Cathryn had believed Marion would never love anyone else. She thought he would eventually turn to her. But Debra's appearance shattered all her dreams.Cathryn clenched her fists. "If it weren't for you, Marion might hate me, but at least he wouldn't ignore me."Suddenly, the sound of a struggle echoed from outside. Several men burst into the room, surrounding Debra.Debra looked at Cathryn. "You and I are different. Do you know in which aspect?"Cathryn was taken aback, and she continued, "The person I loved fell in love with someone else. I foolishly gave him everything, thinking he would come back to me. But I realized that if someone doesn't love you, they just don't. Loving yourself is the only way to be loved by others. And I never intentionally hurt anyone. That's the difference between you and me."Just then, applause echoed from the doorway, followed by a familiar voice."What a moving speech! I almost shed a tear." Drake stepped into the living room, a cold smile on his
Kale pushed Debra into the car and placed a blindfold over her eyes.Debra frowned. "Is this necessary?""Yes, it is," Drake replied from the side. "You're too clever for your own good. I can't risk you outsmarting me again. Prevention is better than cure."Debra sighed and put on the blindfold. She didn't need to see. She already knew that Drake had bought a villa in the city center.According to their plan, Marion should be waiting outside the villa by now.Cathryn, sitting in the front, looked at Debra through the rearview mirror."What are you planning to do with Debra?""Miss Bernard, you've achieved your goal. Why do you still care about her life or death?""Are you going to kill her?"If Debra returned to Marion alive, all her efforts today would be in vain.Drake raised an eyebrow. "Do you want her to live or die?"The question caught Cathryn off guard. She hesitated, unsure of how to answer.She had never taken a life before. But if she let Debra live, she would ne
Cathryn's face paled as she realized that Drake had no intention of killing Debra."Then why did you even ask for my opinion earlier? How could you do this?" Cathryn's voice grated on Drake's nerves, making him rub his ears in annoyance.He couldn't stand stupid people, especially clueless heiresses like Cathryn.But given her connection to Liza, he felt compelled to explain, "If I killed Debra, wouldn't Marion come after me?"Cathryn was taken aback. "So, from the beginning, you never intended to help me? You just wanted to kidnap Debra to threaten Marion?"Debra chuckled, "Wrong answer. If he wanted to kidnap me, he would have done it already. Why go through all this trouble to have you negotiate with me first? He wanted to drag you into this. Now that you've helped him kidnap me, you're in the same boat as him."Cathryn's face paled. She hadn't expected Drake to be so calculating. "Why me?"She would rather have Marion hate her than know she was the one plotting against him.
Across town at the Eaton Mansion, Garland was doing a handstand against the wall, groaning in discomfort. "How much longer?"Juan glanced at his watch and said blandly, "Ten minutes for each wrong answer. There are 32 questions on the test. You got 31 wrong. Do the math.""What? Are you insane? Are you here to tutor me or torture me? I'm gonna tell my dad about this," Garland exclaimed."Go ahead. Let's see whose side he takes," Juan replied nonchalantly.Just as Juan reached for his tea cup, his hand suddenly trembled, and the cup fell to the floor, shattering into pieces."Hey! Those cups are expensive. Be careful," Garland scolded."Got it," Juan said as he bent down to pick up the shards.Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his finger. Blood dripped onto the broken porcelain. Juan frowned, looking at his injured finger.At his newly acquired estate, Drake removed Debra's blindfold as Kale opened the car door.Debra stepped out to see an expansive garden with artificial hil
"I..." Cathryn struggled to find the right words.Drake stepped in. "Miss Bernard intended to make amends with Mrs. Houston, isn't that right?""Yes, that's right," Cathryn said, her smile forced.Liza scoffed, "Cathryn, you're too kind. Why bother making amends with her? If you want Marion, I'll have my dad help you."Debra couldn't help but laugh at Liza's words.Liza glared at her. "What are you laughing at?""Nothing," Debra replied, restraining her smile. "I just think your dad is amazing. He can even help snatch someone else's husband. It seems there's nothing he can't do here.""Of course," Liza boasted, then realized she was being mocked. "Are you making fun of me?""Not at all," Debra said, her expression sincere. "I meant every word."Liza fumed, "This woman is infuriating. Drake, I want her out of here."Drake smirked but made no move to comply."Are you dull? Didn't you hear me?" Liza demanded.Cathryn quickly intervened, grabbing her hand. "Liza, please don't.
Liza was in a foul mood, and Cathryn was in no state to comfort her."Liza, I'm not feeling well either. I'm going upstairs to rest," Cathryn said. "What's wrong with everyone today?" Liza muttered, bewildered.Upstairs, Kale pushed open the guest room door to reveal a room with windows nailed shut and door locks removed.Debra turned to Drake. "What's the meaning of this?""You're the head of the McKinney Group, always keeping a low profile. The last time you revealed your identity, it gave me quite a shock. I can't risk you escaping through the window," Drake replied.Debra walked to the window, examining the iron plates that sealed it shut. She laughed suddenly.Drake frowned. "What are you laughing at?""I'm laughing at how smart you are sometimes. Yet sometimes..." Debra turned to face him, her expression serious. "You're brilliant."With the windows sealed so tightly, Marion would surely notice from outside. It would be easy for him to pinpoint her location. Perfect for
"I don't think so," Kale replied. "According to our previous intel, Debra might have relapsed on our new type of drug. Once one is hooked, there's no going back, especially if they've relapsed.""You're right," Drake said, picking up his newspaper again. "Debra is just bluffing. She doesn't want to admit she can't handle her addiction and is too proud to ask for help. So, she's pretending to cooperate.""Exactly," Kale agreed."Make her suffer a bit. If she asks to see me, tell her I'm busy," Drake ordered."Understood," Kale said, quickly leaving the room.It was already eight in the evening, and dinner had been prepared and sent to Debra's room.She looked at the array of dishes on the cart—salmon tartare, cherry foie gras, filet mignon, creamy corn soup."Mrs. Houston, here is your dinner," the maid said."Do you have stewed fish, braised beef, and salads? Oh, I don't like carrots, but anything else is fine," Debra requested."Of course, Mrs. Houston. We'll prepare that for
In the guest room, Lara sat across from Debra, asking, "Ms. Frazier, is there something you wanted to talk to me about?""Yvonne is dead. Have you heard?" Debra asked pointedly.Lara stiffened. The news had spread far and wide, and everyone in Orkgate knew about it."Yvonne gave up everything for Drake," Debra continued. "She was the heiress to the Sharp family, and Drake killed her without a second thought. If he finds out you're holding evidence against him, what do you think he'll do to you?"Lara hesitated before responding, "Ms. Frazier, did you come here all for that phone?""Drake has established himself here and is practically the Eaton family's son-in-law," Debra explained. "Finding a maid in the Lowe family shouldn't be difficult, but you are a pawn in Drake's hands. He won't let you escape his control easily. That's why I had to take a risk to come here."She extended her hand. "Give me the phone."Before Lara could respond, the door suddenly burst open, and Drake sto
Everyone nodded at Marion's call. They split tasks fast.Randy drove Erica toward the Osborne Mansion, speeding through the dark.When they parked, he didn't budge from the driver's seat."Don't stress. I'm here with you," Erica said, squeezing his hand.She knew what ate at him. If Enoch was really the Illuminati's head, it would spark a war. His relationship with Enoch would be unmendable."I never saw this coming," Randy said, his face shadowed with a rare gloom.He had always known Enoch didn't care about him, Yvette, or their family.In fact, he had never known much about Enoch. Without Theda's hunch today, he'd never have linked Enoch to the Illuminati."If Enoch is tied to them, what will you do?" Erica asked, watching him closely.She knew that blood was thicker than water."I don't know." Randy shook his head.Being the heir to the Osborne family never mattered to him, but he could not deny his bloodline.If it came to picking sides, he didn't know if he'd back Mar
His teacher had been worried about that.Randy had racked his brain, wondering what a dad should be like. He'd wanted to roughhouse like other kids, only to receive cold stares.His mother always brushed it off, telling him not to chase fatherly love."Randy?" Erica's voice yanked him back."Huh?" He blinked, seeing everyone's concerned stares."I called you a dozen times. Why were you zoning out?" Erica frowned.Randy grinned weakly. "Well, Theda's got a point. Now I'm kind of suspecting him too.""She left a minute ago," Erica pointed out, squinting at him."I'm not covering for my dad," Randy said. "She made sense. Maybe I'll swing at home. If he's the Illuminati's head, he will be in the valley.""You were absent-minded while we hashed out the plan. Now you're playing seriously?" Erica teased. "We're not pointing fingers at your dad, just saying Theda's theory holds water. If you want to check, I'll go with you. We'll watch each other's backs."She didn't say it out loud,
Theda added, "When Jeffery ditched the Nichols family, even with his smarts, he couldn't build up enough money and power to challenge the four families that fast. Someone had his back. He once told me not to judge a book by its cover. You never know who's laughing last."Her cryptic words left them puzzled.Debra asked, "So, who do you suspect?""I'd say Enoch Osborne," Theda replied.The name dropped like a bomb. Everyone froze and then swung their eyes to Randy.Randy gaped. "My dad? No way. He's a stiff old fart, decent at business but the weakest of the four families. Calling him lazy is generous. He's a stubborn rock. How could he be the head of the Illuminati?""Don't sell your old man short," Theda said. "The last generation of the four families got hit hard. But your family? Only your mother lost it. Your father has played it safe, staying low-key and outlasting them all. I bet he's the one Jeffery meant."She shrugged. "Could be wrong. But if it's him, you're in deeper
It wasn't that Debra's crew was weak, but the Illuminati was too strong.The room fell silent.Theda continued, "Everyone here is riding your call. You know what happens when you throw pebbles at a tank, right?""I'm not backing off. We've got our reasons," Debra replied."I'm not here to talk you out of it," Theda said. "I'm saying if you need me, I'm in."Everyone blinked, caught off guard. She smiled, "What? Surprised I'd join? Or wondering why? Forget Robert's ties to you. You've already done me solids in Seamar City. I can't pay you back much, but I can pitch in here.""How do you plan to help?" Erica asked."Inside job. Boosts our odds," Theda replied. "I worked with Jeffery before. Being a Buchan, he cut me slack. With his Illuminati ties, they might trust me too. Need a message slipped in or intel dug out? I've got you.""You don't have to..." Debra started."No convincing me otherwise," Theda cut in. "It's not just for you. Juan's blood to me. Call it a favor he owes.
"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