"Marion?" Debra rubbed her sleepy eyes and nced at the clock on the wall.


    It was already 12:30. The incidentst night had drained her energy, causing her to sleep in.


    She pushed open the bedroom door and walked out. Downstairs, Marion was cooking in the kitchen.


    The others still seemed to be asleep. Debra spoke up. "Your injury hasn''t healed yet, and you''re already rushing to make me lunch?"


    Marion came out holding a pot. "Go rest a little longer. The other dish will be ready soon."


    Debra came down the stairs and flopped into his arms. Her exhaustion instantly melted away.


    "I''m so tired. Get a drumstick for me," she murmured.


    "Sure," Marion agreed, patting her head.


    Gand burst out of his room, sniffing the air. "Who''s cooking chicken soup? It smells amazing."


    Then his gazended on the embracing couple. Feeling awkward, he looked up at the ceiling and whistled, "Uh, I''m going to check on the soup."


    "Mr. Houston, let me take care of the kitchen," said Ivan, who had been quietly cleaning in the corner.


    "No need," Marion refused without even looking at him.


    His tone then turned softer as he told Debra, "Wait on the sofa. Lunch will be ready soon."


    "Okay." Debra nodded, ncing at Ivan.


    He was diligently focused on his cleaning. It looked like he didn''t know anything about what happenedst night.


    Debra began to doubt her earlier


    judgment Ivan looked no different from other teenagers. It was hard to tell if if he was one of the


    masterminds behind it all or just an insignificant pawn.


    Kale entered the house, looking haggard from a long night.


    He approached Debra and said, "Mrs. Houston, we didn''t find the three missing socialites or those masked people you described."


    "What about Frederic?"


    "Who?"


    "The person who saved me yesterday."


    "There were bloodstains at the scene, but no sign of the person you mentioned." The news upset Debra. She wondered where Frederic could go if he was injured.


    "Cathryn set up such an borate trap yesterday, and in the end, she was the only one who died? Everyone else just disappeared?"


    "We conducted a thorough search of the city center for the four bodyguards you described, but there were no traces of them. We also checked surveince from the area. Nothing."


    "How is it possible for so many people to vanish into thin air? If the surveince didn''t capture anything, could it be that there''s something like an underground passage in the hotel?"


    Both Debra and Kale fell silent, pondering the possibility. Drake''s casino had one such passage. It was very likely the Jovial Hotel had one too.


    "I''ll check it out." Kale rushed out.


    Debra couldn''t shake the unease growing in her chest. The situation seemed to be moreplicated than she thought.


    "Something''s wrong," Liza cried out, bursting out of her room. "Something''s happened at home."