All eyes turned to the new arrival, and the room fell silent as they recognized Juan.Everyone knew that Debra was once Juan's wife, and their recent divorce made his presence even more unsettling.Juan and Marion were both powerful figures not to be trifled with.Randy was stunned. "What the hell? How did he get in? What were the guards doing?"He moved to intercept Juan, but before he could, Juan's men rushed in.Debra frowned. "Today's event is hosted by the Potter family, not the Nichols family. Are you trying to challenge all of us here by doing this?"Although Juan had been the dominant force in Seamar City for years, the combined strength of the five families was not something he could easily overcome.Juan glanced around at the guests and replied coolly, "You stole Drake's guests. Can't I come and do the same?""Juan, don't get cocky," Randy shouted, pushing past a bodyguard and coming out of the crowd.Erica followed suit, standing beside him."You had your days," Ra
The lollipop dangled from Marion's mouth like a cigar.While the guests were confused, he casually raised his hand, and several guards immediately rushed inside.Juan's bodyguards were good, but they couldn't compare to these people, who were trained according to military standards. Tension rose in an instant.The crowd fidgeted, afraid of getting caught in the crossfire."I'd like to see who dares to walk out of this door today," Marion said calmly.His guards drew their electric batons, and the crowd gulped nervously.Ever since Marion arrived in Seamar City, he had kept a profile so low that people had forgotten how he had made his name known.Even though he was now the head of the Houston Group and had toned down his behavior, he still could do things recklessly.The choice between money and life became clear to everyone present. Those who had been swayed by Juan's words now dared not move again.Their choice became clear, and Juan was not delighted.Marion walked up to h
"You didn't tell me about the engagement part," Debra said to Marion.She had noticed something different earlier when she entered the banquet hall, but she didn't believe Marion was behind it."Not my idea," Marion replied. "When I was pushed downstairs, they only told me to change my clothes. They didn't mention it was an engagement party.""They?" Debra's gaze shifted to Randy and Erica. "It was you guys."Randy smiled awkwardly, and Erica quickly explained, "Well, the last engagement party didn't go as planned. We wanted to make up for it, but who knew..."No one had expected Juan's arrival to cause trouble. It was infuriating.Debra turned back to Marion. "I thought you were planning a surprise for me."It would have been a pleasant surprise if it weren't for the disturbance.Marion pinched her nose and said, "Who said I didn't plan anything? It's just that they took matters into their own hands and almost ruined my plans.""Wait, you had plans and didn't tell us?" Randy
It was easy to get here but hard to get out."Mr. Eaton Sr. has only one daughter. He wants you to take care of her and keep her out of harm's way, or else..." Kale didn't finish his words, but the underlining meaning was clear.Drake rubbed his temples. "I see. If she wants to move in, let her. As long as she doesn't cause any trouble, I'll protect her."Women were just stepping stones for him. Once he had control of the Eaton family, he would have the necessary power to beat Marion."I'll arrange a room for her right away."Drake then recalled the revelation of Debra being the head of the McKinney Group. But even though she was powerful, she would yield to his drugs.He murmured, "Hold out for as long as you can, Debra."The second wave of the drugs' effects was underway. Without the cure, no one could tough it out. He believed it wouldn't take long before she crawled back to him.The party ended. Randy and Erica directed their staff to clean up.Debra watched them bicker an
Debra was startled, worried that it was Marion. She couldn't let him see her like that.She quickly braced herself against the bathroom door, and sure enough, Marion's anxious voice rang out from the other side. "Debra?"She barely managed, "It's just collywobbles. Just go wait outside."Her tone was a bit reproachful, and Marion frowned. "Did you eat something bad tonight?""Yeah, maybe," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "Can you go get me some medicine?"Marion agreed, "Okay, I'll be right back."Debra breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Marion leave. She tottered to the bathtub and splashed cold water on her face, trying to stay conscious. Her hands were shaking so much that the water soaked her clothes.Marion came back and knocked lightly. "I'll leave the medicine on the table. Andrew wants to see me. I'll be back soon.""Go ahead. I'll be fine," Debra managed, hanging on a shard of senses.As Marion's footsteps faded away, she opened the bathroom door, tr
Randy and Erica burst into the room, only to find Debra clamping down on Marion's arm with her teeth.Shocked, Randy rushed forward to separate them.But Marion stopped him. "Don't move.""What? Your arm is bleeding." Randy was confused, but he quickly noticed Debra's unusual pallor.He touched her forehead and found it was burning.Erica stood by, anxious. "What's going on? What happened to Debra?""Say no more," Randy said with a grim expression, grabbing her arm. "We need to get out of here.""What? No, we can't just leave," Erica said anxiously, calling out to Debra.But Debra seemed oblivious and looked painful."Let's leave." Randy pulled Erica back and dragged her out of the room.Andrew was already outside. Erica rushed to him."Debra is sick. Please call a doctor.""I already did. But remember, don't let anyone else know about this.""I understand. I'll go find William," Randy responded with rare seriousness.Erica, sensing the gravity of the situation, muttered,
Marion clenched his fist. He knew the feeling all too well. Trying to quit was harder than death itself. He couldn't bear to see Debra in such pain, but he had to stay strong."Marion. Look at me. Can you bear to see me in such pain? Marion..." Debra's mind was a mess, and her desperate desire to escape the pain had taken over her rationality.Marion's heart was in turmoil.Just then, Andrew entered the room with the doctors, who rushed to Debra's side and tried to restrain her on the bed."Marion!" Debra cried out in horror.Marion growled, "Step aside."The doctors exchanged glances, hesitating.Marion repeated, "I said, step aside.""Listen to him," Andrew ordered, and the doctors backed away.Seeing how scared Debra was, Marion patted her back and soothed her. "Have a sleep. It'll be okay. And I'm sorry."With those words, he struck her on the back of the neck, knocking her unconscious. Debra slumped into his arms."Debra..." Erica ran out of the room, unable to bear the
Marion stubbed out his cigarette.He had promised Debra he would quit smoking, but today, he relapsed.He had also promised her that he would stay away from the underworld, but just moments ago, he realized that laying down his weapons gave others the chance to put a knife to his throat."Do it," Marion said calmly.His men swiftly moved in, apprehending all the security guards in the courtyard.Inside the house, Kale rushed into Drake's bedroom, his face etched with urgency. "Boss, Marion is here."Drake tensed up, not expecting Marion to have the guts to show up again.Footsteps echoed through the house, followed by the shattering of glass and ceramics."Smash everything," Marion commanded, his voice hellish.Drake narrowed his eyes, about to get up, when a bullet whizzed past his ear, drawing blood."Boss!" Kale exclaimed, but Drake raised a hand to stop him.Kale stood protectively in front of Drake as Marion appeared at the doorway, holding a silenced pistol that was st
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