On the other hand, the land Orion bought at a high price wouldn't be developed or used for the next ten years. That was as good as useless! The policy could have landed on any piece of land. Why did it have to be the exact plot Aria wanted? Everything was totally over! Apollo couldn't control himself and tugged at his hair. He pretended to be unwell as he pressed his hand to his forehead. In reality, his mind was racing. A piece of land that had sat untouched for so long was suddenly being announced for development. Was heaven playing a joke on him? Danny finished announcing the news and set down his pen. "We've been incredibly busy lately, and some of our colleagues are inevitably tired. "When people get tired, they're prone to mistakes. So I want to remind everyone not to think they can get away with anything. "Alright, I have another meeting this afternoon. Have an internal meeting to digest this information and implement the development policy as soon as possible. Meeti
A Chamber of Commerce member advised Orion, "This seems like a major policy. Otherwise it wouldn't take this long." "Right, Mr. Draycott. Don't worry. Apollo is definitely unavailable during a meeting." During meetings, everyone would turn off their phones, and Orion knew that. He was puzzled as to why Tommy would not answer his calls. "Fine. We'll wait!" It was already midday. Everyone waiting here was the boss of their own companies, so sitting hungry here was seriously embarrassing! But thinking about what was about to be theirs made everything feel balanced. They continued reassuring each other that the meeting was still being dragged on. Finally, someone from Apollo's level, Manny Danson, emerged carrying a takeout container. Government offices typically ordered lunch delivery these days. Their faces immediately darkened. "Mr. Danson. Where are you going? Is the meeting over?" Orion was known as a charitable local businessman and a regular in their circles, so Manny
Someone said, "Apollo, where are you rushing off to? I'm waiting out here. Come with us to announce the good news!" The person grabbed him and pulled him toward Orion. "Orion was thoughtful and worried you might not know we were waiting, so he specifically instructed us to stay by your car." Apollo was devastated, and he even started to curse in his mind. As they approached, Orion saw Apollo's expression and thought he was overjoyed, so he patted his shoulder heartily. "Apollo, calm down. Are you that excited? It's just a piece of land making a bit of money. Look at the bigger picture—this is just the beginning. "Hurry up and catch your breath to announce it to us. We've been waiting a while." Apollo looked up at Orion, knowing he could no longer hide the truth. He also thought that he might as well just say it now. After all, this was the Planning Department, and Orion wouldn't possibly do anything rash here. Thinking this way, Apollo actually felt a bit relieved. He pushe
Orion no longer cared about appearances. He only wanted to make those people behind this scheme pay. His inner turmoil made him forget where he was at right now. If other Chamber of Commerce members hadn't remained rational, he would have thrown a punch already! Even so, causing a scene at the Planning Department would definitely attract attention. Since Apollo was a public servant, Orion's outburst quickly brought local police. Apollo did not want to escalate things. With colleagues watching, he would have to explain later. If he ended up at the station answering questions about this incident, he would be so humiliated. It was not just about losing face—even his job position would be at risk! So to anyone who asked, he kept shaking his head and said, "It's nothing. Just a misunderstanding between me and Mr. Draycott as friends." Avoiding work-related discussion was the safest approach. Orion still seethed with anger, but like Apollo, he did not want to be taken away over thi
A man with a foreign accent expressed dissatisfaction with this matter. "I'll schedule a meeting tomorrow. Tell Orion's assistant we're withdrawing all financial support." "I'm sorry, Mr. Janston. That can't be changed now." "Why?" Robin Janston was confused. His assistant whispered in Angladian, "Boss, we already transferred some funds to Orion ten days ago. It was for a plan to disrupt the market by investing in low-cost gold." Robin paused for a moment, then muttered, "Shit!" The money was sent, so it was too late to regret it. His assistant could only comfort him, "Don't worry. This plan is foolproof—we have the best players controlling things from behind. If something goes wrong, we can cut ties immediately." This was their only option now. Financial giants were satisfied with their market layout in Farshya, but Orion's incident had cast a shadow over their plans. They would not possibly partner up with him anymore. However, they had to pull out their stock market
Someone said, "Jett did not have to invest much at all. That worthless land was bought for just 50 million, so any small investment in it could turn into a gold mine. "The Fitzroys wouldn't have skipped an opportunity like this, right, Mrs. Grisham?"The wealthy wives chattered on. Laura could no longer sit still. She couldn't be bothered to stay for her beauty procedures anymore—she just wanted to rush home and see her son. She wanted to ask if he could still reach out to Aria. Her face turned pale with guilt. Someone spoke up for her with a light voice, "Don't give Mrs. Grisham a hard time. Didn't you hear? The Grisham family thought the land wasn't worth it and pulled out their investment.""What? They did?" This was like a cardinal sin in business partnerships. "I can't believe Mr. Grisham Senior would agree to this." Another woman chuckled. "Mr. Grisham Senior wouldn't be so unfeeling. He dotes on his granddaughter. I heard he's been sick and not managing things, so it
Jett was happy but still felt the news might not be reliable. He checked the documents several times before handing them to Clyde. "Grandpa, look at this! That's the land Aria bought!" Clyde knew Aria had her own plans, especially after talking with his old friend, Warren. He understood that Aria would not fall for anyone's tricks. Buying the land might have been her way of creating a false impression for the Draycotts. It distracted Orion from finding out that not only Fergus but also her investments were in the stock market. He and Warren always believed that spending 50 million to create a distraction was not a waste. Besides, it could also expose those who were stealing money and taking bribes. They never thought they could profit from this piece of land. In fact, they had planned to sell half of it at a loss later or maybe use it for growing fruit trees. But this document clearly spelled out what this development meant. This wasn't just about making a profit—it could becom
Clyde froze after hearing this. He reached out and gently patted Jett's head. "Jett, you don't need to apologize to me. I see you've understood some important things. All these days of learning from Aria haven't been wasted. "I thought you might give up or be wary of Aria, thinking she came to take your position as the Grisham family heir. But you didn't. "Aria has told me about some things you've done, including your sponsorship for Isaiah. And when your mom made you withdraw your investment and locked you at home, you still sneaked out of the house to tell Aria the truth. "Even when you knew you might lose money, you still gave Aria all the savings you'd collected over the years. You didn't break your word or stab Aria in the back. And you didn't just believe whatever others told you like before. "You've developed your own judgment. Jett, I never expected you could do this." Clyde took a deep breath. "I was too stubborn before and didn't consider things from your perspectiv
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,