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
Luka and Axel were secretly taken away. Jett barely registered the plainclothes officers who had appeared out of nowhere—his focus had shifted to the phone Aria now held out. It belonged to his so-called best friend.A sinking feeling consumed Jett. This latest betrayal was a brutal lesson, one that forced him to rethink everything.His phone wouldn't stop ringing—calls from his maternal grandmother's relatives. Before Aria came into the picture, he would have answered every call, perhaps even begged his grandfather for leniency. But now? He had half a mind to blacklist them all.Jett had always thought foreign corporations offered more freedom. He hadn't fully appreciated how rare and resilient the Grisham family was to have survived the upheavals of each passing era without falling apart.Frustration overwhelmed him. He gripped his hair and clutched his head.Aria, meanwhile, felt satisfied. Her plan had worked better than expected. Jett's entanglement was the perfect bait to tr
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