"Get in!" Kale shoved Debra into Drake's bedroom.The sharp scent of wine clung to her like a second skin. Her hair and clothes were stained, droplets dripping onto the floor.Drake stepped out of the bathroom. His white bathrobe hung loosely, and beads of water rolled off his damp hair.Debra's gaze flickered across his body, noting the scars etched into his skin. They mirrored what she had seen on Marion.Catching her stare, Drake smirked, "Enjoying the view? Want me to take it all off?"Debra snapped her eyes away. "No need. There's nothing worth seeing."Drake snorted, glancing at her bedraggled appearance. "You sure know how to make an entrance, don't you? Wrecked millions of dollars' worth of wine. Is this your way of trying to get me mad enough to kill you?""I value my life. Dying's not on my agenda.""Then what were you thinking, destroying my wine cellar?"His voice grew darker, his irritation palpable beneath the surface."So, tell me. How are you going to compensa
Drake nodded. "You've got a point."Debra continued to say, "So, I want to take down the man who played with my heart. It's only fair, right?""Fair," Drake echoed. "If someone played with my feelings like that, I wouldn't just kill them. I'd make sure they bled first."Debra pressed on. "I'm not here to sacrifice myself for some guy. I've lost everything—my family, my position in the McKinney Group. I can't even go back to Seamar City. I'm asking for a chance to work for you here in Orkgate. I'll make enough money to exact my revenge."Drake chuckled, "So, you want to deal cards at my casino?""That's right." Debra didn't hesitate.Kale frowned, but Drake was interested."Alright, I'll give you a chance.""Really?""Yeah.""Does that mean you won't lock me up anymore?""Of course," Drake said, turning to Kale. "Get her some clean clothes.""Yes, sir." Kale cast a sidelong glance at Debra and left the room.Drake tossed a towel toward her. "Go take a shower."Debra caught
Debra had no choice; there was nothing else in the room to wear. With a reluctant sigh, she slipped into the dress. As she opened the bathroom door, Drake's gaze flickered over.The black dress clung to her body, accentuating her every curve. The intricate lacework caressed her skin, making her hourglass waist impossible to overlook.Drake's eyes roamed over her, and he swallowed.Sensing the intensity of his stare, Debra sulked, "What kind of clothes did you prepare for me?"Drake looked away and replied coolly, "Your work uniform.""Work uniform?" Debra glanced down at the dress. "You expect me to work like this?""Got a problem with that?""Isn't it a bit too revealing?"Though Debra didn't mind wearing mature clothing, this dress was far too provocative.Drake stepped closer, his tone cold and firm. "Your only value to me is your pretty face and that perfect body. You're here to attract clients, nothing more. Tonight is just a trial run. If you think you can't handle it, j
"Why not?""You can't tell? Kale has it out for me. I'm afraid he'll get rid of me when you're not looking.""Kale isn't that kind of man. He follows my orders to the letter.""I don't care. I want you to take me.""You want me to escort you? That's quite the request.""Come on, just take me. With you around, I would have nothing to worry about."Her words were thinly veiled jabs at Kale, who listened quietly outside the room.Drake found her antics mildly entertaining. Against his better judgment, he nodded."Alright, I can do that."Debra's eyes lit up, but he added, "But that's a waste of my time. Who is going to clean up the mess in the cellar?""Seriously? You've got a house full of servants.""They all come with a price."His implication was clear, and Debra had to give in."I'll do it.""You've got until morning. If you finish, I'll take you there. If not...""I'll finish it. I'm doing it right away."But Drake stopped her once again."Now what?""Change into t
Debra surveyed the spilled wine and toppled barrels. Even with ten cleaning staff laboring through the night, it was impossible to clean up.Drake was doing this on purpose to give her a hard time.If she wanted him to escort her to the casino, she needed to rethink her strategy.Seizing a fleeting opportunity before Kale returned, Debra darted to the first floor.A maid spotted her and asked, "Ms. Frazier, why are you out of the cellar? Mr. Lowe ordered that you can't leave until it's cleaned up."Debra forced a nervous smile. "I was scared down there all alone. Have you seen Kale? He was with me, but I looked around, and he just disappeared."The maid paused. "I think I saw him go upstairs a while ago. He'll probably be back soon. If you're scared, I can be down there with you."Debra hesitated. "But Mr. Lowe said no one else is allowed down there except Kale. And I just found out the detergent was running out. Could you grab me a bottle? I'll wait down there.""Sure, I'll ge
The maid halted mid-step, her body going rigid with fear.Kale's cold voice followed her. "I didn't do anything. Why are you running?"The maid trembled. "Yes, Mr. Mclean. You did nothing."Debra seized the moment. "I know you don't like me, but I swear I never meant any harm to Mr. Lowe. Please, just let me go."Understanding dawned in Kale's eyes. Fury simmered beneath the surface as he muttered, "Debra, you..."Before he could finish, Debra closed her eyes and collapsed to the ground.The maid freaked out and dashed upstairs, shouting, "Help! Ms. Frazier has fainted."Kale looked down at Debra, frustration etched across his features.Lara pounded on Drake's bedroom door, urgency in her voice. "Boss, something is wrong.""Come in," Drake said.Lara opened the door, only to find Drake changing his shirt. She quickly bowed her head and reported, "Ms. Frazier passed out in the wine cellar.""What?" Drake was surprised. "Where's Kale?""He was there when it happened. The maid
Knowing Kale as an honest man, Drake turned back to the maid."What happened next? Don't leave anything out.""After that, Ms. Frazier said she wouldn't hurt you and begged Mr. Mclean to let her go. Mr. Mclean got angry, and Ms. Frazier collapsed."Kale couldn't argue with that. He just explained, "Debra asked me to get her some detergent, which is why I went upstairs. When I came back, the maid on the first floor was gone, so I hurried down to the basement. That's when I spotted Debra sneaking around the corner. Everything that followed was part of her plan. Boss, you can't trust her."Drake asked, "So, her faint is fake?""I believe so," Kale replied seriously. "I never touched her. If we can prove that her fainting is fake, we can expose her lies."Drake glanced at him and then at Debra, who was lying on the ground.Just then, Lara came with the doctor. "Boss, the doctor is here.""Good," Drake replied curtly, signaling for the doctor to check on Debra.The doctor knelt bes
Standing before Drake, Kale kept his head down."Boss, this was all Debra's setup. You have to believe me.""You said she was faking. Then go ahead and cut her. Let's see if she wakes up.""Okay."Without hesitation, Kale drew a knife from his belt, bringing it to Debra's throat.Yet, as the blade hovered dangerously close, Debra remained utterly still.Kale's expression shifted to grim realization. Drake placed his empty glass down on the table with a sharp clink."In our line of work, if you can't even tell when someone's genuinely unconscious or just pretending, then you're doing it wrong."The doctor's earlier examination had left no room for doubt. Drake knew Kale had just lost his judgment in the heat of the moment."I understand you're worried about me," Drake continued. "But she's just a woman. No matter how clever she might think she is, she can't outsmart me here in Orkgate.""Yes, sir," Kale replied, his voice reluctant but obedient.Drake waved him off. "It's lat
"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