"I''m scared." A soft, childlike voice echoed in Debra''s mind.


    The sound jolted her out of her thoughts, and she yanked her hand back from the swing.


    It felt so familiar. She turned around and scanned the courtyard.


    She had wandered there while lost in her thoughts. This was her first time in the garden of the Potter Mansion. Yet the flowers and scenery around her felt so familiar.


    Barton walked into the garden. "Mr. Andrew Potter wants to meet you, Mrs. Houston."


    "Barton," Debra said, "this garden is beautifully designed. Has it stayed the same all these years?"


    "Yes. Mr. Andrew Potter likes it as it is, so he''s kept it unchanged," Barton replied, stepping aside. "After you." Debra couldn''t help but steal a few more nces at the flowers and greenery.


    She had a strong feeling that she had been there before, but her memory told her she''d never set foot in the Potter Mansion.


    When she entered Andrew''s bedroom, the sharp scent of medicine brought her back to reality.


    Andrew sat at his desk, flipping through some documents. He looked up and noticed Debra staring at him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Andrew, have we met before?"


    Andrew''s hand paused, and Debra rified, "I mean, when I was a child, did my father ever bring me here?"


    She observed his expression, but it gave nothing away.


    Andrew set the documents down and replied, "Maybe. While our families weren''t particrly close, my father had some friends in Seamar City. Perhaps your father brought you here."


    "That makes sense," Debra muttered with relief. "When I was wandering through the garden earlier, something about it seemed familiar. Maybel came here as a child, and the uniqueyout left a deepo impression."


    "Most courtyards in Seamar City look alike," Andrew remarked, steering the conversation away. "I''ve organized the files for you. Review them and return them when you''re done."


    Debra stepped forward and looked


    at the stack. These files listed small business owners in Seamar City


    most of whom seemed to have assets in the tens of millions. Nothing remarkable at first nce.


    "What are these?"


    "People you''ll need one day. What you learned in school are just theories. You put them into use by starting the McKinney Group. But do you know what the most important thing is in business?"


    "Funding? Or nning?"


    "It''s connections. Juan married you because of the Frazier family''s connections. With the rightwork, you can achieve twice the results. with half the effort. Marion, Erica, Randy, Oscar, and I are your connections."


    "But these people..."


    "They may seem insignificant, but you can''t underestimate them."