"Philip Wagner? Did you meet him?" Aria asked.Homer stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It was just a brief passing. He seems to be troubled, but this isn't the important part. What concerns me is that he has a look of death on his face."Upon hearing that, Aria's gaze shifted. Nobody knew what she was thinking. …The Carver family's incident had spread throughout Janovin by now.Ian was under investigation while Owen was taken away. Rumor had it that strife within the Carver family had escalated, and Owen was apprehended while trying to protect Ian.While some sensed something unusual was happening, nobody could pinpoint the incident to Aria. Meanwhile, there had been changes in the Wagner and Furler families.Ignatius was looking at his aunt, Alicia Balm, who seemed overjoyed about something.Without needing him to ask, she spilled everything upon coming to his house. "Your Uncle Kyran believed in some fortune-teller's divination that I could bring good fortune to him. Now,
Aria wouldn't need to use the path they prepared at all, not only in Janovin but also overseas.Fergus shook his head, feeling relieved he didn't need to put on an act before his enemies. At the same time, he had more thoughts about his family's future plans. They would help Barron with his unfulfilled wishes.Fergus' gaze landed on the memorial plaque before him. As Aria knew Fergus had been through a lot today, she didn't disturb him. What she read in the newspaper was still bothering her. Not wanting to conceal this from her family, she asked directly, "Grandpa, did Great-great-Grandpa leave anything important behind?""Something important?" Warren shook his head. "I don't think so. Before his death, he had been busy transmitting intel, raising money, supplying food, and sometimes giving protection to others. He didn't leave anything important behind."Aria lowered her gaze at his reply. Perhaps Ian had taken the item away without Warren's knowledge.However, if Ian had the
However, Fergus would take whatever Aria said seriously."I'll take note. Do you want me to send someone to look for him?" Fergus always wanted to help his younger sister out. However, Aria was capable enough on her own.Aria chuckled. "No need. Nobody can find him unless he wants to be found."Fergus understood her words. "He's that mysterious? It seems like he's quite important to you.""He's the mentor who taught me the Decatorian way." Aria glanced at Homer, who was standing outside. "Once he's here, I'll introduce him to you."Fergus was smart and understood what she was saying. "I'll make sure he stays. Go ahead."Aria couldn't recall when Nyx had felt this uneasy before. As Nyx made a contract with her, she could sense his feelings. She wondered what had happened at Hendricks Residence that made Nyx so restless. Aria didn't go alone. Naturally, she wouldn't leave Simon behind. If people from Mount Dracotrigris knew she had a beast of fortune by her side, it would cause a
Lettie thought of filing for divorce, but her family forbade her from doing so. There was a saying online that married women were no longer a part of their family. Lettie didn't believe it before, but now she did.After all, she had told her family about Paxton Hendricks' affair. Lettie's father replied, "Men work hard outside, so you need to give him a chance."Her mother added, "Well, you can't blame this entirely on Paxton. You should put more effort into dressing yourself up. You should learn to endure this. Did you think your father didn't have an affair before? Just maintain your position in the family."Lettie couldn't believe it. She had once been a high-up in a company and had a bright future ahead of her.Before she got married, she was doted on by her parents. Yet, everything was different now.Lettie didn't understand it at first. However, everything made sense after she returned to her parents' home earlier this morning. It was because her sister-in-law didn't lik
When a teacher saw Lettie coming out, she immediately gestured for Amara to stop talking. However, Amara didn't care if Lettie heard her or not. In fact, she would have preferred it if Lettie had. Amara felt annoyed just seeing her around the house. Plus, Amara wanted to remind Lettie that marrying into the Hendricks family was a blessing she didn't deserve. Thus, Lettie should be grateful and keep quiet.Amara was completely different from her husband, Don Hendricks. Her husband rarely cared about things at home. After all, Don's years of engagement in archaeology had made him more indifferent to worldly affairs.Lettie had overheard Amara's words. Despite her clenched hands, Lettie tried to remain calm. "Mom, I have something to discuss with you."Amara had never tried to hide her disgust for her. Glancing at her, Amara replied, "Didn't you see that I'm busy? What do you want to talk about?""It's about Daisy." Despite things getting out of hand, Lettie didn't want the situat
Amara only had one thought in mind, so she spoke without holding back. "Besides, what do you have to compare to others? You can't even give birth to a son. It's not like our family didn't give you time."You look like an old hag. Why don't you ask if Daisy likes you? She's the one who wants to go. Why are you causing a scene?"Lettie couldn't believe it. "She wanted to go? How could it be…"With a click, the door suddenly burst open. Daisy stood there with a look of frustration. "I was the one who wanted to go. Celestia is really nice and plays with me. "Mom, you're overthinking it. Why are you fighting with Grandma over this? Celestia and Dad are only friends.""Celestia is really nice and often plays with you?" Repeating her daughter's words, Lettie felt like someone had stabbed her in the back.Daisy took a sip of water. "That's right. Celestia isn't as old-fashioned as you either. She would accompany me shopping, bring me to Tisneyland, and even give me a plushie."Dad alre
This caused Daisy to furrow her eyebrows. "Mom, what are you talking about? I didn't mean it!"Lettie didn't even look at her. She couldn't understand what kind of child would turn against her mother like this. Daisy wasn't a baby anymore. She was old enough to understand Paxton's mistress was just buttering her up.Lettie could accept her failed marriage. However, she was devastated that her own child, who she had given birth to, would look down on her like this. Lettie regretted giving birth to her.Lettie stared at Amara. "When I got married into the Hendricks family, I was the author of a famous book. I've been earning royalties for years, but where is that contract? Return it to me, and I'll get a divorce with Paxton now."Upon hearing that, Amara sneered. "Are you being delusional? Your book? My son wrote that book! What does it have to do with you? What a psycho!""He said he wrote the book?" A mocking sneer appeared on Lettie's face. "He sure knows how to bluff."When A
"Get her to apologize to the Hendricks family now! Nobody in our family has dared to get a divorce before. If she does, I'll never acknowledge her as my daughter anymore. How dare she!"Lettie could hear her father's furious tone through the phone.Her father had always been like this for as long as Lettie could remember. When she didn't act as he wanted, she was considered disrespectful. Lettie used to think she should respect her parents. However, she understood now that this only applied to her and her sister, while her brother could do whatever he wanted."Haha! How ironic." Her head was bleeding, but she couldn't stop laughing. Her eyes seemed to be covered in a later of thick black mist."The world is vast, yet I have nowhere to call home. I have a question to ask. Am I not your daughter? Why did you give birth to me if you don't love me? Is it solely to pave a future for your son?'The voice in her last sentence didn't sound like Lettie's. It seemed to come from the room
Chaos erupted at the auction. For all their pride and arrogance, the wealthy clients' expressions had twisted into pure panic the moment something went wrong.So, their first reaction was to seek a staff member."The power's unstable!" Dave spoke into the microphone, trying to project calm. "Everyone, stay calm. There's scheduled maintenance in town—it's just affecting the electricity. Nothing's wrong."He genuinely believed that. It was what he'd been told.But Aria knew better. The blackout wasn't random. It was a signal. Sam had tracked down the source of the call. With the exits sealed off, Aria had everything she needed to act.A faint smirk curled on her lips. Without hesitation, she grabbed Landon and swiftly took Aliya hostage. Her movements were sharp, practiced, so fast that no one around her even had time to react.Then came the needles.Aria flicked her wrist, sending a series of acupuncture needles flying. The rich guests closest to her froze in place, locked in stu
Tony's accusation stirred a ripple through the room, and it didn't escape Dave's attention. With a subtle flick of his wrist, he signaled to someone nearby.Aria caught the movement. Her fingers tensed, ready to slip free of the rope she had already loosened. But before she could act, she heard a smooth, composed voice glide through the air."I need her to boost my luck," the man said coolly. "I've done my research. She's the ideal bride for someone like me."Dave stopped in his tracks, and it seemed like he was telling someone else to verify what Landon had said."Sir, it checks out," one of the staff murmured after a brief consultation. "Mr. Crow's fate is complicated. The master said only a spiritual match could extend his life. Otherwise, he won't make it past his next birthday."Dave let out a low chuckle, visibly relaxing. "Well then, Mr. Crow, it seems you've come to the right place. Please—carry on, everyone."Aria listened in stunned silence. Landon hadn't lied. His life
Aria couldn't tear her eyes away from Dave.He was still quietly speaking to the man on the screen, their exchange shrouded in secrecy. No one nearby could hear what they were saying—but Aria could guess. It had to be a deal of some sort, something about her. Everything about Dave's posture, the glint in his eyes, told her this wasn't just business. It was personal.She glanced up at the clock again, nerves coiling in her chest. Something was wrong. Sam was taking longer than usual. That wasn't like him.The auction was nearing its close. They couldn't miss the chance to strike. Sasha, glowing with excitement, clapped her hands and declared, "Six million! It looks like no one else is bidding—congratulations to our newest member, Mr. Tiger—""Ten million dollars."The voice sliced clean through the noise, calm, clear, and cold.Everyone turned toward it.A man stood at the edge of the crowd, dressed in a sleek tuxedo dusted with black feathers, his mask intricate and dark.T
Aria had once told Sam to avoid chaos if he could—but she'd also said that when desperation knocked, rules could bend.Now was one of those moments.Sam hesitated only briefly before diving in.He had to know who was behind this. Who kept targeting Aria? Who was pulling the strings in the dark? And once Sam decided on something, there was no turning back.Without Aria by his side, he breached the system, knowing full well the other side had already alerted the police.The firewall he faced wasn't just tough—it was nearly impenetrable. It filtered everything, controlling access with surgical precision. But Sam wasn't interested in the broader network. He narrowed his focus and cut straight to the source, filtering out all the noise to lock onto the actual IP.The auction raged on aboveground. The man behind the screen, confident in his usual routine, remained calm and unaware that the mask he'd worn for years was finally slipping. He'd always stayed out of sight, appearing only
While Aria discreetly signaled to move, the auction hall was buzzing with excitement. Laughter echoed, wine glasses clinked, and the room pulsed with greed.Sasha's voice came through the mic, smooth and cheerful. "While everyone's enjoying themselves, let's welcome our latest arrival of the evening."She glanced at the man beside her—her bodyguard—who immediately stiffened under her gaze.To the crowd, it looked like he was escorting Aria to the stage under control. In truth, Aria's hand was already pressed lightly against his chest, right over a poisoned pressure point. He knew better than to resist—he'd seen what she was capable of.And she'd made her warning crystal clear—if she was exposed or captured, he wouldn't live to see morning.The guests didn't notice a thing. All eyes were on Aria, their expressions hungry. They saw value in her—fresh, young, healthy. To them, she wasn't a person. She was premium merchandise.She was brought to stand beside a young woman who had alr
Eamon and Waymond had just been thrown out of the Chamber of Commerce. Waymond's face was flushed with fury, his eyes red. "Eamon, why didn't you let me speak earlier? Mr. Lincoln was being unreasonable!"Eamon, ever perceptive, shook his head. "Mr. Lincoln's been bribed. He was never going to take our side."Wise and strategic, Eamon had always been top of his class—but now, he was even sharper when it came to reading a room."I'm guessing Aria found something during her investigation that made them nervous," he continued. "Durand couldn't have controlled Lincoln on his own. There's more to it."Waymond frowned, still struggling to piece things together. "But who could bribe Mr. Lincoln? Not even the mayor has that kind of sway. He's—""What if it's someone from the state?" Eamon cut in, eyes flicking back toward the building. "We need to tell Dad. There's no point in staying here, but there is someone we can talk to.""Who?" Waymond asked quickly. "Lucas Murray—the new secr
Durand's expression darkened; Eamon was right. Amos and the official from the state had originally wanted to work with the Grishams, especially Eamon. That was why they used the Fitzroys as a bridge to approach him. Unfortunately, Magdalene had failed to establish any rapport with the Grishams.Instead, she kept criticizing Eamon, claiming he followed Laura's every word, and insisted they had plenty of ways to manipulate the Grishams. In the end, the divorce erupted into a scandal, and the entire Fitzroy family was imprisoned.Ironically, Eamon's actions only impressed the state official more. Durand had even heard Amos say that their leader hoped Eamon would continue working with them as his involvement would ensure their plans progressed smoothly.That knowledge burned Durand with frustration. No matter what he did, he could never measure up to Eamon."It looks like you still haven't grasped the situation, Mr. Grishman. Mr. Grisham Senior has begged everyone, but where did it le
"I'm happy to take over the Grishams' responsibilities," Durand said.Waymond scoffed coldly. "You're not worthy of it.""Mr. Lincoln, it seems someone's not too happy with you."Durand, dressed like a gentleman as always, adjusted his glasses and replied calmly, "Waymond, you've been in this business long enough to know how things work. The Grishams have gained a lot over the years. It's not up to you to decide whether to hold on to it."Leonardo stood, trying to ease the tension. "There's no point in arguing. Let's settle this the traditional way—with an anonymous vote. Everyone, write down whether you think the Grishams should step down. Let the vote speak for itself. That way, it'll be fair."He instructed someone to bring in a box, paper, and pens. Each member was handed a set. It was more for show than anything else; everyone already knew how the vote would go.Eamon saw right through their performance, his gaze turning cold as he sat silently. The votes were quickly cast an
"Mr. Grisham, how long your niece stays locked up isn't up to us—it depends on the severity of her crime," Durand said. "As a member of the Chamber of Commerce, you should understand how serious the situation she's stirred up really is. Haven't you read any of the online news?"People are now hoping the Grisham family goes bankrupt. They're even demanding that we, the Chamber, investigate this matter ourselves!"His words made those who had previously wanted to side with the Grishams start to hesitate. With the Draycotts and Fitzroys already doomed, the Grishams had seemed like the next best option. But no one had expected Aria to make such a critical mistake.Public sentiment had turned sharply. The Chamber of Commerce was now being blamed for enabling an economic disaster. What angered the public most was Aria's carefully crafted image. If she'd shown her true colors from the start, they might have ignored her. But pretending to be righteous, only to betray the common people—that w