Waymond patted Jett's shoulder and laughed heartily. "You're indeed like me. We're both gullible and headstrong. We easily pity others and get deceived too."The financial records Aria handed him were indeed a disaster he'd sown himself back in his early days, trusting the wrong people. Waymond said straightforwardly, "It's good for you to follow Aria."Jett only reckoned that Aria was a good fighter. As for the other aspects, he thought he was still more knowledgeable despite his lack of talent. After all, he was older than her and had graduated from a business school.Despite thinking that, Jett could only nod under such circumstances. While Aria understood what he was thinking, she kept quiet.Just then, Aria's phone buzzed with a call from Sam. He didn't say anything but tapped his fingers lightly against the microphone. Aria smiled and said dotingly, "Okay. I'll go and take a look later. Are you hungry? Make sure you eat something."Sam had an aloof expression as he sent
However, Jett had no choice but to listen to Clyde."Okay." Jett stood up and glanced at Eamon. He worried his parents might argue over what had happened earlier. Eamon met Jett's gaze with an unreadable expression. "Listen to what Aria says when you're outside."Jett mumbled, "Okay."Aria reminded Clyde as she packed up. "Grandpa, I've arranged for someone to send you medicine. Since you don't have a butler right now, I found a suitable candidate. He'll bring the medicine tonight and prepare it according to the prescription."You need to follow my advice. You should exercise more, don't get stressed, and make sure your room stays well-ventilated."Clyde's heart warmed. Aria had barely eaten a few bites before preparing to head out again, and yet she hadn't given up on Jett. She'd even taken him along with her.He understood her intentions. While it appeared she was helping Jett, she was actually introducing him to the family's business world."Mom, take care of Grandpa. I fee
It all began with Jett's so-called friends and connections—many of whom were tied to his mother's side of the family. Aria quickly realized their true intention wasn't to destroy the Grisham family but to pull Jett closer to their circle. As the future heir of the Grisham family, Jett was a valuable asset. To win his favor, they indulged his every whim and even orchestrated friendships for him. Some of those connections were with the Draycott family's men.Aria had taken great care to filter out anyone with links to the Grishams. Even so, she was stunned to find she had overlooked two people in Jett's circle. If she hadn't checked the IP address behind the video Isaiah just sent, those two would have remained hidden.The bigger the family, the more tangled the web of relationships. Aria had never felt that way about her own family—her brothers weren't married, and the Carver family had few extended relatives. But the Grishams were another story entirely. Missing even the smallest d
"Let's meet your so-called friend. Talk normally and don't reveal anything. We start with courtesy, but we'll escalate if needed." Aria's tone was firm as she dragged Jett into the boutique.Customer service was crucial in boutiques selling and maintaining second-hand luxury items. Some high-end shops prided themselves on their impressive collections of classic edition pieces. Although many wealthy clients didn't typically shop there, the demand was driven by budget-conscious consumers who wanted high-end goods.Second-hand bags that once cost tens of thousands could be purchased for half the price. Fresh graduates with limited budgets but a desire to flaunt status often sought such deals. TV dramas showed how luxury bags could help people mingle in high-end social circles, sometimes leading to surprising bargains. For shop owners, a boutique like this could be pretty profitable—if the goods were legitimate and the staff's attitude didn't drive customers away.Jett had trusted
The customer's frustration was simmering, but Aria's cool and self-assured demeanor caught her off guard. She had never met a woman quite like Aria before, and her irritation wavered.When Aria offered an apology, the customer waved it off, flustered. "N-No need. Maybe the shop doesn't have my size anyway.""Nonsense. You have a balanced figure and a slim waist—you'll look good in anything. Why not try it on and see for yourself?" Aria's tone was disarming yet firm.Then, with a sudden shift, she added, "As for the salesperson, she doesn't seem to need this job. She's probably wealthy enough to buy these clothes outright. Maybe she's from a well-off family."Aurelia Dubois' expression darkened. "Miss, even if you're friends with Mr. Grisham, it's inappropriate to meddle in shop matters. Yes, I was in a bad mood because of a break-up today. I'm sure Mr. Grisham will understand. I'm very sorry."Though her words were loud, her tone carried more self-pity than remorse. She was clearl
Aurelia shot a glance at Jett as she spoke, convinced he wouldn't heed Aria's demand to fire her. After all, Jett had always been considerate to his employees.But Jett's response was sharper than anything he had said since entering the shop. "Pack your things and leave."Aurelia froze. "You can't! Mr. Grisham, I need this job—I have rent due next month. You can't just fire me!"She turned to Aria, her eyes burning with resentment. "This is all because of you. You rich people think you can look down on us. You have no idea what it's like to be an ordinary person!""Your words are an insult to ordinary people," Aria replied coolly, staying put to watch how Jett would handle it. She also wanted to see if he would understand how someone like Aurelia had ended up working in his store in the first place.Jett's mind flashed to the scene at the Grisham residence, and realization dawned. Aurelia and his Uncle Robert were cut from the same cloth.Until now, Jett had wondered if there had
Aria glanced at Jett. "A girl selling flowers on the street could outsell your sales attendant. Being the top seller in your store isn't exactly a badge of honor."Jett felt the sting of her words but remained silent. He couldn't shake the feeling that Aria didn't like him much.However, more pressing matters weighed on him today. His shop was riddled with issues, and now his best friend—also the shop's supervisor—had been missing for over ten minutes. Jett's face darkened.One of the sales attendants leaned in and whispered, "Mr. Draycott is in the meeting room on the fourth floor."After hearing that, Jett turned and strode upstairs. Even before they reached the door, they heard loud, crude laughter. Inside, two men sat sprawled out—one with his legs crossed, the other holding a cigarette. Both tapped away on their phones."This chick's got a body on her," one snickered. "Check out her chest!""Haha! We should ask her out."Jett felt a wave of nervousness. He shot a glance a
"Luka explained, "It's nothing much. One of my overseas contacts managed to bring in a new batch of goods—trendy, high-demand items. Very profitable. We'll be swimming in cash once it arrives in a couple of days."He flashed a grin at Jett. "It's all thanks to Jett that we could import such precious goods."Jett's brows furrowed. Luka's words sounded off. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something felt wrong.Luka only dared to speak so freely because Jett had spent most of his life overseas, ignorant of Farshya's local affairs. And Aria? He dismissed her entirely, assuming a young woman wouldn't know anything.His confidence wavered, though, when he caught Aria's gaze. The seemingly harmless woman's expression had shifted into something sharp and unsettling."So, which port are the goods arriving at?" she asked, her tone deceptively light.Luka faltered, scrambling for a response. But before he could stammer out an answer, Aria toyed with her car keys and added nonchalantly
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
Dave smiled, clearly enjoying the desperation on Lewis' face. "Also, you won't be getting any more orders. Your supervisor is going to help us delete every report you've ever submitted. What a shame, Lewis. You risked your life on the front lines, only for someone else to reap the rewards behind your back. If I were you, I'd stop being so loyal. Wouldn't it be better to join us?"He was trying to manipulate Lewis, planting doubt and betrayal like poison. As Aria listened, her fists clenched slowly. Nothing crushed a person's spirit more than destroying their belief in what they stood for. They had exposed Lewis on purpose—to break his faith in the uniform he wore.The masked clients settled back into their seats, returning to their arrogant ease. They were reminded that they were above the law within these walls. No one from the outside could enter the premises, and if someone did, they wouldn't leave intact.These people had powerful connections. To them, the undercover cop was a
Aside from Aria, who had initially refused the food, everything had seemed normal to Stephanie. After all, Aria eventually accepted a drink, and nothing else appeared out of the ordinary.But the more Stephanie thought about it, the deeper her frown became. A sense of unease crept in, and she instinctively lowered her microphone, ready to rush to the basement to check things for herself. Seeing her reaction, the wealthy clients began to panic.The woman in the fox mask stood up, clutching her bag tightly, and made for the exit. She feared she would actually be arrested if she stayed any longer. She had no intention of ending up in jail just for attending an auction, especially one like this. Most importantly, she couldn't afford to have her reputation tarnished.Like her, the rest of the crowd shared the same instinct—flee.Meanwhile, Aria narrowed her eyes as she subdued a bodyguard with one hand. She maintained firm but measured pressure with her left hand, ready to act the moment
When Sasha heard the man mention the rare gem, her eyes narrowed slightly. Very few people knew about it. Only Dave and a handful of higher-ups were aware. She immediately wondered who had leaked the news.But the man's words had already ignited excitement across the auction floor."What? A rare gem?""It's been ages since we've seen one! I can't believe there's actually one today!"To these people, a rare gem referred to someone whose body was considered exceptionally valuable, blessed with natural fortune, vitality, and unmatched physical condition. It was believed that such a person couldn't fully harness the luck they were born with. But if someone else could acquire it...Not only could they preserve their youth and beauty, but their careers and fortunes could be transformed. The idea sent a thrill through the room, and their greed quickly became impossible to hide.Sasha realized the situation was slipping out of her control. She reached for her communicator to contact Dave,