With a loud bang, the woman's warning was abruptly cut off.The HR employee, Natalie Ferguson, entered the lounge with a well-groomed man in a white coat and gold-rimmed glasses."Ms. Ferguson," Dave Lloyd said, "this employee's mental health condition makes her unfit to continue working. You may want to consider terminating her employment. I'm concerned she could harm someone."Natalie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Dr. Lloyd. I'll take your professional advice. But go easy on her. She's still one of our own. I don't want our company's reputation to suffer.""Yes, of course," he replied.On cue, two bodyguards rushed in and forcibly escorted the distressed woman out of the lounge.Natalie turned to the group of students with an apologetic smile. "I'm terribly sorry about that. We didn't expect her to come running in like that. She used to work in HR. Ever since something happened in her family, she hasn't been the same."She often says strange things to student
"What happened? This…" The young woman who had been speaking glanced at the spot across from her. Seeing what was coming, Aria placed a hand on her forehead. As if the drug had finally taken effect, she slumped forward and "fainted" onto the table.The young woman narrowed her eyes, revealing her true identity. She wasn't one of the students selected for the program—she was an employee of the company.The reason she had to put on an act was because of the outburst from the uncontrollable employee earlier. "I told you to keep an eye on them. Since you can't ever do your job properly, I had no choice but to put them all to sleep."Natalie approached with a fawning smile. "You're so smart.""Check their phones. See who contacted their parents before coming. Go through all their chat logs. Don't let anything slip through the cracks like last time."Her actions were smooth and practiced. It was clear this wasn't her first time handling something like this.The room began to shift as
"Yes," said the person dealing with the aftermath. Once the mess was cleaned up, the lounge looked exactly as it had before.When Nyx saw Aria being carried away, he paced anxiously. Without making a sound, Aria spoke to him telepathically. "Find Chaos—the one you and the others fear most. Tell him where I am. He'll bring help."The moment Nyx heard Sam's name, he froze. But he had no choice—he had to save Aria. He didn't know why, but the deeper he went into this place, the heavier the oppressive force became. It felt as though even his vengefulness could be stripped away, and that terrified him.If even his rage could be taken, then would Aria's spirit energy become useless here too? The thought made his face pale. He couldn't waste any more time. He had to follow her instructions.At a time like this, only someone like one of the Four Perils could turn the tide.…Meanwhile, the Special Missions Unit lost Aria's signal just as they neared the town. They exchanged wary glances,
All the unconscious students had to undergo full-body examinations. When Aria was carried into the room, the familiar scent of disinfectant hit her nose.She opened her eyes slightly. Though she couldn't get a clear view, she recognized the medical equipment well enough to know exactly what was coming. "Dr. Lloyd, should we draw her blood first or do an X-ray?" asked the person who brought her in.Dave glanced at Aria before answering, "Check her internal organs first. See if there's anything wrong.""Is that really necessary? She's so young."Dave scoffed. "You sure she hasn't had a miscarriage before? These days, you can't tell just by looking.""She's a rare find. Here are all her files. Everything says she's clean."Dave didn't even glance at the documents. If there was something wrong with one of his subjects, it would be his responsibility. He had made a promise to check every single one thoroughly."The meds will wear off soon. Get started. Run checks on the two who came i
Landon said calmly, "Tell us where she is first."Nyx didn't dare meet his eyes."Bellebrook, the place where my lord wanted to develop previously. There was some kind of travel agency inside. Although it looked like an ordinary company, it definitely isn't one. It reeked of blood on the inside, and it wasn't fresh. It smelled like it had been that way for a long time."Landon's expression didn't change, but something flickered in his gaze, as if a memory had surfaced. Casually, he asked, "Is the town heavily guarded?"Nyx nodded, nervous. "I don't even think the people who drove my lord were allowed inside the building."At that, Landon paused mid-step and turned to the side. "Hack the entire network in Bellebrook," he told Sam. "You shouldn't have a problem with that."This time, Sam would need to act—if they wanted to catch whoever was behind this, they'd need access.Sam understood immediately. This was exactly what Aria had hoped for. She wanted full control of Bellebrook's
Meanwhile, the students lay unconscious on operating tables in the company's basement.Dave examined them thoroughly, running various scans and tests more meticulously than any hospital doctor. Once he finished, he gestured for someone to carry them out."Tell the clients there's nothing wrong with the girls. If they're too impatient to wait, they can come today."In this company, Natalie clearly held little real power. She seemed completely obedient to the so-called doctor's orders. "Yes, sir. However, there are troubling rumors going around. I'm worried it might be difficult for people to show up.""The client specifically requested a rare gem like this. With the master involved, we have nothing to worry about. They'll come."Dave adjusted his glasses, his expression calm. The equipment he handled didn't resemble medical tools; they looked more suited for autopsies.A careful listener would notice something off about his speech. No matter how skilled someone was at assimilation,
Sam cared too much about Aria, so much so that he could easily be misled by false information. Aria had previously sent out her location to prevent herself from being exposed. At that moment, the cars leaving the village were merely a decoy from the enemy.No one had actually noticed anything unusual. It was standard for a few vehicles to roam around during times like these, serving as a distraction. If someone did come to investigate, they'd likely be too confused to focus on Bellebrook.This tactic only came to mind because someone from the state had been involved. Naturally, the insider who understood criminal investigations inside and out had orchestrated it. With someone protecting them, it was easy to cover their tracks.Unless the village was completely demolished, no one would find anything suspicious, especially with the right cleanup operation. And even then, the company could be used as a front. Staying under the radar was their safest option, and it had helped them avoid
The young girls huddled up together. None of them had imagined they would end up in a situation like this. They were all promising students who believed they had finally gotten a chance to pursue further studies.But now, they realized it had all been an elaborate trap. The interview was fake. The scholarship was fake. Even the student exchange program was all a lie.As the truth sank in, the girls instinctively reached for their phones. But of course, their abductors hadn't left them with those."They made us hand over our phones when we entered the building," one of them whispered. "I guess it wasn't really about the interview."They exchanged anxious glances. None of them were ready to give up."Our schools! They'll start worrying when we don't check in!"But one girl, sitting dazed on the cold floor, muttered, "I don't know about your schools, but mine won't care. I'm from a rural area. I barely had the money to study in the first place. My family's so poor that we couldn't ev
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,