Chapter 235

Clarissa eyed Shelia warily. “How can I help you?”

Shelia leaned in, her voice dropping to a whisper. “I know you’ve been around the casino scene for years. You must know some heavy hitters. I need a favor.”

As Shelia shared her plan, Clarissa paled with fright. “No. Absolutely not!”

Shelia’s eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. “Why not? Back then, you weren’t afraid to dispose of bodies. Are you scared now?”

“That girl was an orphan. No one would investigate much for her. And you were there as a replacement; it was foolproof. Of course, I wasn’t scared. But Debra is the daughter of the Frazier family and Juan’s wife. How could I dare touch her?”

Clarissa wasn’t foolish. She knew the stakes were high. If they followed Shelia’s plan, she might end up dead in a matter of days.

Shelia tightened her grip on Clarissa’s hand. “I’m not asking you to kill her. You need money urgently. Just kidnap her and use her to ransom Juan. I’ll handle the rest, and you’ll have no involvement.”

“But…”

“Do you want those creditors to come after you? I’m doing this to help you. If you don’t appreciate it, then I can’t help you anymore.”

She turned to leave. Clarissa hurriedly stepped forward to stop her. “Wait.”

Shelia observed her expression. After a mental struggle, Clarissa made up her mind. “Alright. I’ll go ask a few of the heavy hitters I know to do it. But eighty million is not a small amount. Will Juan pay that much ransom for her?”

Shelia’s eyes glinted with determination. “You said it yourself. Eighty million is nothing to the Nichols family. Since Debra is still Juan’s wife, they will definitely pay up. Trust me, this plan will work.”

Seeing her resolve, Clarissa finally nodded in agreement.

Joe escorted Debra to the Nichols Group headquarters. Juan was in his office, engrossed in reviewing the company’s plans. Debra knocked on the door, and Juan said without looking up, “Come in.”

Debra entered, her high heels echoing in the spacious office. Juan paused, his eyes lifting to meet hers.

“You asked Joe to pick me up. What’s the deal?” she asked, sitting down across from him.

“I was reviewing the plans and lost track of time,” Juan replied, getting up to put on his suit.

Debra glanced at the table, noting the scattered business plans. “Is this the direction the Nichols Group is taking recently?”

“Yeah.”

“To deal with the McKinney Group?”

“Sort of,” Juan replied, buttoning his suit. “I’ve booked a table. I hope it’s not too late.”

“What table?” Debra looked at him in surprise.

Juan explained, “I’ve arranged a spot at the restaurant—the one you like. You’ve recently taken over the Frazier Group, and I want to introduce you to some industry insiders. It’ll help you avoid some pitfalls.”

Debra laughed. “Are you going to use the same trick you used on Shelia on me?”

Juan froze. “That’s not what I meant.”