Juan had a certain guess in his mind.


    He had always known about the strained rtionship between Melody and Jeffrey, but he never imagined Jeffrey could go to such extremes.


    "You can go."


    "But Mrs. Nichols Sr..."


    "Leave!"


    Sophie exited the room, closing the door behind her.


    Staring at the closed door, Juan was reminded of a simr scene from over a decade ago. Melody had shut the study door just like this.


    "You are not to leave this room until you finish reading these books," she hadmanded.


    Then the scene shifted to when Melody was thrashing him with a whip. "If you don''t work hard, you won''t amount to anything. And if you don''t amount to anything, you won''t be able to protect this family."


    Juan endured the pain and humiliation with bitter resentment. From that moment on, he learned to hide his emotions. He couldn''t afford to have likes or dislikes. Besides the Nichols Group, nothing and no one else mattered.


    Melody had always prided herself on being an educator, boasting about how she had raised Jeffrey and Juan to be sessful, but in the end, Jeffrey had left her.


    Since then, she had viewed Jeffrey as her greatest shame.


    Juan both hated and loved Melody for turning him into an unfeeling machine. It was her upbringing that had shaped him into the person he was today.


    Momentster, he stood up and walked to a mirror, gazing calmly at his reflection. He had to thank Melody for teaching him how to mask his emotions and keep his feelings indecipherable. Just like now, no one could tell what he was thinking.


    Soon, he opened the study door. Sophie, who had been waiting outside, was taken aback by his calm demeanor.


    "Sir..."


    "Prepare everything needed for the funeral. Tomorrow, we will bury her."


    "Tomorrow? Isn''t it a bit rushed?"


    "Tomorrow. No questions asked."


    "Yes, sir."


    Sophie withdrew and quickly began coordinating the funeral arrangements with Joe.


    Jeffrey''s voice came through the phone. "Marion is already making is the


    8 me is of the essence You


    Debra to talk, or else,


    don''t me me for being ruthless."


    Juan made his way to Debra''s room. Inside, she was on edge.


    "I''m sorry, I have no choice," Juan said, approaching her. "Marion ising to save you. I have to get something from you."


    "You..." Debra trembled.


    @


    the roomT


    on


    of lightning lit up


    casting a fleeting


    white wall. In its brief


    was seen raising a knife.