"But they can't just treat people like this!" Atticus exclaimed while looking at Lily, who stayed silent. He refused to believe the woman he admired was anything like they said. "Lily, just call Mr. Clinton or Mr. Guetta right now. Let's see if this man still dares to talk to you like that. You're just too nice for your own good." Hearing what he had just said, Lily clenched her fists. Why was this idiot making things worse? She was already trying to stop him, and he still wouldn't shut up. "Atticus, forget it. You guys finally got to visit Ludwiten, so let me show you around the city." Right now, all Lily wanted was to leave. Every second here was another chance for her lies to unravel. If she played her cards right, these clueless classmates of hers would still buy her act. She had been humiliated enough—she couldn't take any more! But Atticus didn't get the hint. He kept shouting, puffing up like an angry rooster. Jonah had no patience left. With a wave, he signaled the
The students from Southbury had no clue what Jonah was talking about, but locals in Ludwiten knew. On that same day, gold prices had surged by nearly 40 points per share at the stock exchange. Gold stores across the city were hiking up prices too. Out of everyone at the stock exchange, Aria held the majority of the gold shares. It could only mean that she had made an unimaginable fortune. Not to mention, the land she owned had just been confirmed for development—soon to become the largest economic zone in years. Instantly, every member in the café wanted to approach and talk to her. Lily and the group of male students were then shoved aside. "Ms. Carver! What a surprise running into you here!" A well-dressed middle-aged man stepped out of a luxury car. His tailored suit showed how wealthy he was, yet here he was, fawning over Aria and being so friendly with her. Compared to Aria, Lily seemed like a total joke after being caught mooching off someone else's membership. Atticus
Lily stood nearby, her body stiffening as she listened to what Aria had just said. She had seen similar headlines before but never paid them any mind. She thought that no matter how great the spending power of everyday shoppers could be, they could not possibly compete with corporate capital. After all, companies could drop tens of millions on stocks without blinking. She had never thought much about the power of ordinary shoppers. But now, she was being told she had lost because of them—the very people she had dismissed as insignificant! Lily couldn't accept it. She was a reborn, so technically speaking, she should have been blessed with great luck. But why did Aria keep winning against her? Her hatred burned as she glared at Aria, frustrated that no one would listen to her. This version of Aria was nothing like the one she remembered. Lily remembered how after being brought back to the Carver family, Aria had been treated worse than she ever was with the Kents. Everyone in
One of the male students couldn't contain his curiosity, so he asked a bystander, "Why is everyone treating that woman with such respect?" "Don't you all recognize her?" The onlooker seemed shocked. "She now holds more liquid assets than anyone in Ludwiten. That land she acquired recently is valued in the billions—and that doesn't even account for her other ventures." Atticus felt his heart sink even further after hearing those words. The other male students all seemed dumbfounded and frustrated as well. Anyone watching could see the regret written all over their faces. But what could they do now? Being told off was embarrassing enough, so they definitely were not going to stick around. After walking a short distance, someone couldn't help muttering, "Do you think Aria really has that kind of money? They said she has billions of dollars." Nobody answered. They had all seen how people reacted, and making excuses now would just make them look dumb. "Lily, since you're in Ludw
For some reason, they suddenly lost all interest in Lily. It wasn't as if they couldn't afford their meals, so there was no need to flatter her anymore. The group glanced at Atticus, whose mind was in turmoil. How he wished Lily was right—at least, he could justify his own judgment. But the truth was far from that. All he felt was mounting embarrassment. "I'm not going." Bastian was the first to speak, followed by several others. It was telling how unpopular Lily had become—so much so that even a free meal couldn't entice them. Lily had never experienced such disdain before. After all, she was used to being the center of attention, yet now, even these so-called village bumpkins were looking down on her!"I get it now. You all just flock to the rich and trample on the poor. Now that Aria is more capable, you want to butter her up—just like you did with me before," Lily sneered.But no one was willing to entertain her mockery. They were young men with their own pride.Bastian sc
Laura went pale after hearing that. She shot up from the couch, unable to contain her anger. "Who's saying my marriage had ulterior motives? Who can prove it? If Eamon hadn't wanted to marry me, how could I have given birth to Jett?"The most disgraceful thing Laura had ever done was to use underhanded tactics to secure her marriage.She still remembered the cold indifference in Eamon's eyes when he woke up that morning. The way he had ordered her out of the room as if her presence alone disgusted him. It wasn't until Jett was born that his attitude started to change.But that didn't mean anything. She refused to believe his affection over the years had been fake. No one had proof, so why should the narrative suddenly change now?The lawyer looked at her solemnly. "Ms. Fitzroy, perhaps you should see the video circulating online. It's an old recording. The quality isn't great, but it clearly captures what happened back then.""Video? What kind of video?"Laura's hands were shakin
Laura's piercing scream echoed through the room, shattering any illusion of the gentle, refined woman from a prestigious family. She had been the picture of grace in the Grisham family—a well-mannered and elegant wife, admired by high society. Everyone envied her seemingly perfect marriage.But Laura had never stopped to consider that it was all because of Eamon. It was his status, his wealth, his name that allowed her to hold her head high among the elite.Now that everything was slipping from her grasp, she lost all composure. Gone was the elegant, dignified image—replaced by a woman consumed by rage and desperation. She grabbed whatever was within reach and smashed it to the floor.The housekeepers kept their distance, unwilling to risk stepping inside.The lawyer, however, had no such luxury. He sighed, maintaining his professional tone. "Ms. Fitzroy, obtaining shares is practically impossible at this point. Public sentiment is overwhelmingly against you. I strongly advise se
Magdalene had never encountered such humiliation before. Gripping the chair for support, she trembled with fury, her face dark and rigid. The anger surged within her, rendering her speechless—only her heavy breaths betrayed the storm raging inside. People had always feared her. With her status, no one dared to raise their voice at her, much less hurl insults. In the past, when others struggled to survive, she stood above them, indifferent and untouchable.Raised in an elite family, Magdalene had long believed in class superiority. To her, the so-called common folk had no right to challenge her, let alone condemn her.Yet now, they all turned against her. Their scorn was relentless. They called her a vile, greedy old woman who leeched off her daughter's success. Some even accused her of being capable of far worse than drugging someone.Her expression darkened as she read their words. Taking a deep breath to suppress her growing panic, she swiftly contacted Neval."Board the plane
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
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