Debra twisted open a bottle of water and rinsed her mouth."I've heard that people who love to speed tend to get concussions. Be careful. Don't die from them in your sleep.""Don't worry. I'll live longer than you and Marion."His phone rang, and Drake sneered, "See? That's less than 20 minutes."Then he spoke into the phone. "Just bring them over."Kale hesitated. "Boss, we haven't caught them yet.""What the hell? Then why are you calling me?""We've found out his identity.""Who?"Kale revealed the answer, and Drake fell silent.Noticing his dark expression, Debra asked deliberately, "Found them? Where are they?"Drake hung up the phone, tossing the car keys to her. "It's time to close the net. Just go ahead and park the car in the garage.""Park the car? Me?" Debra blinked.Another car quickly pulled up. The driver got out and opened the car door for Drake."Kale asked me to pick you up, boss."Drake nodded and slid into the car.Debra narrowed her eyes, feeling tha
Faced with the threat, Juan remained composed. "I didn't tamper with the car."Drake was unimpressed. "Then how did you know this?""I saw it," Juan replied."You expect me to believe that?" Drake scoffed. "Debra is your ex-wife. You're telling me you just stood by when someone tampered with her car?"Juan explained, "I couldn't show up in front of her. I could only give her a hint."Drake was swayed, and he continued, "I could have just left, but I chose to warn her. You can ask her for confirmation. If she hadn't seen me, she wouldn't have checked the car."Drake paused. "Fine, let's say you're telling the truth. But I didn't invite you to Orkgate. You're not the CEO of the Nichols Group anymore, which means you can no longer fulfill what you promised me. Our deal is off the table. What are you doing here now on my turf?"Back when Juan rescued Debra, Drake could have finished him off. He hadn't done so only because Juan had proposed working with him to deal with Marion. The s
"You're lying," Drake asserted. "Maybe I'm not as cunning as you, but don't underestimate me."He stepped closer to Juan. "You promised me those shares, then turned around and promised the same to Debra. You were playing both sides, making me work for you for nothing. Am I right?"Juan smiled coolly, "You're overthinking it."Drake scoffed, "Don't take me for a fool. You signed a share transfer agreement with Debra. In three months, the Nichols Group automatically goes to her, making your promise to me null and void. You've been paving the way for her, and now you want me to take them from her?"Juan chuckled, "You're not that dull after all."Drake's expression darkened. "Debra was targeted as soon as he got the share transfer agreement from Theda. I saw the car; they didn't want to kidnap her. They wanted her dead. The car explosion would have burned everything, including that agreement."Their intention was clear. They didn't want Debra to have that agreement."You're clever,
Kale made way for her, and the guards pushed open the door.The room was empty, and only the sound of water running came from the bathroom.Kale got out and closed the door behind him. Debra wanted to leave, but two steaming cups of tea on the table caught her attention. It meant someone else had just been there.The room was thick with the smell of tobacco. It was Drake's signature cigar, but the other ashtray was clean, meaning the other person didn't smoke.She wondered who it could be when the bathroom door suddenly swung open.Drake appeared, his neck draped in a towel. A bathrobe hung loosely over his frame.Debra gave him a once-over instead of looking away.Having planned to intimidate her, Drake now shifted under her gaze. Any other woman would have shyly turned away.He remembered the last time he had been in the shower. She had walked in and stared at him the same way.This woman had no sense of modesty whatsoever."What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a man b
With her plan exposed, Debra lost the patience to keep sparring with Drake."You're right. It's getting late. I should head back."Before Drake could protest, she added, "You shouldn't be out right after a shower. Why don't you have me sent back and stay here for the night?""Since when do you make decisions for me?" Drake stood up, turning to Kale. "Go get the car.""Boss, are you sure you want to go out dressed like that?" Kale pointed out.Drake looked down at his robe before irritably ripping the towel from around his neck and throwing it at Debra. "Get out."Debra caught the towel and tossed it back, turning to leave the suite without a backward glance.Kale hurried after her. Anyone else would have been in serious trouble for defying Drake like that.Leaning against the wall outside, Debra sighed, "Does Mr. Lowe always take this long to get ready?"Kale didn't respond, his face stoic.Debra pressed on, "Who did he meet with today?"Kale remained silent.Debra knew she
By the time Debra returned to the Lowe Manion, it was already well past midnight.The living room was chaotic. Garland was anxiously holding back Marion.He said, "Mrs. Houston will be fine. Mr. Lowe has gone to find her."Liza echoed, "Yes. They will be fine."Marion's sharp gaze daunted her, but she would not step aside, especially since Garland was doing his best to stop Marion from leaving."Move!" Marion demanded, dressed in nothing but a white shirt.His sleeves were rolled up, and his face was pale. He was about to shake them off when Debra's voice came over. "Marion."The anger in Marion's eyes vanished instantly, while Garland and Liza both heaved a sigh of relief.Finally, Debra was back. Otherwise, they might have lost control of the situation.Despite his injury, Marion was as strong as a horse. He had dominated overseas for a reason.Garland was exhausted and wiped his sweat."What happened? Are you all right?" Marion asked, hurrying over to check on her.Debra
"Ugh!" Drake stormed upstairs with frustration.The confrontation ended as abruptly as it had begun.Liza shook her head, totally disappointed. "I thought we were going to see an epic showdown. All that buildup was for nothing. We still don't know who's stronger.""Obviously, it's Marion," Garland declared.Suddenly, a shoe came flying down from upstairs, hitting him squarely on the head."Ow!" he yelped, turning around. "Who did that?"Drake stood at the top of the stairs, feigning an apology. "Sorry. My hand slipped."Garland's anger vanished when he saw who it was. He laughed dryly, "No big deal. Just be more careful."Drake walked away, heading to his room.Garland punched the air with his fist, muttering under his breath, "You're nothing compared to Marion. You deserve to be stuck in Orkgate."Then something occurred to him. It was from a document Juan had forced him to read.It wrote that Drake wasn't related to the former head of the Lowe family by blood. He was just
The sudden sound of heavy footsteps outside interrupted the sweet moment.Debra frowned. "What is Drake doing in the middle of the night?"She gently pushed him onto the bed. "Stay here and rest. I'll go check it out.""Alright," Marion agreed, taking her hand. "Come back soon.""I will," Debra promised, slipping out of the room.Outside, Drake's men streamed in, carrying files in their arms.Debra figured they were probably the people Drake had sent to gather information on the local businesses, but the sheer volume surprised her.A bodyguard passed through the long line and rushed upstairs."Boss! We caught the person who tampered with the car."Drake emerged from his room. "Bring them to me.""They're right outside," the guard replied.Debra was impressed by the efficiency of Drake's team. But as the person was dragged up front, she frowned skeptically.It was a teenager dressed in an ordinary black hoodie. Immaturity and nervousness adorned his face."You were the one
The journey into the mountains was unlikely to be peaceful.Marion sensed her unease and took her hand in his. "Don't worry. I'll bring enough people to ensure everyone's safety.""Alright." Debra nodded.Precaution was indeed necessary.That night, she knocked on Andrew's door."Come in," came his calm voice from inside.She pushed the door open and saw Andrew playing chess under the dim glow of a single lamp."Andrew," she started."I know." Andrew lifted his gaze and said, "You're eager to find out who's behind all this."Debra paused. "Is the treasure really hidden in that mountain?""I don't know.""You don't?""That mountain was leveled by my ancestors decades ago. They spent five years on the project, but after that, the land was left untended and eventually became overgrown. Now, it's nothing more than an ordinary mountain trail. I've sent people to search for it before, but they found nothing.""So, you suspected all along that this mountain might be hiding someth
Debra noticed everyone's eyes had settled on her.She asked, "Remember those ledgers?""Yeah. The ledgers only contained numbers alongside regular inventory records," Erica replied.Debra mused, "If those four ledgers truly hide a treasure map, could those numbers represent geographical coordinates?"Erica shook her head. "But there are so many numbers. How could it be..."Marion cut in, "It's possible."Randy tilted his head. "How so?"Marion explained, "31°N and 120°E mark Seamar City's position relative to the equator, but Seamar City has more precise coordinates."Debra said smoothly, "Seamar City spans from 120°52' to 122°12' east longitude and 30°40' to 31°53' north latitude. Don't the numbers 30 and 120 seem familiar?"Erica clapped her hands. "Those numbers appeared repeatedly in the ledgers. They were highlighted in red.""What if they correspond to coordinates centered around Seamar City's downtown?" Debra said."30... 120..." Erica murmured, her finger tracing the
While the others might not know Debra's uniqueness, Andrew certainly did."Sir, shouldn't we thank Mr. Nichols?" Barton said."It's best not to contact him at this time." Andrew shook his head. "The mastermind wants to reap the benefits without lifting a finger. Why not grant his wish and find the treasure?""But if we do that, won't Seamar City fall into chaos?""Seamar City is already in chaos. I'll set off another fire."...Debra and the others returned to the Potter Mansion.Barton greeted them, holding old scrolls covered in dust."Where are you going with all that?" Erica asked wonderingly.Barton glanced at the scrolls in his hand and said, "These are maps of the old city area from decades ago. Mr. Andrew Potter said they need to be aired out to remove the musty smell, so I took them out, planning to air them tomorrow morning.""Maps of the old city area?" Garland curiously remarked. "Can I take a look?""Come on. They're so dirty," Liza chimed in."You don't unders
In the office of Donaldson Corporation, Vickie was fuming.She complained, "Juan never intended to help me. He was just pretending to switch sides. Boss, this mess was all because of him."She pointed at Juan, who frowned with displeasure.Across from her was a man sitting behind the desk. His posture was straight in a sharp suit, but his face was covered with a white mask, making it impossible to read his emotions.He croaked, "Is that so?"Juan sneered, "Such a petty scheme was never going to shake Debra's standing. She has Marion and Andrew by her side. As long as those two are alive, the McKinney Group will remain untouchable, standing strong against us."He turned his gaze toward Vickie and added, "No offense, but she's useless. Aside from bearing a slight resemblance to Debra, she has nothing of value."Vickie glared at Juan, seething with rage. She wanted to lash out but dared not go out of line in front of the masked man."I think you're just hung up on Debra," she snor
On the big screen, a comparison of Vickie's before-and-after photos appeared. The details were thorough with her initial consultation, follow-up appointments, and the final results of her plastic surgery.It also included information about Vickie's so-called adoptive father. This proof was solid.A reporter stood up and asked, "A recent article from New Age has been accused of containing false information. Mrs. Houston, was this article published under your instruction?"Garland tried to get up and clarify, but Debra beat him to it.She replied calmly, "That article was written by a friend of mine. He was too eager to clear my name to verify the content. It was provided by a third party and later proved to be a trap. If anyone wishes to know the details, you may approach me after this press conference. I will provide you a copy and let you see their filthy tricks."Another journalist followed up, "Mrs. Houston, how can you prove that you are the real heiress?""Vickie claimed to
Vickie was touching up her makeup backstage when she heard the commotion outside.She asked with a frown, "What's going on outside?""Miss Donaldson, it seems like the reporters are going to the press conference.""What?" Vickie stood up and looked outside.Sure enough, only a few cameramen remained. Those reporters had vanished."Where did they go? Why would they suddenly leave?" Vickie panicked.There were only five minutes left before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They would lose face if no one attended their event."Where's Juan?" Vickie anxiously looked around, but there was no sign of him.If the reporters didn't return for the ceremony, all their efforts would go to waste."Madam, I've found out what happened," her assistant said. "Debra invited some of the most influential figures in the news industry to her event. The reporters caught wind of it and all rushed over.""So, this is her plan," Vickie muttered in surprise.She had assumed that Debra would be too overwhel
Juan's tactics were predictable, cycling through the same old tricks. Debra had anticipated this."They have a big story? So do we," Debra said calmly. "News thrives on spectacle. And we've got seasoned veterans on our side.""Seasoned veterans?" Erica's question hung in the air as Garland strode into the room."That will be me," he said confidently.Erica was surprised. "Mr. Eaton? What brings you here?""To save the day." Garland snapped his fingers.The doors swung open, revealing a lineup of New Age journalists and every heavyweight contact Garland had ever cultivated.Among them were legendary paparazzi who had exposed industry scandals, former chief editors of blockbuster publications, and elite reporters holding the hottest insider resources. Together, they formed an intimidating wall of media prowess."These are the titans of journalism," Garland introduced. "With them here, the others will just flock to us."Erica and Randy gave him a thumbs-up. In this city, only Gar
"Since they want to play games, we'll play along," Debra smirked.The car soon pulled up at the Royal Grand Hotel, where reporters had already gathered outside. The moment Debra and Marion stepped out, cameras started flashing."Mrs. Houston, do you have any response to the viral rumors about the real and fake heiresses?""Is Miss Vickie Donaldson truly the Frazier family's daughter?""Did you orchestrate the online smear campaign against her?"...The questions were sharp, each reporter eager to pry answers from Debra.She remained silent, but Marion's icy glare swept over the crowd. Instantly, the clamor died down.Randy stepped forward, flashing his trademark charm. "The press conference begins shortly. Save your questions for the session. Mrs. Houston will address them all."His words carried authority in media circles, and the crowd obediently dispersed into the hotel.Across the street, in the Donaldson Corporation's high-rise office, Juan stood by the window, his eyes
Andrew looked up at Debra."Barton mentioned you visited the attic.""I did.""What did you see?"Debra lowered her eyes. "Just some old belongings. It was a whim."Andrew didn't press further. Instead, he glanced at the white gown she wore and asked, "Are you heading out?""There's a press conference. I need to resolve some matters.""I've heard bits about the online rumors. They don't seem critical, but if you need my help, I'll have arrangements made.""It's fine. I can handle them," she said, standing up. "Take care.""I will." Andrew nodded.Debra paused at the door, and he asked, "Is there anything else?""I had a dream.""A dream?""In it, I seemed to have lived here for a while. The attic was a beautiful room. A gentle boy stayed by my side and told me stories."Debra wanted to ask if Andrew knew anything or if he was that boy.But when she turned back, Andrew's expression remained unchanged. "A dream is just a dream. I don't recall meeting you in my childhood."