Orion was practically mocking Aria for her inexperience in doing business. After all, Aria had no foundation in Ludwiten, which focused on stock evaluation and public offerings. In this context, she was undeniably a novice. The key to success here was securing as many investments as possible. Orion had only established his foothold in the Chamber of Commerce because of his success in doing so. He cast a glance behind him and said, "Great power comes with greater responsibility. It's fine, Aria. You can take your time to learn."By now, Waymond and Clyde surely understood his message. The Grisham family still had to protect the companies that depended on them for survival.If the Grishams decided to cut off certain projects, those companies would lose funding and collapse. Orion had the capital advantage—he could drag any competitor into a price war. While he could withstand the losses, could those companies do the same? Most of them relied on exports, making Orion their linchp
As expected, everyone's expression shifted the moment the grandfather and granddaughter interacted. This was especially true for those who had long maintained partnerships with the Grisham family.For years, they had secretly fueled discord between the Grishams and Carvers, manipulating events to serve their own interests. Some had exaggerated conflicts, while others had deliberately concealed crucial matters. If the two families reconciled, all their schemes would inevitably come to light. The Grisham family's wrath would be unavoidable—especially once they learned the truth about Fiona's ordeal. Their alliance with Orion was built on lies to Owen and a fabricated account of Fiona's incident. Sienna had heard of Aria's disappearance and, knowing how distressed Fiona would be, had gone searching for her. In truth, Fiona had regained her sanity when she was with Owen and had wanted to reunite with Sienna. But Owen had blocked every attempt. Blinded by greed, Orion's allies
Orion's head nearly exploded with rage at Aria's actions. Who did she think she was? This young woman had too many tricks up her sleeve!Clyde smiled dotingly. "You don't have to say these things to flatter me, Aria. I've always respected Warren's straightforward way of doing business. Besides, when the late Mr. Barron was around, he taught me a great deal. So, don't worry. In Janovin, you have your Grandfather Warren. In Ludwiten, you have me."Clyde's seemingly lighthearted words sent a ripple through the room. Orion's face darkened, and even an inconspicuous man in the crowd furrowed his brows. As for those hoping to profit from the situation, their expressions shifted instantly. Waymond, too, was startled by how quickly Clyde had changed his stance—especially after everything he had suffered over the years. But Clyde remained indifferent to the reactions around him. He simply patted the back of Aria's hand. "You healed me, and now I know what to do. Like you said, my illne
What are you saying, Mr. Grisham Senior? Aria isn't an outsider. As your granddaughter, she has every right to participate in the Chamber of Commerce's assessment."Orion regretted sparing Clyde's life. Had he dealt with the man back then, he wouldn't be in such a passive position now. If not for someone secretly instructing him to control the Grisham family through Clyde, the latter wouldn't have survived this long—let alone stand before him, challenging his words. Leaning on his cane, Clyde ignored Orion's expression and said, "That's good. When I saw everyone looking down on my granddaughter, I thought they had forgotten the Chamber of Commerce's original purpose."I'm glad you still remember, Orion. Otherwise, if the Chamber of Commerce were overrun with fortune tellers, I wouldn't know how to face those heroic souls when I meet them in the afterlife."His words rendered Orion speechless and left Lily visibly embarrassed. After all, what kind of business association would
"Boss, what are you looking at?" Andrew Clarke, the assistant, glanced curiously at the monitor. Caspian Ashworth set his wine glass on the oak desk and stood up, adjusting his suit. "How many times do I have to say it? Don't call me boss; I'm just an employee. I was just thinking about how long a person can live." "What do you mean?" Andrew appeared perplexed. Caspian let out a heavy sigh. "Of all the people they could have provoked, they chose her." "Do you know this new heir to the Carver family?" Andrew's eyes widened with surprise. This connection was news to him. Caspian put on an amulet. "Indeed. She's our real boss' wife. Didn't you notice the ring she wears? "That belongs to the boss," Caspian continued, his eyes fixed intently on the security feed. He unconsciously shifted his position, as if worried the person on screen might spot him. He then muttered under his breath, "The secret door moved. I thought it was the boss, but it turned out to be his wife instead.
The stage had transformed into an auction house, though unlike any conventional one. Instead of typical items, business projects were sold—some profitable, others not. The real test was spotting which projects would yield a profit and winning them through competitive bidding. Only those who understood the market and had business sense would come out ahead. The winner would be the one who could generate the highest profits. Before coming, Orion had told Lily about the test for those who wanted to join the Chamber of Commerce. She knew exactly what projects were involved. Looking back, she realized how foolish she'd been to waste energy on trivial matters. After experiencing the thrill of stock market profits, she understood that she should have used her second chance at life to make serious money. These projects had all gone viral online, and she had seen countless similar ones. Winning would be simple. It would be better if Aria didn't challenge her. In terms of Aria's medica
Though Aria said those words, she already had the answer in her mind. "Having too many people comes with its own problems." Disagreements would arise easily. However, with her psychology background, Aria was great at exploiting such dynamics. "Hmm? What problems?" Waymond was about to ask more when a commotion of excited gasps erupted from across the room. Orion's eyes lit up, his face showing both pride and delight. "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I have an honored guest to welcome." An honored guest? Who could be important enough for Orion to call them that? The answer came quickly as the source of the commotion walked in. He had strikingly handsome features, clearly not local but bearing some Ignisian traits. His deep green eyes were penetrating and sharp. It was as if they could see right through people's hearts. As he entered, the previously bustling venue gradually fell silent. All eyes were drawn to him, filled with both respect and curiosity. Alaric's well
Despite the earlier commotion, Aria noticed that Clyde had not moved a muscle. Now, sitting beside him, she could see the complex emotions on his face. "In the past, the Chamber of Commerce united during economic hardships to fight for our place in the international market. But they're actually relying on a foreigner now. How ironic." "Dad." Waymond tried to console him. Clyde looked up. "It's fine. We can't blame them; businessmen care about profits more than anything else. No one wants their company going bankrupt when they have so many mouths to feed." He did not blame those who left their seats. Everyone needed to survive. But was this still the same Chamber of Commerce they once knew? Understanding Clyde's thoughts, Aria turned her attention back to Alaric. So this was the man who had feelings for her mother, Fiona? He was certainly handsome and looked quite young, though unapproachable. If what he said was true about supporting her side, she might need to reconsider h
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