Chapter 522

Debra glanced at Marion, and in that instant, she realized what was happening. She quickly addressed Ben.

“Got it. I’ll call him back later.”

“Okay.”

After ending the call, Debra turned toward Marion, raising an eyebrow. “Did you mess with my phone?”

“I didn’t touch it.”

Marion’s expression was as innocent as a puppy’s, and Debra remembered that her phone had been with her the whole time. Still, her gut told her Marion was involved.

“You’d better come clean,” she warned with a half-smile.

Faced with her ultimatum, Marion sighed and confessed, “Randy and Erica installed a chip in your phone. It automatically blocks all calls and messages from Juan.”

“And you weren’t going to tell me?” she asked, folding her arms.

“I forgot,” Marion said innocently.

Debra pressed her fingers to her temples, frustrated but not surprised. This was exactly the kind of thing Randy and Erica would do. After their last run-in, it seemed they were determined to stop Juan from bothering her again.

“Alright, I get it,” she sighed. “I’ll call Juan back right now.”

She pulled out her phone, but just as she was about to dial, she noticed Marion’s expectant gaze lingering on her. With a sigh of exasperation, she gave in, putting the call on speakerphone. The phone barely rang once before Juan answered, his deep voice resonating through the speaker.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at home.”

“I’ll come pick you up.”

“Don’t. I’m not at the apartment.”

There was a brief silence on the other end.

“You’re at Marion’s place?”

“Yeah,” she admitted, glancing at Marion.

Under no circumstances could she let Juan find out she was actually at her family’s ancestral home.

Chapter 522 (Continued)

“Melody wants to see you.”

“Does she want to see me, or does she want to humiliate me?” Debra could already imagine Melody had seen the news about her and Juan announcing their remarriage at the gala. There was no way this meeting would be friendly.

“Don’t worry,” Juan assured her. “I’ll be there. I won’t let her say anything out of line.” His voice sounded unusually tired. “It’s part of the agreement. I hope you’ll cooperate.”

“Fine. I’ll cooperate.”

Debra hung up the phone and turned to see Marion’s moody expression. She looked around the room dramatically and teased him. “Where’s that smell of jealousy coming from?”

Marion took her face in his hands, turning it toward him. His expression was deadly serious. “I know Juan means something to you, but here…” He tapped her chest lightly. “There’s no place for him.”

“What makes you think Juan means anything special to me?”

“I can see it in your eyes when you look at him. He’s not just your ex-husband, and you haven’t truly let him…” Marion’s voice trailed off, but it was enough to make Debra’s smile falter. Her gaze became serious as she met his eyes.

“I’ve moved on. Besides, my heart only has room for one person. Now that you’ve moved in, no one else can get in.”

“Good.”

Marion finally broke into a smile. Debra gathered up the ledgers, organizing them carefully before handing them over to Marion to manage.

Chapter 523

By the time Debra arrived at the Nichols family residence, it was already afternoon. She took out her keys, but just as she was about to open the door, she remembered that the locks had been changed long ago.

Right then, Sophie opened the door. When she saw Debra, her face lit up with uncontrollable joy.

“Madam, you’re back! Come on in.” Sophie ushered Debra inside, beaming as she spoke. “I heard you were coming back today, so I made a table full of dishes. Mr. Nichols said you would be staying. Is it true?”

Debra shook her head lightly. “Not quite. I still have to leave for work.”

Sophie nodded understandingly. “That makes sense. Work matters.”

Juan descended from the second floor. His expression, usually cold and distant, finally softened a bit when he saw Debra. Melody emerged from her room and cast a glance at Juan, clearly displeased, but she eventually reined in her temper and said, “Sophie, you really don’t know how to follow proper etiquette. How could you not inform me when we have a guest?”

Sophie hurriedly explained, “Mrs. Nichols Sr., I just happened to bump into Mrs. Nichols at the door. It wasn’t intentional.”

Lately, Melody’s moods had been erratic, swinging unpredictably from one moment to the next. Debra turned toward Melody, smiling politely. “I’m still part of the family. How can you call me a guest?”

She moved closer to Juan, looping her arm through his. “Besides, this is my and Juan’s home. Mrs. Nichols Sr., you’ve been staying here for quite a while now. Don’t you think it’s about time you visited your own place?”

Her words were like a slap, leaving Melody momentarily speechless. Juan glanced at Debra’s hand resting on his arm, and then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he walked with her toward the dining table.

Looking at Melody, he said calmly, “Debra is right, Grandma. You should consider returning to your own home. This place is a bit small. When Debra moves back in, it might get inconvenient for you.”

Melody’s face grew darker as she saw Juan siding with Debra, but she didn’t say anything further because Juan had made it very clear to her yesterday what was at stake with his marriage. Rather than having him marry Sheila, who killed her own child, it was better to see him reconcile with Debra. Besides, with the Frazier family’s bankruptcy, Debra had no power, no influence, and no standing. That made it easier for Melody to manipulate Debra.

“I won’t lie, I wasn’t exactly thrilled when you decided to come back,” Melody said. “But since Juan wants to remarry you, I respect it. I just hope you two can live peacefully from now on and not cause any more scandals that would disgrace our family.”

Chapter 523 (Continued)

She paused, then added, “Also, about your job. I imagine it doesn’t pay much. Juan and I discussed it, and we’ll give you an allowance every month. That way, you can stay home and won’t have to struggle. Since the two of you are so devoted to each other, you should focus on having a baby. That’s the key to securing your marriage.”

She gave Debra a fleeting, meaningful glance. She was certain that Debra’s salary at the McKinney Group couldn’t be more than a few thousand dollars a month. For someone who used to live as a pampered heiress, that kind of money would hardly be enough to support her lifestyle. If Debra wanted to be a wealthy wife, she’d need to learn how to compromise.

Debra, observing Melody’s thinly veiled intentions, smiled. “How much exactly are you planning to give me?” she asked.