"And what about my job?" Wendy immediately declared, "I can head to the Draycott residence right now!"Priscilla frowned, wishing she could hold the phone farther away from herself. What was wrong with this woman?She wasn't even with the Grisham family anymore. What use could she possibly have? She was as dumb as a rock."Oh, I'm not at the Draycott residence right now. How about this? You go back and rest for now. There will be work for you in a little while."Priscilla finished her sentence and hung up directly, not even bothering to feign politeness. She wouldn't have said even this much if she weren't worried about the maid running her mouth outside.However, Wendy acted as if she had gained some huge advantage, a smug expression plastered all over her face. "Just you wait. Let's see when the Grisham family finally bites the dust!"As she made these declarations, little did she know someone nearby was recording everything on their phone.The person taking the video was none
Waymond paused for a moment, his eyes blank with confusion. If it weren't for the fact that the sky wasn't fully dark yet, he might have thought he was dreaming.What was going on here?Clyde was meditating but stopped when he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Looking up and seeing his son, he wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, "What's got you in such a rush?"By this time, Eamon had also arrived. He didn't understand why his younger brother was in such a panic and turned his gaze to the side to observe.Waymond, having calmed his breathing, didn't immediately bring up the matter of the doctor. Instead, he asked, "Dad, wasn't your body weak, with no strength in your limbs? How are you suddenly able to meditate now?""I've recovered, of course," Clyde said cheerfully, clearly in a good mood. "I'm feeling pretty strong today."Waymond frowned. "Recovered? Dad, let me tell you something. The doctor who treated you just now wasn't Dr. Woody's assistant. She deliberately
Eamon found it strange. His father's attitude was unusually calm, as if there was something else he wanted to say. Regardless of the situation, it was best to let Cecil do a follow-up examination first.However, half an hour later, Cecil's expression visibly turned strange. He double-checked with his stethoscope, listening again.The noise in the lungs had noticeably decreased, and Clyde's breathing wasn't as labored. On top of that, the infection seemed to have subsided.What was going on?Eamon noticed Cecil's expression and assumed the worst. "Dr. Woody? Has my father's condition worsened?""Worsened?" Before Cecil could respond, Clyde, relaxed as ever, chimed in, "It should be the opposite. My symptoms have improved, isn't that right, Dr. Woody?"Cecil instinctively nodded but then realized both of the Grisham brothers were staring at him.Opening his mouth, he couldn't bring himself to lie and instead opted for a safer response. "Mr. Grisham Senior's condition is indeed bet
"The entire team of doctors at our hospital diagnosed Clyde's condition. It's not something that can be cured so easily. Even if it's traditional medicine and acupuncture, the practitioner should at least have a recognized reputation. Mr. Grisham Senior, may I ask, did this person say who they were?""No," Clyde replied, fixing his gaze on Cecil with a sharp look that carried the imposing air of someone in authority. "However, from this conversation, I've come to realize something."Your Saint Mary's Hospital is living up to its name a little too well. Hospitals are meant to save lives, yet from the way you're talking, it seems like you'd prefer I didn't recover."Cecil's face turned pale as he scrambled to explain, "Clyde, that's not what I meant. It's just that the CT scans show…""CT scans? All you do now is rely on machines to decide whether a patient lives or dies. I remember the hospital's original mission statement. 'We do not determine life or death. We strive to save every
Waymond immediately asked, "What about that doctor who came today by mistake? Can she really cure your illness?"He worried that his father might be putting on a show just to get rid of Cecil."Of course she can." Clyde smiled. "She did impersonate Dr. Woody's assistant, though I'm not sure why she felt the need to do so. But that child must have her reasons."Eamon sensed something unusual. "Dad, you seem to trust this doctor a little too much. Earlier, you wanted to say something but didn't want to in front of others. What is it?""That's right. What I wanted to say is that I've known this young lady for a very long time."Waymond was puzzled. "You've known her for a long time?""Didn't I tell you before? Back when the infectious disease outbreak happened, I went to donate supplies. There was a little girl who gave me a few pills. It was because of those pills that I didn't get affected."Clyde chuckled. "If you think about it, she's already saved my life once before."Eamon
After returning to the hotel, the first thing Aria did was tell her mother about what had happened at the Grisham residence today.When Fiona heard this, she couldn’t even sit still. "How could your grandfather’s health suddenly deteriorate like this? Was it a medication error? Or something else?"Aria could tell her mother was anxious. She comforted her, saying, "Mom, don't worry. Grandpa will be fine. The medicine is already on its way. I want to talk to you about the misunderstanding between you and him from before."Also, after you recovered, you clearly wanted to return to the Grisham family several times, but it seems like neither Grandpa nor my uncles knew anything about it. This isn't just the Draycott family's doing. There must be others meddling behind the scenes, too."Lowering her gaze, she continued, "Come with me tomorrow afternoon to the Chamber of Commerce. We'll enter separately. You can use the invitation, and I'll find another way to get in."Fiona, who had alre
Sam was still craving food. The moment he heard the words "snake meat," he even stopped working and nodded earnestly.Aria paused briefly, then opened her phone and searched on Google for what the Four Perils liked to eat most. The search results were incomplete, so she turned to her knowledgeable fiancé for advice.His reply came quickly, just one straightforward word. "Dragons."She expected this.She felt a sense of relief and patted Sam's little head. "Good thing I didn't bring you upstairs. Alright, we're switching cars. You're coming with me to find something."Switch cars? Sam's face was full of confusion.Just then, a brand-new Lamborghini, nicknamed the Bull, pulled up at the hotel.Its exterior was strikingly sleek. Everything about it, from the headlights to the rear wings, screamed cool.When Sam saw it, he got excited. His babyish face lit up with pure mischief, as if the words "Let's cause some chaos!" were written all over it.He knew Aria's style better than an
Inside the medispa, the murmurs of conversation started up again.However, Priscilla couldn't pretend that nothing had happened. The words from her old friend earlier were like a thorn in her side.Fiona was always so good at seducing people! Didn't she realize how many kids she already had? Yet, she was still throwing herself at others.The more Priscilla thought about it, the darker her expression became. She couldn't wait for the Grisham family to collapse!Did Fiona really think that returning to Ludwiten would let her act like before?It seemed that unless she taught Fiona a proper lesson, she would never learn to behave.Leon's refusal to endorse their medispa was already infuriating enough. It was such an ungrateful move!She was determined to see how Fiona would beg her for help once Clyde had no one left to treat him.Priscilla was scheming, but she didn't realize that the Grisham family had already formally rejected the Draycott family's offer of "cooperation".This
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
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