Chapter 165

“Come with me,” Marion said, leading Debra toward a secluded corner where a makeup artist waited. Debra sat before the mirror, watching as Marion, already heavily made up, examined his reflection. She chuckled. “Even without a mask, I wouldn’t recognize you like this.”

Marion calmly replied, “Even if you wore a mask and even more dramatic makeup, I’d still recognize you.”

Debra blushed, her heart fluttering slightly. The makeup artist quickly touched up her makeup and produced her costume—a clown outfit, as requested. As the artist worked, Debra asked, “Has Juan arrived?”

Marion’s expression soured at the mention of Juan. He replied nonchalantly, “I don’t know.”

Debra turned to him, surprise etched on her face. “Don’t know? If he doesn’t come today, then all this acting will be for nothing.”

Marion shrugged, a hint of jealousy in his voice. “Whether he comes or not doesn’t matter. Just knowing the masquerade is fully booked is enough.”

“That’s one way to put it.”

“You want to provoke him, don’t you?”

Debra hesitated, unable to deny it outright. She had her reasons, and they weren’t as childish as Marion might think.

“If he sees me dressed like this, he won’t suspect me anymore,” she managed.

She had put a great deal of effort into creating the persona of Tracy. If she appeared before Juan in flat shoes and a clown's coat, his doubts would be dispelled once and for all.

A soft knock interrupted their conversation. Erica’s whispered voice came from the other side. “Debra, are you ready?”

Debra finished changing into her clown outfit and opened the door to reveal Erica in a Lolita dress. She nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Juan is here. You should go out now,” Erica urged.

Juan had indeed arrived. Debra stepped out in her clown attire. The spotlight focused solely on her, making her stand out in the crowd. She playfully tossed some dolls into the air, causing excitement and laughter among the guests.

“Hello, everyone!” she called out, her voice amplified by a microphone. “I’m your clown tonight and also the owner of McKinney Group, Tracy McKinney.”

The room fell silent for a moment as the guests realized that their entertainer was the enigmatic boss behind the McKinney Group.

Juan, dressed in gothic attire, quickly noticed the commotion. He wanted to take a photo, but his phone had been handed in at the entrance. Clearly, Tracy had maintained strict secrecy about the ball, including its attendees.

On the sidelines, Joe observed. “Sir, that’s Tracy. He looks unremarkable.”

Juan asked, “Does he look familiar to you?”

“He looks like a new face. I’ve never heard of him before,” Joe replied.

Juan left Joe’s side and made his way toward the center of the stage.

“Sir!” Joe exclaimed in astonishment, trying to stop him, but Juan was already gone, swallowed by the crowd.