"Sure," Aria agreed without much thought. After Landon departed, Aria couldn't shake the feeling that he had crossed a boundary with his intimacy. Plus, the lingering coolness on her wrist constantly reminded her of Landon's presence.Meanwhile, Landon walked to the intersection where a limited edition Maybach was waiting. The chauffeur graciously opened the car door.In this moment, Landon appeared entirely different from his demeanor with Aria. Adjusting his diamond cufflinks, he exuded a commanding presence that made the person on the other end of his video call hesitant to meet his gaze."Dispose of all of them. We'll discuss the rest upon arrival," he commanded without preamble.Removing the bracelet seemed to lift a restraint. Landon's usual indifference morphed into a dangerous glint that flickered in his eyes.Unbeknownst to Landon, Sarah, zipping by on her electric motorbike, witnessed the scene. She skidded to a stop, a frown creasing her brow. "Isn't that Aria's hands
Aria looked at the worn-out passbook. "Grandma, I have money.""That was before. I'm sure they froze your credit card when they kicked you out. Thanks for trying to console me, though," Georgina said, affectionately stroking Aria's hair.Aria continued to smile. "Grandma, I…"Before Aria could explain, Georgina's phone began ringing incessantly, the sound grating on their ears. The gentleness in Georgina's eyes disappeared when she saw who was calling. She made a move to take the call outside. Aria ventured a guess. "Is it Karen?"Seeing that she couldn't hide it, Georgina nodded.Aria smiled. "Grandma, take the call here. Sam and I are old enough to handle anything that comes up."Touched by Aria's words, Georgina found a sudden surge of strength to face the dreaded call."You finally picked up! You're making everyone think that I treated you poorly. The Bush family just contacted me, saying you asked them for money to reopen the clinic." Karen's sharp, sarcastic voice pier
Georgina replied with a message to thank the Bush family for their time and understanding. After all, no one was obligated to help her. Georgina understood that much. The Bush family suggested, "Why not forget about reopening the clinic? Frankly, your business may not thrive. If you need financial support for daily expenses, we can still help discreetly."The underlying implication was clear from the way the Bush family phrased their offer. After all, 5,000 dollars meant little to families like theirs. While five grand might not have sufficed for Karen to host a lavish feast for everyone, the reality was that such an amount wouldn't even make a dent in their wallets.Karen's refusal to contribute wasn't enough; she actively discouraged others from helping. The stereotype painted mothers-in-law as the villains, but Karen's behavior proved some daughters-in-law could be just as cold-hearted.Aria's eyes darkened as she drummed her fingers on the table.Though her expression rem
"Of course we'll earn more than that, Grandma. When Heartbound Hall gets popular, we'll even get to open some branches." Aria tucked the loose strands of hair behind Georgina's ears. "Didn't you always want to visit Janovin? We'll open a clinic there."Georgina laughed as she listened to Aria. "My adorable granddaughter, not everyone can open a clinic in Janovin—that's the capital, after all. The fact that you have such great ambitions already fills me with joy."Georgina had been somewhat overbearing in her youth, lacking finesse in navigating human nature. In her old age, she had lost her job, her mobility, and her family's status as one of the Great Medical Families. Her son had disappointed her and his wife even more so.Sitting in her small garden, she often contemplated what she would have done differently if given the chance to choose again.Ultimately, she concluded that she wouldn't change a thing. With Aria and Sam by her side, she could still practice medicine and bring
The elderly residents in the neighborhood had just returned from their morning walk when they saw Aria standing in front of the clinic, tinkering with something.Someone asked, "What are you doing here, Aria?"Aria stifled a yawn before answering, "Live streaming."Live streaming? All the neighbors found this fascinating. Live streaming was a novelty to them, despite their frequent browsing of TikTok and Instagram. They gathered around Aria, eager to see how she would livestream. Aria didn't stop them. She'd chosen Shark, one of the most popular live streaming platforms. Aria knew these platforms often supported fresh faces, offering promotional boosts to new accounts. As long as she went live at a specific time, the platform would showcase her stream for three minutes, guaranteeing at least a hundred viewers.Aria had studied the platform's policies the previous day. After the initial hour, the promotion would likely increase, drawing in even more viewers.However, it was up
The chat exploded. "Are you sure you really can hold consultations like that?""She's a liar. Don't believe in her, everyone!""She's the fake daughter of the Kent family, and she's trying to scam people here because she can't earn money elsewhere. Disgusting!"The comments were getting progressively worse, but Aria didn't reply to them. Instead, she opened the medical book she was holding and started to read. The promotion time limit was almost up, but Aria remained unaffected. The more aggressive the comments were, the more people joined the stream and the more support given by the streaming platform. This in turn increased the number of viewers.100 people joined, then 200, until the viewer count was about to surpass 2,000. At that moment, the stream with the name "Heartbound Hall" became the most popular one among all new accounts, even showing up in the Hot Trending List.Although the number of viewers increased, there were also some viewers who didn't know Aria. Desp
Eric hesitated. He turned on his mic and asked, "How did you know that my upper abdomen is hurting all the time?""Holy shit! The streamer really guessed the symptoms correctly!""I gotta follow her now. That was miraculous!"Aria drummed her fingers on the table from time to time and said without much inflection in her voice, "We learned the four diagnosis methods at school, didn't we? It's obvious just by looking at you."Eric said hesitantly, "Then my illness…"Aria said professionally, "It's not stomach cancer, but I suggest that you get it treated as soon as possible. Also, eat takeout food less often and consume foods that are easier to digest, such as soup and oatmeal. Don't jeopardize your health just for the sake of your studies."The viewers had been waiting for Aria to make a fool of herself, but they were all surprised now.Eric's friends asked, "What's going on with you, Eric? Is what she said true? Are you really sick?"Eric didn't reply. He'd asked his roommates
Aria acted swiftly, promptly blurring the little girl's face while addressing the viewers. "I hope everyone can respect the privacy of others, especially that of a child."TinasMom: "Don't worry. We won't take any screenshots."LoveDancing: "Yes. You should ask the little girl what happened to her."Everyone had a bad premonition. Aria didn't ask any more questions, though. She said while reading the comments, "I'll contact this patient privately, so please wait for a while."In order to protect the patient's privacy, Aria turned her mic off. Even so, the number of viewers was still increasing rapidly. From 10,000 viewers, the number increased to 60,000 viewers, and it didn't stop there. There was no sound in the live feed now, but the viewers didn't leave. Aria contacted the little girl via DM. "When did you start feeling pain? What happened before that? Do you still remember?"As if recalling old memories, the little girl said, "Uncle Ryan bought me toys last night befor
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno
Aliya had never heard of the Special Missions Unit until today. But after seeing Pedro's panicked reaction, it didn't take long for her to realize that this was a group with more authority than even her father.Still, some people lived so long in privilege that they convinced themselves they were untouchable. Logic no longer applied to them.Aria was done entertaining Aliya's ignorance. With a flick of her wrist, she signaled someone to silence her. Then, she turned to Aliya with icy disdain."Don't worry," Aria said. "I'll take you with me when I pay your father a visit. Then we can ask him together what his name truly means in this state."Her voice was calm but sharp."You seem to have forgotten that his power—any power—comes from the people. And now, you're using that power to treat their lives like currency. To buy yourself a life of superiority."She stepped closer. "Organ trafficking is illegal here. That's the crime we've confirmed so far. But don't worry. We'll find the
When Pedro heard that it was the Special Missions Unit, his forehead was covered in sweat immediately. Even his mind had gone blank. At that moment, all he could think about was how doomed they were!Others might not have heard of the unit before. However, as a state official, there was no way Pedro wouldn't know them. In fact, the Special Missions Unit was something they had no control over.Technically, the Special Missions Unit had way more clearance than they did. After all, they were in charge of big cases. Sometimes, they would even work with the special troops.The Special Missions Unit belonged to the country, and they were extremely mysterious. Even people with high clearance wouldn't know who they were in real life.Pedro only managed to find his voice after a long time. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, he chuckled awkwardly."Oh, this is all a misunderstanding. May I know who I am speaking to? I never expected the Special Missions Unit to be carrying out a missio
Aliya had never met Aria before, but this was the first time she'd seen a young woman more poised—and far more arrogant—than herself. That only fueled her rage. And the fact that Aria was stunningly beautiful didn't help either.Scoffing, she snapped, "Do you dare let us make our calls? Let's see if you still look so smug after that."The other wealthy attendees stiffened. None of them moved. With Aria in the room, they had the sinking feeling that calling in favors wouldn't end well.Aria merely tilted her head and smiled. "Of course," she said, then turned to her team. "Please hand this lady her phone. Let her make her call."The members of the Special Missions Unit didn't question her. They knew Aria well enough to understand what she was doing—she wanted the bigger fish. The call would be recorded, and with any luck, it would lead them straight to someone higher up the chain.Aliya was momentarily thrown off by Aria's easy agreement. But she quickly chalked it up to ignorance.
Aliya squinted at the unmasked man beside Aria. Now that his face was fully visible, something about him sparked a flicker of recognition. She lowered her gaze, trying to recall where she'd seen him before.Then a sharp gasp cut through the air."He's from the York family… Janovin's York family! Wait—was he Mr. Crow? Were they working together the whole time?"Even though they were all wealthy people, they weren't in the same ranks. No one dared to mess with the York family at all.If the circumstances were different, the arrogant, wealthy people from earlier would've tried to exchange contacts with Landon. That way, they could've partnered up in the future. However, with what had happened that day, those people were in a daze.Meanwhile, Aria knew those people still had no idea what was going on. So, she just removed her disguise and showed them who she really was.Aliya was stunned by what Aria had done. When she saw who the latter truly was, her gaze was filled with jealousy.
The wealthy clients that were left behind at the auction had connections to powerful people, and Dave didn't think Aria was capable enough to deal with every one of them. Although Farshya was well-developed, it had always been a country that focused on connections.Power meant everything, and Dave wanted to see how Aria and her team would deal with his guests. If he remembered correctly, Aliya was the daughter of a great leader in the state. She wanted a womb from a young lady because she wanted to have children.Before the clients got what they wanted, Aria had offended a lot of big shots. Dave thought about it for a second and hoped Aria would suffer as much as he did.Dave was right about one thing. Aliya wasn't anxious at all when someone infiltrated the auction and took control of the event. She was only stunned for a moment at first. Once everything had settled down, she calmed down and even looked a little proud."I suggest you talk to your leader first before deciding to cu
Dave had escaped, but just barely.He'd saved his life, nothing more. The documents he needed to destroy were still intact. Everything had gone completely off script.Every exit had been sealed. If he hadn't killed a villager and disguised himself with a spell, he would've died at the auction. He didn't receive any news about the ambush and was caught entirely off guard.He wasn't in Janovin, and security was that tight there. With his connections, he could've found out what was going to happen in advance. However, that wasn't the case at all.Slipping into a grimy back alley, Dave cursed his luck. Most of his men had been rounded up in the village. He could only hope a few had managed to slip through. But with sirens wailing in the distance, he knew hope was thin."Who the hell was that?" he muttered, wiping dirt off his face with a shaking hand. Normally a stickler for cleanliness, Dave was too rattled to care. "And where's the real Eden?"His mind snapped into action. The scho