Chapter 687

Joe hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door to the CEO’s office.

“Come in.”

As he entered, Joe found Juan meticulously trimming a bouquet of roses. In a good mood, Juan glanced at him and asked, “What is it?”

Joe cleared his throat, choosing his words carefully. “Ms. Frazier and Marion have set a date for their engagement party. It’s the same day as yours, sir.”

He observed Juan’s reaction, but the latter showed none.

“As long as it’s not at the same venue, I don’t care,” Juan replied nonchalantly. “I wouldn’t want Sheila to be bothered by it.”

Setting the bouquet aside, he looked up at Joe. “Did you make a reservation at the restaurant I asked for?”

“Yes, it’s all set.”

“Good. Make sure you pick up Sheila yourself and take her there.”

“Yes, sir.”

Joe lingered as he watched Juan adjust his tie. “Sir, about Ms. Frazier’s engagement, do you really not feel anything?”

“My relationship with her was nothing more than a business arrangement. The Houston family announcing the engagement at this time? It’s just an attempt to provoke me. But they won’t be so arrogant for long.”

“That’s not what I meant, sir.”

“Then what did you mean?”

Joe took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Sir, don’t you have any feelings for Ms. Frazier at all?”

A cold, indifferent laugh escaped Juan’s lips. “Debra was always obsessed with becoming my wife. What she wanted wasn’t me; it was my family’s power. Now she’s throwing herself at Marion. Why should I care about a woman like that? There was never any real emotion between us.”

Joe was shocked. He had wondered if Juan pretending memory loss was part of a larger plan to rescue Debra. But over the past few days, it had become painfully clear that he remembered only his affection toward Sheila and his disdain toward Debra. They had been through a lot, but Melody dismissed Debra and didn’t want Juan to have any further entanglement with her. Now, Juan was back to his old self—calm, emotionless, and immovable, even as the world around him shifted.

Growing impatience with Joe’s stare, Juan added, “Why are you still standing here?”

“I’ll get it done right away.” Joe quickly retreated.

Juan held the roses, but the tenderness in his eyes was gone, replaced by coldness.

In the evening, Ben took Debra to the police station. Michael’s arrest had been a major scandal, but thanks to Ben’s swift actions, the news had been largely suppressed. Most people were treating it as a misunderstanding. After all, Michael had always had a sterling reputation, and the idea of him being involved in a brawl seemed far-fetched.

A polite officer greeted Debra with a cup of tea. “Ms. Frazier, I’m terribly sorry. Our chief isn’t in today, but he gave instructions. Whoever you want to see, we’ll make sure it happens.”

Debra took the tea. “Your chief really knows when to disappear, doesn’t he?”

The officer laughed nervously, clearly aware of the delicate situation. Any wise person would avoid being caught between power figures like Juan and Debra.