Chapter 238

Hester looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Why aren’t you going yet?” Melody added. A smile blossomed on Hester’s face, her eyes sparkling with gratitude. “Thank you, Mrs. Nichols Sr.”

Melody watched Hester leave, her lips curling into a sneer. The Vargas family was insignificant, but girls from such humble backgrounds were easy to manipulate. It was time to give Debra a wake-up call. Since Debra didn’t seem to care much about her position in the Nichols family, perhaps this was necessary. Plenty of women wanted to marry into the Nichols family; Debra was replaceable.

Debra arrived at the Sapphire Hotel, where Juan had reserved a table with the best view in the hall. The restaurant was filled with Juan’s business associates; their eyes turned to Debra as soon as she entered. She was a vision in a rose-red gown, her long, curled hair cascading to one side. When Juan saw her, his thoughts drifted back to the land auction, where he had first realized how stunning she looked without her usual plain attire. Murmurs of admiration filled the room.

“Is this Mrs. Nichols? Mr. Nichols and she are made for each other.” “They are a perfect match.”

Debra approached Juan, who smiled and pulled out a chair for her. She greeted everyone with a smile: “Hello everyone, I’m Debra, currently in charge of Frazier Group.”

The industry was already abuzz with the news that Debra had taken over Frazier Group, so no one dared disrespect her. However, many still thought of her as merely a figurehead, leveraging Juan’s influence. As she surveyed the room, she could tell what they were thinking. To them, she was merely an accessory to Juan.

“Mrs. Nichols is talented and promising. Let me toast to you.” A middle-aged man raised his glass and downed his wine. At this gathering, Debra was the only woman.

Another man stood up, eager to follow suit. “I’ll toast to Mrs. Nichols as well.”

Juan reached for Debra’s hand, his voice firm. “Feel free to toast, but she won’t drink.” With his clear protection, no one dared insist.

They kept addressing her as Mrs. Nichols. None of them saw her as the CEO of Frazier Group. It was clear that they thought nothing of her business acumen.

She glanced at Juan and said, “Since today is about making friends, wouldn’t it be impolite if I didn’t drink?”

“Mrs. Nichols, you don’t have to drink. Just because Mr. Nichols cherishes you like this, there’s nothing we can’t discuss in cooperation.”

“Yeah, Mr. Nichols has arranged this gathering just for you. As long as it’s a profitable deal for Frazier Group, we’re all in.”

The crowd cheered, but Debra’s face remained without a smile. These people were indeed flattering, but their compliments were directed at Juan.