| Body |
"Get the defibrillator! Increase the voltage!"
"Doctor! The patient is experiencing massive bleeding, and the A-type blood from the blood bank was just urgently taken away."
The intern nurse's hands were covered in blood, and she trembled.
The operating room reeked of blood.
She had never seen so much blood before.
At that moment, a thought flashed through her mind.
'Who would suddenly take away A-type blood from the blood bank?'
The woman lying on the bed was pale. Her lips were dry, and her eyes started to lose focus. "Juan..."
"What?"
"Juan Nichols..."
The intern nurse made out the name murmured by Debra Frazier.
Juan Nichols was the most influential businessman in Seamar City.
The doctor was on the verge of collapse. He dialed the wrong number three times before finally getting it right. He quickly pleaded with the person on the other end of the phone, "Mr. Nichols, your wife is experiencing massive bleeding, but the blood from the blood bank has been taken away. Please, come and see her for the last time."
But Juan's voice was filled with indifference. "She's still alive? Call me when she's dead."
With that, he hung up the phone.
All the light disappeared from Debra's eyes.
'Juan, do you hate me so much? Even at this point, you wouldn't come to see me.'
The machine emitted a flat, cold beep, indicating the patient's vital signs had disappeared.
Debra felt her soul leaving her body.
Her withered, frail body collapsed weakly on the bed. Debra felt exhausted. At just twenty-seven, she passed away because of postpartum hemorrhage in the hospital.
In her lifetime, she loved Juan dearly. As the only daughter of the Frazier family, she should have enjoyed the best life.
But to marry Juan, she sacrificed herself and her family.
In the end, she met a tragic fate.
Debra slowly closed her eyes.
Given another chance, she would never make the same mistakes.
...
"Madam, Mr. Nichols wants to take you to the auction. Which outfit would you like to wear?" Sophie asked.
Debra gasped and opened her eyes.
Everything in front of her was strikingly familiar.
This place was Juan and her home.
They had been married for a month, but Juan had rarely visited her.
She remembered that Juan was attending a land auction, and due to the occasion, he had to bring his family along.
But this was all five years ago.
'How could it be? ' she thought, deeply confused, 'Am I reborn?'
"Mr. Nichols has never stayed overnight before. You should seize this opportunity." Sophie’s voice brought Debra back to reality. She picked out a white gown, hesitating. "How about this one, Madam?"
Looking at it, Debra gave a self-deprecating smile.
It was well known that Juan favored Shelia.
In the past, she often dressed like Shelia to please Juan.
Shelia liked white dresses, so she followed suit, just to earn a little favor from Juan.
For this auction, Juan didn't inform her of the change in companion and brought Shelia instead, making her look ridiculous in a white dress similar to Shelia's.
The thought of the past made her laugh.
"No, I'll wear that one," she said, picking up a red dress.
Debra never liked plain clothes. Shelia was just a poor college student. Debra felt that she must have lost her mind to wear cheap clothes for a man.
It only lowered her status and self-esteem.
"But Mr. Nichols likes white dresses," Sophie said hesitantly.
Debra simply ignored her hints.
"I'll wear this one," she said. "Throw away all those white dresses. I don't like them."
Sophie sighed and complied.
Debra looked at herself in the mirror, still vibrant and beautiful. But in a few years, she would be worn down by Juan's torment.
Before that happened, she would end it all.
In the evening, Debra appeared in a burgundy dress that accentuated her curves. Her delicate makeup, curls, and a mole under her eye made her mesmerizing. She looked like a painting, untouchable.
Not far away, a man in a white shirt and black leather combat boots saw her. Marion Houston asked, "Who is she?"
"You don't know her? She's Debra, the daughter of the Frazier family and Juan's wife," said his friend, Randy Osborne. "I just saw Juan entering with another woman. Maybe we'll witness a showdown between the mistress and the wife. It will be fun."
Marion made no comments.
Randy clicked his tongue. "Juan's taste is just terrible, preferring a skinny woman to his beautiful woman. Don't you think?"
Randy turned around, but Marion was nowhere to be seen.
He cursed, quickly catching up with Marion.
Shelia, in a white dress, held Juan's arm timidly. "I've never been to such an event before. Maybe I should go back."
"You'll get used to it. You'll be attending these events frequently in the future," Juan said.
Shelia nodded.
Juan was about to enter with Shelia when Joe spoke up. "Sir, won't we wait for Mrs. Nichols?"
Juan frowned. "Didn't I ask you to tell her not to come today?"
Joe glanced at Shelia, and she quickly said, "It's not Joe's fault. I told him not to inform Debra. With my status, I'm afraid of gossip, so I thought it would be better for Debra to accompany you in."
Shelia lowered her head like a scared hare.
Juan rubbed his temples.
He didn't want Debra to show up at all.
"Mr. Nichols," Shelia murmured.
"It's alright."
Juan patted Shelia's head and said to Joe, "Go intercept her and send her away."
In the crowd, there were murmurs of surprise.
Joe looked over and was also shocked. "I'm afraid it's too late."
Chapter2
Juan also looked over.
A red figure stood out in the crowd.
Debra, clad in a burgundy dress, seemed to captivate hearts with every gesture. Cameras flashed at her like she was a reigning superstar walking the red carpet.
'Debra?'
Juan took a moment to recognize her.
In the past, Debra preferred light makeup and plain dresses. This was the first time Juan had seen her like this.
Seeing Debra for the first time, Shelia was filled with jealousy.
Compared to the alluring Debra, she seemed too plain.
"Debra looks stunning."
Shelia's tone carried a subtle envy.
Debra spotted them and walked over.
Shelia thought Debra, unaware of her relationship with Juan, would be surprised or awkward, but Debra was poised and smiling.
"Mrs. Nichols is here. Who's the lady beside Mr. Nichols?" whispered a reporter.
Debra approached, linking her arm with Juan's, and extended a hand towards Shelia. "You must be Shelia mentioned by Juan. Nice to meet you! I'm Debra. You can call me Mrs. Nichols."
Shelia withdrew her hand from Juan's and shook hands with Debra.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Nichols," Shelia said awkwardly.
"Juan told me that he sponsored you. You're going to study abroad, right?" Debra said.
Shelia glanced at Juan.
"Shelia excels in her studies. She's planning to go abroad this year, but she's a bit timid, so I brought her here today to broaden her horizons," Juan said.
He had brought Shelia here to see the world of the upper class.
Juan hadn't completely fallen for Shelia yet. It was only after Shelia returned from abroad that Juan fell in love with her.
Even so, Juan attended all kinds of events with Shelia, to the point where everyone in Seamar City knew that Juan liked a college girl.
But none of this mattered to Debra anymore.
She came to the auction not to compete with Shelia but for a more important purpose.
"Well then, take good care of Miss Miles. I'm going in," Debra said, letting go of Juan's arm.
Juan was stunned.
He hadn't expected these words to come from Debra's mouth.
By the time he realized it, Debra had already get into the venue.
Juan frowned. 'When did the unruly Debra become so agreeable?'
Debra sat in an inconspicuous corner. The auction venue was filled with influential figures.
If she remembered correctly, an abandoned piece of land that nobody wanted was bought by an obscure merchant at this auction. Later, because of the upscale developments around it, the land became valuable.
The successful investment elevated the merchant's status, making him a commercial magnate.
Since she had decided to leave Juan, Debra wanted to build up her own assets.
After sitting down, Juan searched for Debra's figure. Beside him, Shelia asked, "Mr. Nichols, do you really want me to bid on your behalf?"
Juan's attention returned, and he said, "Yes, I trust your judgment."
Shelia blushed.
She had studied finance for so long at school, just for this day.
On the second floor, Debra watched them chat happily.
Shelia indeed had some talent, which was one of the reasons why Juan would be attracted to her.
In her last life, Shelia had once identified a prime piece of land, which impressed Juan.
But that piece of land was valuable, to begin with. The Nichols Group's properties were around it, and Shelia inflated the price with Juan's money. In the end, the value of the land and the surrounding properties all increased, so Juan couldn't lose.
Even without Shelia, Juan would have secured that piece of land.
As the auction started, Shelia began to bid.
She successfully won the first three prime pieces of land.
Juan sat beside Shelia like a guardian.
"The price of Crescent Manor starts at one billion."
"Two billion."
Debra's bidding caused a collective gasp.
Juan frowned. What's gotten into this woman?
Shelia whispered, "This piece of land isn't worth much. Debra's going to lose money."
Juan texted Debra. [What are you doing?]
Debra read the message and ignored it.
"Two billion once!"
"Two billion twice!"
...
"Is Debra crazy? Two billion for this piece of junk?"
On the second floor, Randy was flabbergasted.
"Three billion," Marion bid.
Randy nearly flipped the table. "Marion! Are you insane too?"
Across from them, Debra frowned. She wanted to know who was crazy enough to compete with her for this wasteland, only to see Marion.
She vaguely remembered Marion was doing gray business. 'When did he start real estate development?'
"Four billion!" Debra raised the stakes.
Downstairs, Juan furrowed his brow and texted her again. [Debra, shut up!]
Debra simply turned off her phone.
"Five billion," Marion said.
His provocation annoyed Debra. 'Alright, you want to play? Let's play.'
"Ten billion!" she bid.
"What! She's gone mad!" Randy exclaimed.
Juan stood up, losing his composure. He couldn't quite grasp Debra's intentions.
To him, this piece of land wasn't even worth one billion.
Yet Debra was offering ten billion.
Marion smiled at Debra and made a gesture of concession.
"Ten billion!" The auctioneer exclaimed, "Any further bids? Ten billion, going once, going twice. Sold!"
As the gavel fell, a weight lifted off Debra's heart.
The land was finally hers, but she had unnecessarily spent an extra eight billion.
It was all because of Marion.
She glared at him.
Randy nudged Marion, "Hey, Debra's glaring at you. If I were her, I'd probably be plotting your demise."
Marion shrugged indifferently.
Downstairs, Shelia tugged at Juan. "Mr. Nichols, Debra is going to make you bankrupt."
"She set her own price. No one will help her pay the bills," Juan said.
Chapter 3
Due to this episode, Juan's attention was solely on Debra. Shelia's performance was completely ignored.
When the auction ended, Debra was about to leave when she bumped into Juan and Shelia.
"Debra, if you don't understand real estate, don't mess around," Juan said bluntly.
Shelia chimed in, "Yeah, Debra. Your actions have cost Mr. Nichols ten billion."
Debra chuckled, "Miss Miles, you misunderstand. This piece of land is mine to get. What does it have to do with Juan?"
Shelia blurted out, "But that's ten billion."
"It's just pocket change for me, not to mention for her."
From not far away, Randy's voice came. "Isn't that right, Ms. Frazier?"
Debra caught sight of Marion and said, "It's just a plaything for purchase."
Shelia blushed with embarrassment.
Ten billion meant nothing to Juan and Debra.
In front of these people, Shelia felt inferior.
"Heard Mr. Nichols got married. Is the lady beside him Mrs. Nichols?" Marion chimed in.
Shelia blushed, stammering, "N-no."
"This is my wife, Debra," Juan said, pulling Debra close.
Debra tried to shake off Juan's hand, but he held on tight.
Since earlier, he had felt Marion's gaze on Debra.
Men understood men best. He could see through Marion's thoughts.
"So, Ms. Frazier is Mrs. Nichols. It's my bad. I saw Mr. Nichols chatting with this lady in the venue earlier, thinking she was Mrs. Nichols." Randy slapped his head. "Then this lady must be Mr. Nichols's secretary. No wonder she was holding up signs for Mr. Nichols earlier."
Debra almost burst out laughing.
Though she didn't care about Shelia and Juan anymore, hearing Randy's words still made her pleased.
Shelia was totally embarrassed.
"Joe, take Shelia home," Juan requested.
"Yes, sir," Joe agreed.
Randy grinned, "We'll get out of your hair. Bye!"
After Randy and Marion left, Debra shook off Juan's hand. "Had enough?"
Juan didn't expect Debra to pull away.
Before, Debra couldn't wait to touch him.
She seemed different tonight.
"If you're trying to get my attention, you don't need to do this," Juan said.
Debra was speechless.
She wanted to argue, but she couldn't find the right words.
Considering how much she cared about Juan in the past, she might have done so.
But she wasn't that person anymore.
"Whatever!" Debra shrugged.
"Wait." Juan stopped her.
"What now?"
"What's your relationship with Marion?"
"I don't even know him."
Juan spoke coldly. "No matter what your relationship is with him, you are Mrs. Nichols in public. You better watch your identity and keep your distance from other men."
Debra scoffed, "Before you demand anything from others, how about demanding it from yourself? Did you consider your status and my reputation when you brought Shelia here today?"
"I had Joe inform you today."
"Oh? Is it to tell me not to come?"
Juan remained silent.
He knew he was in the wrong.
"Even Marion, an outsider, mistook Shelia for Mrs. Nichols. If you like her, let's get a divorce," Debra said.
"Did you get up on the wrong side of the bed?" Juan frowned.
Although he didn't love Debra, it didn't mean he wanted a divorce.
Their marriage was based on interests. It was not something one person could dissolve.
From Juan's serious expression, Debra could tell that he wasn't thinking of divorce now, but it was only because of her family.
In a few years, when she became worthless, he would discard her like trash.
Thinking of the miserable end of her last life, she'd rather end it now than wait for that moment.
"I said, let's divorce."
The next day, news of Debra's extravagant purchase of wasteland swept through major platforms.
Debra was the sole heiress to the Frazier family, and ten billion was just a figure for her.
However, with her family's businesses operating, she had limited liquid assets.
It was not easy for her to raise the money.
Debra lay on the bed, rubbing her brows.
'Should I find Juan? No.'
He left without a word yesterday when she proposed a divorce.
She couldn't understand. She was even willing to relinquish the Frazier family's wealth to him, yet he still didn't want a divorce.
But besides Juan, who else could she turn to?
Suddenly, Debra sat up.
She had an idea.
"Marion!"
People in high society were in one circle. Debra managed to contact Marion through her connections.
Debra remembered that Marion's influence was overseas, but in recent years, he had stationed himself in Seamar City. Others might not know why, but she did. In the coming years, Marion would rapidly take over local enterprises, competing head-to-head with Juan.
In the conference room, Marion played with his lighter.
Debra got straight to the point. "I want to borrow eight billion from you."
Randy spat out his tea.
He'd seen straightforward, but never this blunt.
"Ms. Frazier, that's a large amount of money."
Debra blinked. "Last time you said ten billion was nothing."
"I just rolled the logs for you, and you're giving me a hard time." Randy shook his head.
Beautiful women were always a bit sick in their heads.
Marion flicked his lighter. "Why should I lend you any money?"
"I could've secured Crescent Manor with two billion, but because of your meddling, I have to pay an extra."
"Not a convincing reason."
Debra fell silent for a moment before saying, "Your industries are all overseas, but for the past two years, you've been frequenting Seamar City. I guess you want to launder your overseas money here. Am I right?"
Randy paused his tea-drinking motion, subconsciously glancing at Marion.
He didn't expect Debra to understand these things.
Chapter 4
The room fell silent for a moment. Marion smirked and said, "Mrs. Nichols, you can't wrongly accuse good people."
"Yeah, we're all legitimate businessmen," Randy chimed in.
"In the realm of legitimate business, it's not up to me to judge. But I think Juan might be interested," Debra said. "I'm just a clueless rich girl, while Juan isn't. If I tell him what happened, I wonder if he'll take notice."
"You're sneaky!" Randy couldn't contain his frustration.
Debra looked at Marion seriously. "Lend me eight billion, and I'll pay you back with interest in three years."
Randy's eyes widened. "Are you kidding? Do you know how much interest that'll be? If you can't pay it back, we'll lose eight billion. You're Juan's wife. Who can hold you accountable?"
"I know the interest. I'll sign a contract with you. If I can't repay, I'll give you my family's properties and stocks, and I'll work for you for the rest of my life." Randy paused and continued, "And besides, my marriage with Juan might not last three years. Even if I'm still his wife then, he won't protect me."
Marion looked up and stared at Debra for a while.
Randy's ears perked up as he smelled gossip.
But he quickly composed himself. "No, I disagree!"
But Marion agreed, "Okay, I'll lend it to you."
"What?" Randy jumped up from his chair. "Have you gone mad?"
"I'll have the finance department transfer the money to you. We'll draft the contract later," Marion said.
"Marion!" Randy stomped his foot.
"Thank you, Mr. Houston." Debra stood up, saying, "I'll await your message. Happy cooperation."
She smiled and left the office.
Randy ground his teeth. "That's eight billion! Are you out of your mind? She's Juan's wife! Why would you lend her money?"
Marion grinned. "She's pretty."
"Why should you get the girl while I pay?" Randy exclaimed.
Marion stood up, tossed a bank card to Randy, and said, "I pursue the woman I fancy. It's only right that I foot the bill."
"What? Foot the bill? She's Juan's wife! What bill are you talking about?" Randy ranted.
Ignoring his protest, Marion walked out of the office.
"Both of you are insane!" Randy muttered.
Debra had just stepped into the Nichols family's mansion when she saw Juan sitting in the living room.
She frowned.
In her last life, Juan rarely came home.
'When did he become so attached to home?'
Assuming he was just lounging around, she turned to go upstairs.
"Debra!" Juan called out.
Debra halted. "What is it?"
Juan felt uneasy about Debra's recent coldness. "The auction house is pressing for payment."
"I know," Debra replied coolly.
"If you don't have enough money, you can tell me," Juan said.
"No need. I've sorted it out," Debra said dismissively.
"Where did you get the money from?"
Ten billion wasn't a small amount, and Juan knew every movable asset under the Frazier family's name.
She couldn't produce such a sum on short notice.
"It's my business. You don't need to concern yourself," Debra replied.
"Don't forget that I'm your husband," Juan said.
Debra chuckled bitterly. 'Husband?'
Juan always considered it a disgrace. When did he remember he was her husband?
"You're so anxious because you're afraid I'll lose money and drag down the Nichols family," Debra said.
Juan fell silent.
Seeing his reaction, Debra knew that she had guessed right.
"I won't drag you down. I understand our marriage is a business alliance. We rise and fall together. You don't have to come home often," Debra concluded.
Juan was speechless.
He used to think that way, so after getting married, he was cold towards Debra and didn't even touch her.
But after hearing those words from Debra, he suddenly realized his excessiveness.
Juan was about to say something when suddenly a remittance message came on Debra's phone.
She didn't expect Marion's actions to be so fast.
In just an hour, the money arrived.
With the matter resolved, Debra gave a smile.
Juan pursed his lips, suddenly remembering how Debra used to follow him. She showed him the same smile, but he never cared.
"There's a party tonight. You're coming with me."
"Me?" Debra frowned.
Juan asked, "Don't want to?"
"Why don't you bring Shelia with you?" Debra was puzzled.
In her last life, whenever there was a banquet, Juan would take Shelia.
If her memory served her right, it was an international banquet that night. She insisted on going, but Juan brought Shelia in the end, indirectly paving the way for Shelia.
For such an important occasion, why would Juan suddenly think of bringing her?
"You're my wife, so naturally, you should come to such occasions with me."
Debra didn't get it, thinking it was only because Shelia had something else to do.
Then again, she should go to such occasions more often. To start her own business, she needed connections.
"Alright then, I'll go get ready."
Juan breathed a sigh of relief.
At least, Debra was still willing to be the nominal Mrs. Nichols.
Perhaps she wasn't completely disappointed with him yet.
Shelia was in the dormitory, arranging the dress sent by Juan's secretary.
Her roommates looked at Shelia with envy.
"Shelia, your boyfriend is so sweet, giving you such a beautiful dress."
Shelia's cheeks turned rosy.
"Shelia, when will you introduce us to your boyfriend?"
"Yeah, your boyfriend is so rich, and he takes you to various banquets all the time. We're curious."
Shelia shook her head and said, "He's very busy. I'll introduce you to him when he's available."
Shelia's phone rang.
Seeing that it was a call from Juan's secretary, she answered the phone happily.
"Joe, did Mr. Nichols send you to pick me up? I'll come down right away," she said.
"Mr. Nichols said you don't need to come today," said Joe.
Chapter 5
Shelia's smile froze. "Why?"
"Mr. Nichols is taking his wife tonight, so it wouldn't be convenient for you to attend."
Shelia forced a smile. "Oh, so he's taking his wife. That's great. I didn't want to go anyway."
"That's good."
Shelia held her phone and bit her lip.
Her roommates exchanged glances.
"Shelia, did your boyfriend stand you up?"
"I heard this event is international. Didn't your boyfriend organize it to introduce you to some foreign entrepreneurs?"
Facing their skeptical looks, Shelia managed a weak smile. "He has an important client to accompany. I shouldn't disturb him."
Shelia glanced at the dress in her hands, her expression dimming.
'Juan never likes Debra. Why did he suddenly...'
She tightened her grip on the dress.
She had looked forward to tonight's event for so long. She couldn't just give up.
As the night fell, Juan had a splendid black dress sent to Debra.
He had been waiting downstairs for a while when he saw Debra descending the stairs.
Though he had seen Debra in a burgundy dress the other day, seeing her in this outfit still took Juan by surprise.
He hadn't realized how beautiful Debra could be.
"I'm ready," Debra said, lifting her head.
Juan pursed his lips. "I'll have my secretary bring the car around."
Debra opened the door to see Joe waiting outside.
Seeing Debra in the black dress, Joe was amazed.
"Mrs. Nichols, you look stunning in this dress, better than Miss Miles."
Juan glanced at him.
Joe realized his mistake and quickly shut his mouth.
"It's okay."
Debra didn't care, and she got into the car.
Juan glared at Joe and muttered, "You won't get your bonus this month."
Joe felt wronged but dared not say more.
That was what he got for being too talkative.
Outside the club, Juan helped Debra get out of the car.
People around them cast admiring glances at them.
"Who's the lady with Mr. Nichols?"
"Seems to be Mrs. Nichols."
"I don't recall seeing Mr. and Mrs. Nichols together before. They make quite the power couple."
...
Juan took Debra's hand.
Debra wanted to retract her hand, but with so many people around, she had to go along with Juan.
Debra glanced around and saw many faces she had encountered in her last life.
Juan had a certain prestige in the business world. To be able to attend such a high-level international event, the people here were all top entrepreneurs, philanthropists, or real estate tycoons.
Debra had studied finance to impress Juan, but it never paid off.
Suddenly, the sound of shattered glass grabbed everyone's attention.
A gardener accidentally broke a vase of roses, and the manager scolded him.
"Where did this old man come from? Get him out of here!" the manager barked.
"Hold on."
Debra stepped forward, picking up the roses from the ground. She noticed they were carefully pruned and rare.
"This man ruined Mr. Houston's flowers and startled the guests. Let me have him removed," said the manager.
"If it's broken, just ask him to prepare a new one," Debra said. "These roses were brought by Mr. Houston for everyone's enjoyment. How about each lady take one to appreciate his gesture?" Debra suggested.
Everyone nodded, and the manager waved off the gardener.
Juan stepped forward, lowering his voice. "I didn't expect you to liven up the atmosphere here."
Debra shrugged. "Just trying to please Mr. Houston."
Outside the club, Shelia stepped out of a taxi in a black dress, feeling strange gazes around her.
She ignored them and tried to get into the club.
The security guard glanced at the taxi and stopped her. "Miss, do you have an invitation?"
Shelia was taken aback.
She didn't know about invitations.
With Juan, she could go anywhere. It was the first time she had been stopped by a security guard.
"Sorry! No invitation, no entry."
"I'm here to see Mr. Nichols. I'm his companion," Shelia lied.
Squinting at her, the guard asked, "Mr. Nichols is already inside with Mrs. Nichols. Who are you?"
Feeling the stares all around, Shelia blushed with embarrassment.
Joe saw her and hurried over. "Excuse me, she's our company staff."
The guard nodded, allowing Shelia through.
Shelia breathed a sigh of relief, but Joe asked sternly, "Miss Miles, why are you here?"
"I just wanted to broaden my horizons. Mr. Nichols always said I was too timid. I'll be going abroad in a few months, so I wanted to experience this kind of event. Joe, could you take me in?"
Joe hesitated.
"I'll return from studying and help Mr. Nichols. The piece of land Debra bought cost billions and was a loss. She probably doesn't understand finance. So many financial elites are here. I'm worried Mrs. Nichols won't be able to handle it," Shelia pleaded sincerely.
Joe nodded in agreement.
In the past, it was always Shelia by Juan's side because Debra knew nothing about finance, and Joe respected Shelia, who was talented in this area.
Shelia joyfully entered the club and spotted Juan conversing with some guests not far away.
She lifted the hem of her dress to run over, but she accidentally collided with an old man.
The gardener's vase slipped, and the water splashed on Shelia's dress.
She instinctively exclaimed and freaked out when she saw the stain. "What's wrong with you? Can't you watch where you're going?"
Chapter 6
Her cry pierced through the room.
All eyes, including Juan's and Debra's, turned to her.
In their eyes, Shelia was a rude and uncultured woman.
The old gardener bent down to pick up the scattered roses and apologized profusely.
Feeling the stares around her, Shelia quickly changed her attitude. "I'm sorry. I was in haste. Are you okay, sir?"
Debra watched from nearby.
Even though Shelia tried to fix it, it only came off as insincere.
Shelia also noticed Debra beside Juan.
"How did she get here?" Juan frowned.
Given his expression, he seemed clueless about Shelia's arrival.
Debra wondered if Shelia came on her own.
Debra stayed silent.
This plot was different from that of her last life. Juan brought Shelia to the party, where Shelia impressed Caleb Houston. It led to a smooth path overseas and success after graduation with support from Juan and Caleb.
Debra thought that Shelia would not show up this time.
Yet here she was.
"Mr. Nichols!" Hearing the commotion, Joe rushed in.
Juan's tone was curt. "Who let her in?"
"It was me." Joe bowed his head. "I thought Miss Miles could help you."
Juan rubbed his temples.
He used to be very tolerant of Shelia.
But in this situation, Shelia shouldn't have appeared.
"Miss Miles isn't familiar with the place. Go check on her," Debra said, taking a sip of champagne.
Juan saw Shelia's scared looks, and he couldn't bear to leave her alone to handle the situation. "I'll be back in a moment."
Debra said nothing.
That was expected.
He could never let go of Shelia.
Juan went over and asked, "How did you come here?"
Shelia lowered her head, looking pitiful. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see the event."
Seeing her tear up, Juan couldn't bring himself to say anything harsh.
In a sense, Shelia was trained by him, and he had seen all her efforts.
"I'll have Joe take you back."
Seeing Juan about to leave, Shelia hurriedly grabbed his sleeve. "Mr. Nichols, can I stay?"
Juan frowned.
In the past, Shelia was always obedient and aware of her identity, never crossing that boundary.
Shelia felt his displeasure and said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Nichols. I..."
Juan relented in the end. "You can stay. This event could be helpful for your overseas studies."
Shelia finally broke into a sweet smile.
"Can I stay with you?"
Juan glanced at the surrounding crowd, concerned about leaving Shelia alone here.
"Yeah."
Shelia was delighted.
Joe couldn't help but ask, "Sir, what about Mrs. Nichols?"
"Go accompany her. Don't let her cause trouble like last time."
Juan knew that Debra often attended such events, but as someone unfamiliar with finance, she was here merely to pass the time.
As long as she didn't cause trouble like last time, it was fine.
Debra watched as Joe approached her. Before he could say anything, she asked, "He's gone to accompany Shelia?"
"Miss Miles is a key candidate for the company, so..."
"I understand."
Debra looked as if she was not bothered at all.
Joe breathed a sigh of relief.
But somehow, he felt that Debra had changed.
Shelia followed Juan and confidently conversed with some bigwigs, which was noticed by Debra.
Although Shelia had good grades at school, she was still just a student. In front of these seasoned businessmen, what she said wasn't very insightful.
They were only praising Shelia out of respect for Juan.
However, soon Shelia faced difficulty with a foreign elderly gentleman.
Debra recognized that man as a financial tycoon from Dawnreach.
He only spoke his native language and didn't know any foreign languages.
And his translator was absent.
"Mr. Nichols..."
Shelia bit her lip, glancing at Juan.
Juan was pondering how to defuse the awkwardness when Debra approached and fluently conversed with the man.
The man seemed quite pleased with what Debra said and shook hands with her.
Shelia finally noticed Debra, dressed in an identical black dress.
Compared to her, Debra seemed like a refined lady, while she looked like a street vendor.
Shelia clenched her fists and forced a smile. "Debra, that's impressive. You can speak the Dawnreach language."
Debra smiled without saying anything.
Juan remembered that Debra could speak foreign languages, but Dawnreach language wasn't widely used. Not many people knew it, so he was surprised that Debra was fluent in it.
"What did you say to Mr. Stephen? He seemed quite pleased," Shelia asked.
"I told him that the piece of land he bought near the southeastern sea is going to get a good prince, so he's happy," Debra replied.
"That piece of land will get a a good price?" Shelia looked puzzled.
The land didn't seem extraordinary.
"Maybe," Debra replied casually.
In her last life, that piece of land did get a considerable sum. The area suddenly developed into a tourist destination, making a hefty profit from tourism.
Mr. Stephen probably foresaw its development, hence his purchase.
Shelia lacked that foresight.
Juan stared at Debra, which made her uncomfortable.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Debra asked.
"How did you know that the land would get a good price?" Juan said.
Chapter 7
Given his expression, Juan knew that this plot of land would fetch a hefty sum.
Yet he chose to let Stephen have it as a favor.
That was just Juan's style.
"I was just paying a compliment. You're reading too much into it," Debra replied.
Juan furrowed his brow, assessing the sincerity of Debra's words.
It made sense. Given Debra's intelligence, how could she see the future value of that land?
Juan realized he was overthinking it.
"Hope so."
Juan turned away, leading Shelia to meet other people.
Shelia glanced at Debra.
Debra managed to capture the hint of triumph in Shelia's eyes.
She downed a glass of champagne.
In the eyes of others, she was just a failed woman abandoned by her husband.
Her husband left her and took another woman to meet business partners. Could anything be more of a joke than this?
Debra felt disheartened. She had planned to mingle with the business elites, but with Juan gone, it became difficult.
How could she approach those entrepreneurs without seeming intentional?
Debra scanned the surroundings and spotted a piano not far away.
A smile played on Debra's lips as she got an idea.
With graceful steps, Debra approached the piano and exchanged brief greetings with the pianist before sitting down.
As the heiress to the Frazier family, she had to learn many things, though she never thought she'd use them. But now they had come in handy.
It had been a while since Debra played the piano, so she was a bit rusty.
But soon enough, the piano keys followed her fingers, producing a melodious tune that perfectly matched the atmosphere of the party. The guests were captivated by the unexpected piano music.
Many turned to look in her direction, and after she finished playing, applause filled the room.
Seeing Juan and the businessmen stop their conversation, Shelia kept her eyes on Debra and said, "Debra is amazing. She can play the piano."
"She is a pro," Juan remarked casually.
Among these people, many could play the piano, and passing relevant exams was quite common. The fact that Debra received so much applause showed her musical talent.
It was then that Shelia realized the gap between her and Debra.
She used to think Debra was just lucky and pretty, but utterly useless.
Now she was proven wrong.
She was dead wrong.
After Debra finished playing, many wealthy ladies approached her for conversation.
While she couldn't directly approach those business magnates, getting close to their wives made it easier to reach them.
"I didn't expect Mrs. Nichols to be so talented at the piano," Randy remarked from a corner.
"Not bad," Marion agreed.
"You don't know music, do you?" Randy teased.
"I don't, but I like it," Marion replied.
He didn't understand music, but because it was Debra playing, it felt different.
When she went to the restroom, Debra was pulled into a secluded corner. She tried to cry out, but the man behind her covered her mouth.
"Don't make a sound," the man whispered.
Feeling the warmth of his body, Debra adjusted her breathing and bit down on the man's hand.
"Ouch!" he grunted in pain.
"You bit me?" The man released her.
Debra quickly put some distance between them and was surprised when she saw his face. "Marion?"
"Who else did you think it would be?"
"Why the cloak and dagger?"
"I sneaked in. Don't want to be seen."
"What kind of joke is this? Caleb is your..."
Before Debra could finish her sentence, she immediately shut her mouth.
Marion raised an eyebrow. "Hm? What were you going to say?"
Debra averted her gaze.
In her last life, Caleb left all his assets to Marion. It was only after that she found out the truth.
But so far, no one knew Marion was Caleb's grandson.
"I mean, Caleb is kind-hearted, and you're a dominant owner of overseas enterprises. Even if you snuck in, no one would dare say anything."
"Maybe, but I prefer to play it safe," Marion said.
"Don't tell me you snuck in here just to say these things to me."
She didn't think Marion would be so boring.
"This is for you." Marion handed Debra a contract.
Debra looked down and saw the contract for her borrowing.
"Just for this?" she asked.
Marion nodded.
"Boring!" Debra signed the contract and threw it back to Marion.
It was crazy that he found her to sign the contract at the door of the ladies' room.
"As your creditor, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead."
"Why spend ten billion on that land?"
Marion's voice was low, tempting her to answer his question.
"I can't tell you now," Debra said.
"What if I insist?" Marion could tell Debra had other plans.
But he couldn't figure out what could be worth ten billion there.
It was a loss-making business, but Debra's actions made him believe the land would be worth far more than ten billion.
"If I told you this land would be worth a lot in six months, would you believe me?" Debra asked.
"No." Marion couldn't see any signs of it yet.
"What if I said high-end properties around that wasteland are about to come into the market?" Debra asked.
"What high-end properties?" Marion frowned.
He had never heard of that.
"You'll find out soon enough," Debra smiled, walking past Marion into the restroom.
Frowning, Marion walked to the lobby, where Randy asked, "Done signing?"
"Yeah," Marion said.
"Why the long face?" Randy asked.
"Is there any high-end property near the wasteland Debra bought?"
"There aren't any."
"Check who owns the land around that wasteland."
"That wasteland is in the sewage area. There's nothing to check. Forget high-end properties. No one would even build a basketball court there," Randy said.
"Sewage area?" Marion was surprised.
Chapter 8
Moments later, Shelia emerged from the restroom, her face looking grim. She was now dressed in a white gown.
"What's wrong?" Juan asked.
"I just changed in the restroom and thought I saw Debra."
"Debra?"
Shelia nodded. "I saw Debra with that man. They seemed intimate."
Shelia observed Juan's expression and quickly added, "But I might have been mistaken. How could Debra know someone like Marion? I heard he's a desperado."
"Debra..." Juan's tone turned cold.
He had noticed Marion's interest in Debra last time.
'Doesn't she know how to avoid danger? Even getting close to someone like Marion.'
Juan felt upset.
Debra emerged from the restroom and was puzzled about Juan's dissatisfaction.
"Where did you go?" Juan whispered.
"Me? I went to the restroom."
Debra was confused.
Shelia stepped forward, pretending to be affectionate, as she grabbed Debra's hand. "Debra, I saw it just now. Marion is not a good person. Don't let him deceive you."
Debra instinctively withdrew her hand.
Shelia's hand hung in mid-air, and she looked aggrieved. "I didn't tell Mr. Nichols about it on purpose, but Marion is really not a good person."
"I know what kind of person Marion is. I don't need others to judge," Debra huffed.
"I..." Shelia bit her lip, looking hurt.
"Shelia is looking out for you. Don't be oblivious and offend the wrong people," Juan warned.
Shelia tugged at Juan's sleeve, as if to imply he was being too harsh.
If other people saw it, they might think that Shelia was Juan's wife.
"In any case, it's best not to get close to Marion. You're a woman of high standing, while he's a man without upbringing. How could you have any ties with him?" Shelia said.
Suddenly, the sound of a cane hitting the ground came.
Everyone turned to see an elderly man with gray hair standing in the center of the hall.
Debra turned around, feeling a sense of familiarity. Soon, she recognized the old man as the gardener who had been arranging vases in the hall earlier.
Now, the old man was dressed in a suit, flanked by two bodyguards. His stern gaze carried a hint of ruthlessness, making people wary.
"This is Mr. Caleb Houston," one of the bodyguards introduced.
Everyone in the vicinity raised their glasses respectfully to the old man.
Only Shelia was pale.
The old man she had scolded just now turned out to be Caleb.
Shortly after, Marion emerged from behind Caleb and stood by his side, supporting him.
Debra suddenly had a bad feeling.
Marion looked at Debra and slowly smirked.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I invited you all here today to declare that Marion is my grandson, the sole heir of the Houston family."
Caleb coldly glanced at Shelia.
Shelia felt a chill.
"He is not some wild man without upbringing," Caleb said.
Everyone in the room was astonished, and Debra's heart was pounding.
'Something is not right. The timeline has changed. How could this happen?'
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