Juan pulled a badge out of his pocket. It had the shape of the sun on it.

"The Illuminati badge. I found it," he said.

Debra took it. "You found it in Jeffery''s belongings?"fn1b4f For original chapters go to fι?dnοvel/fn1b4f

"Yeah."

Debra turned the badge over in her hand. It looked very simr to the symbol she''d seen in the church and the old castle. Only it didn''t have the phoenix.

"Is there anything else?" she asked.

"All of his belongings were destroyed. When I found it, there was only rubble left. The Illuminati works quickly, and their influence is vast. I don''t know how many businesses here are involved," he replied. "Once someone bes a member, they''re at the Illuminati''s beck and call. They may never be asked to do anything, but when the timees, they have to risk everything to get the job done, or they''ll be killed by their people."

"That''s a high stake. Why would so many people still want to join the Illuminati?"

"Human desires are endless. Some want fame, some want wealth, and others just want money. To get what they want, they need to pay the price. It''s all about gambling, taking risks for bigger rewards."

"Do we have to talk here?" Jordan interrupted, draping his coat over Debra''s shoulders. "The snow''s getting heavier. If you want to talk, let''s go to the Potter Mansion."

He had never liked Juan, and today, his expression was no better.

Debra did feel the cold. "Let''s go to the Potter Mansion. It''s safe there, and Drake''s there too."

"Alright." Juan nodded.

Debra got back into the car and nced at Jordan. "What''s wrong? Not happy?"

"I just can''t stand Juan," he replied. "But I did notice your distant attitude earlier, like he was a stranger."

"He and I are just even now, but I always feel like I owe him more. He feels the same way, so it''s better if we just don''t contact each other. If it weren''t for the Illuminati, maybe we would never have spoken again."

"Honestly, anyone can see that he owes you more."

"That''s the thing about emotions. They''replicated and hard to exin. I''ve let go of the past, but I''m not sure if he has. He''s probably suffering more than I am."

Looking back, she had been foolish enough to torture herself for love. She never stopped to think about what she really wanted.

Living a second life, she had been through a lot and had let go of all her past grudges.

Right or wrong. It didn''t matter anymore.

Jordan nced at her reflection in the rearview mirror. His mind wandered back to two years ago.

When he first met Debra, her eyes had been sharp and full of mischief. Every word she spoke and every nce she gave him was calcted.