Haisley continued, "If I go to jail, nobody will care for him when he's old. He'll be laughed at by all his relatives! I really hate pompous people like you who want to teach others a lesson. You're not doing a good deed. You're only making the old geezer even worse off!"Aria spaced out and started looking for the two names she had mentioned. "Are you done talking?" she asked, looking up.Haisley was stunned by her attitude.Aria tapped her temples coolly. "I don't understand people like you. I don't care whether your father is doing well. He's not my father."He spoiled you when raising you. If he chooses to ignore your crimes, he deserves to live a bad life. We're locking you up to do the world a favor. Wake up, princess. We're not obligated to spoil you like your dad."Haisley's expression was grim, while the police officers seemed pleased. Although they were professional at their work, they wished to retort when faced with people like Haisley. Youngsters nowadays would le
When Aria exited the interrogation room, she heard someone saying, "A representative from Nocturne has arrived. It might be a bit difficult to investigate the hidden passage."Aria lifted her gaze slightly. "Get him to come and find me.""It's the bar's lawyer. He seems a bit difficult to deal with."She smiled. "I like dealing with people like him."In less than three minutes, a group of people sat down. "Let me introduce you to Ludwiten's famous lawyer, Adrian Whitmore. This is the specialist in charge of the case."Adrian smiled and shook hands with Aria. Then, he spoke professionally. "I am Mr. Belmont's lawyer. From what I know, Mr. Belmont has provided all relevant evidence Nocturne can provide. As the person in charge of Nocturne, it'll give him a bad rep if he stays detained."While I deeply sympathize with the late Ms. Hanson's death, there is no direct evidence that my client is involved in her death. We will cooperate with the questioning, but I will request his rele
Aria signaled Adrian to go ahead. However, her gaze revealed nothing. Although Adrian felt he had been played, he didn't have any evidence, so he decided to visit Ronan. The boss dispatched Adrian to instruct Ronan on what he could and couldn't say. Ronan had already made a costly mistake, and another slip-up could easily be exploited by the police. Andrew knew he had to be cautious; these detectives were sharp. As Adrian settled into the visiting room, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The surveillance cameras loomed large in his mind, and he wondered how to extract the necessary information without alerting them. Yet, Ronan seemed nonchalant and showed no signs of worry. Adrian decided to check in with him. "Mr. Belmont, how are you feeling? Did they ask you questions that you don't know the answer to? You may direct it to me and stay silent for the time being. Perhaps you may provide any clues to the police."Adrian carefully crafted his question, pausing s
Orion's primary concern was securing control of the Chamber of Commerce. "You truly understand these poor people the most," he instructed his secretary. "Go and settle this. Handle it flawlessly, or it might jeopardize the Chamber of Commerce's voting."Aria, a potential threat, was disregarded, as were the ethical protocols Orion was undoubtedly familiar with. It seemed that once wealth was acquired, human life became a mere inconvenience. Aria knew the rules. Confronting the names Haisley had mentioned would only alert their enemies. In this critical situation, she desperately needed an ally. As she reviewed her notes, a police officer began, "Ms. Carver, we're uncertain about the actions of your companion. We cautioned him against interfering with the crime scene, but he seemed intent on investigating. And there's a child with him, a surprisingly strong child."Aria smiled at the thought of Sam. "He won't contaminate the crime scene," she assured them. "I believe he's searchin
It was obvious how great the view at night would be. The hall had built-in wine racks and various essentials for hosting parties. The view from the hall was truly remarkable. When one looked out, one could see The Bay. Gazing down, one would feel like a king gazing imperiously over the entire bar below.However, the police could only furrow their brows as they couldn't find any clues. Just as they contemplated their next course of action, Aria arrived. "Where is my friend?" Initially, she just wanted to know Landon's actual location. After all, Landon's call didn't go through several times, which surprised her."They're in the corridor downstairs, not here." The investigator was wearing disposable shoe covers while checking the scene. As Aria was going to look for Landon, she suddenly paused. It was only then she noticed the view from where she was. She could see everyone and everything in the bar, especially as the bar stools lit up when someone sat on them. When Aria reca
In the meantime, an expressionless small figure was moving things in the first-floor corridor. He would occasionally look up at Landon as if asking when he could meet Aria. The officers were bewildered by Sam's presence, completely taken aback by his extraordinary strength. The child seemed unable to speak, communicating only through gestures.The wine barrel beside him was undeniably real, yet he effortlessly lifted it with a single hand. It defied all logic as if the laws of physics no longer applied. Was this some kind of superhuman feat? Was he perhaps a god?Sam ignored the eyes on him. He remembered awakening in a hot spring deep in the woods. It felt comfortable, but he was hungry.Sam stamped his feet on the ground, then leaned over the water to inspect his reflection, meticulously checking his teeth. Only after this self-assessment did he begin to survey his surroundings.There was nobody else other than a bunch of souls. When he backed a step away, the souls would follo
Aria, who just came over, was stunned by the scene. Landon's pose reminded her of the man covering his nose with a white handkerchief in a manifestation in Ludwiten, but the person seemed more wicked than Landon. For some reason, Aria felt it wasn't a coincidence they were brought to Ludwiten. In fact, they were led there. Sam shook his head indifferently as he examined the surveillance cameras. When he saw Aria, however, he immediately dropped everything in his hands and fled to her side. He seemed to have a lot of things to say to Aria. He stretched out his hands and kept gesturing. Aria raised his face and squished his cheeks with one hand. She then glanced at his teeth. "Not bad. You didn't simply consume anything."Sam puffed his chest out proudly as if saying he had listened to her words.Relief washed over Aria as she enveloped him in a tight embrace, stroking his hair and grounding herself in his presence.Aria's bond with Sam transcended the ordinary. It was an unbr
The crow, despite its limited understanding of Chaos' words, sensed a growing unease. It feared Landon's lies and carefully constructed disguise might soon unravel. The crow was uncertain how Aria would react if she discovered Landon's true identity. Landon, seeking a missing fragment of his soul, had come to Ludwiten. This fragment resided within the city, making it crucial to ensure Landon's safety.As these anxieties weighed on him, Landon approached, his demeanor casual. "Mount Dracotigris," he explained, "possesses a sacred ground dedicated to the Decatorian way. Surrounded by dense woods and imbued with potent spiritual energy, it remains largely unexplored by humans due to the presence of various beasts. I believe Sam was there."Aria raised her eyebrows. "There is a place like this in Mount Dracotigris?""Yes. It's just that it was never made public."When Aria turned to Sam, he nodded, confirming his recollection of the place. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, and he swif
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
Landon's sudden appearance wasn't just a coincidence. With Aria's intelligence, she would figure something out soon—he knew that. He hadn't planned on revealing himself like this. But something that belonged to him was here, and the demonic energy in this place… Aria couldn't face it alone.She studied him from head to toe, her hand still in his. His grip was firm, protective."There's a lot of mist ahead," he said quietly. "We'll need to tread carefully."Aria tilted her head. "You speak like you know this place well.""I do," Landon replied with a calm honesty. "I was deathly ill once. My soul wandered into a place just like this. Homer pulled me back."His voice made it sound like a distant memory, and Aria gave a soft laugh, tightening her hold on his hand. "You really are full of surprises. I guess it's true—handsome men are the most dangerous."But Aria's thoughts were racing. Why had he come after her like this, knowing it would reveal parts of himself he'd tried to keep h
Landon was still handling the stragglers behind Aria when he paused, his gaze flicking upward. Cameras were mounted in every corner—too many eyes. Vanishing without a trace wasn't an option.He glanced in Aria's direction, then lowered his head. His lips moved in a whisper, but the sounds were incomprehensible—something rhythmic, otherworldly. It was less like a speech and more like a chant—an exorcism.Meanwhile, Dave descended into the underground, calm and unrushed. That place reeked of foul energy, dense and suffocating. His master had cast a spell over it—one designed to kill anyone who dared to enter, no matter their strength. Dave wasn't afraid. He had more pressing priorities—destroying documents, erasing traces, minimizing damage.His bodyguard stayed close, watching for anyone who might try to stop them.Aria, moving swiftly, reached the lower floor—only to halt. Mist curled along the ground, thickening with every step. The air turned icy. And the corridor behind her…
"Why would there be people outside?" asked Dave. He had been disguising himself as a doctor for years, and that was the first time he looked so anxious. After all, if someone did approach their building, the villagers would have informed them about it. However, they received no news this time.Dave wondered what was going on."Dr. Dave, what should we do now? I think we're surrounded!"He was still in his coat as he slightly clenched his fists. "Let's move out. Bring the girls in the basement with us.""T-They're not in the basement."When Dave heard that, he looked furious. "What do you mean they're not in the basement?""Someone took them away, and I'm guessing it was her fault!" The bodyguard pointed at Aria, who was standing on the highest point, showing off her skills. With swift, lethal kicks and a taser turned weapon, no one dared get close.Whoever touched Aria would die, and no one dared to approach her at all.As for Landon, he still had his mask on as he stood behind