marion.The next morning, Debra awoke to the sound of knocking. The doctor had come to administer her medication again.Drake's order was clear. Debra should be cured within three days.So, every day, she was subjected to endless treatments: IV drips, injections, and pills.After examining her, the doctor nodded."Starting today, you can eat solid food again. No more plain oatmeal. You need better nutrition.""Avoid eating fish, right?""Yes.""Well, I'm starving," Debr
Peter recalled Drake's orders and swallowed his rage. He turned to the maids and ordered, "Switch it.""Yes, sir." The maids left, returning moments later with steak.Debra poked at it halfheartedly with her knife and fork before wrinkling her nose in disinterest. "Too greasy. Where did you find this chef? How does Mr. Lowe stand such low-quality food? Change it."Peter clenched his jaw, fighting to keep his composure. He barked at the maids, "What are you waiting for? Change it.""This is premium tuna.""Fish is a trigger food. Are you trying to make me sicker?""These are French-baked snails.""I don't eat bugs.""Sautéed greens.""Too plain."Finally, the maids placed a roasted lamb leg in front of Debra.She raised an eyebrow. "Too rich. Plus, I don't eat lamb."By now, Peter had reached his limit. "If you keep this up, I'll have to report this to Mr. Lowe.""Go ahead. In the worst case, I skip a few meals. It's not like I'll starve to death. At most, my recovery might
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,"
William left quickly.Marion got up to lock the door and returned to the bedside.Sitting back into the chair, he switched on a dim lamp, making sure Debra would see him first thing if she woke up."Brother..." Debra mumbled.Marion leaned in. "I'm here."Her murmurs stopped, but her hands shot up, grasping at the air. "It's so dark. Save me."He grabbed her flailing hands right away. "Don't be scared. I'm right here."But she didn't calm down. She clutched his hand, her nails scratching at his skin. "Brother, save me," she murmured, feeling like she was trapped in a pitch-black hold.Cold seawater seemed to swallow her whole. The biting chill seeped into every crack of her body. The stench of the ocean made her gag.The water was up to her chin. She stood on tiptoes, desperate for a breath in that tiny space."Save me." Her eyes flew open.Familiar surroundings came into view. Her pupils darted until they landed on Marion. Her racing heart finally slowed."Marion?" Her v
Not long after, Marion came out with Debra.William nudged Erica and Randy. "Told you it would be soon.""How's she out here fresh after surgery?" Erica gawked.Debra was supposed to recover in the hospital, but seeing her unconscious form on the stretcher, Erica figured he had his reasons."Let's go back," Jordan chimed in. "The Potter Mansion's got a top-notch medical team. If we need gear, I'll grab it.""Yeah, hospitals suck anyway," Randy said. "Let's head back. It's freezing out here."They'd planned to grab food and head in, but Erica had made them wait so Marion could have more time with Debra. Now they were all sniffling."I'm... Achoo." William sneezed again, then bolted for the car. "I'm out of there. It's freaking cold."He had treated so many patients, but this was the first time he had fallen ill.Debra, still out cold, was loaded into the back. Marion stayed close, tending to her.By the time they reached the Potter Mansion, it was the middle of the night.Wil
William rubbed his eyes in disbelief.They had taken the emergency lane to the hospital, but Marion and the others arrived right behind their heels after going through a battle."We floored it. That's not the point," Erica replied.Marion and Jordan were already striding into the hospital.Randy grabbed Erica's arm. "Come on. Let's go.""Huh? William is still here." She was puzzled.Inside, the operating room's red light glowed.Marion arrived first. The hospital director greeted him, saying, "Mrs. Houston is in surgery now. Our top doctors have assessed her. The wound's been handled perfectly, and she is out of danger."Marion's face softened a bit. Erica heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank God. She's fine now."They'd been terrified seeing Debra collapse in a pool of blood."You're wiped out. Why don't you rest a bit?" Erica said, turning to Marion."I'll wait here," he replied, his eyes glued to the red light.Until it turned green, he couldn't rest his mind at ease."Well
Michael raised an eyebrow. "My plan never included you. Does our master know you snuck here from Orkgate? And you've got the nerve to question me?"Lara glared at him, her body aching from the burns. Her face twisted with anger."Take Miss Sharp back for treatment. It will take two hours to get back, so she'll have to tough it out," Michael ordered, unfazed.Before leaving with his crew, he lamented sanctimoniously, "Such a shame, ruining a pretty face like that."Lara clenched her fists, incandescent with rage....In the ambulance, Debra coughed up another mouthful of blood. It splattered right onto William's white coat."Aw." William almost griped about the mess, holding back only at the sight of her bad condition.He had to save her, no matter what. It was a promise he'd made to Andrew.He didn't even want to think about what would happen to him if Debra didn't make it today."Maybe another shot of painkiller? We've gotta get that bullet out fast," a medic suggested."Yo