Many people were stoking the flames behind the scenes as they had their sights set on Aria's stream. With how smart Aria was, she'd already seen through everything long ago. However, she noticed that one of the forces behind everything had retreated too soon—they'd withdrawn themselves after merely adding some firewood to the bustling flames.Her main concern was still Ethan and his company. Aria didn't withdraw after hacking into his network; instead, she planted a virus on his main server.As she inspected the data with a bored expression on her face, Landon replied again. Holy Emperor VIP: York: "Your stream was suspended."Aria replied, "Yep."Landon's gaze hardened. He sent a voice message, "Why?"He didn't think that Aria was the problem in this case. Aria said nonchalantly, "This is just a trivial matter."Landon didn't see this as a trivial matter. He took a screenshot, which he sent to Paul Chenner, the person in charge of the platform.Startled, Paul explained im
AsLongAsTogether: "Give us an explanation, please!"Ethan was controlling three accounts simultaneously, trying to ruin Aria's reputation. Looking at those comments, Georgina gripped the desk, wanting to explain the situation. However, Aria chuckled. She looked directly at the camera. "We won't be treating patients today. Let's do something else."BetterTomorrow: "Stop deflecting! Explain everything!"Aria said slowly, "The name's Ethan Addison, right?"Everyone in the comment-farming company who was currently typing on their keyboards froze, their eyes wide with terror. "Mr. Addison, she—"Ethan paused. He was about to question how Aria knew it was him, but then Aria smirked. "Let me teach the ghostwriters on the other side a lesson. Maliciously defaming other people online can result in imprisonment for up to three years if the circumstances are severe."BetterTomorrow: "Are you okay? Why is someone accused of causing a patient's death lecturing us on laws?"Aria spoke delib
Aria scanned the police officers standing across from her. Something felt profoundly wrong. Standard procedure dictated that officers ask questions, not issue immediate commands. Clearly, these two, along with Carol Dames, were targeting her."We've never prescribed any medicine, officers. We have records of our livestream, and I can show them to you!" explained Georgina, who was panicking as she stood in front of Aria. One of the officers snapped, "Don't touch me! Interfere again, and you're coming with us too! You're running a stream where you give out incorrect medical advice, and you have the audacity to act innocent?"The officers hadn't conducted a single inquiry, yet they were hurling accusations. Heartbound Hall's stream would surely meet its demise if this wasn't dealt with.Aria's gaze darkened. She reassured Georgina and addressed the officers, "You claim to be police officers. I'd like to see your badges and have confirmation that your bodyworn cameras are recording."
Joel hurriedly stepped forward to support Georgina, his gaze on Aria throughout. "Dr. Carver, are you okay?"If Aria had gotten beat up, his superiors would surely castigate him to no end. They'd entrusted him with the responsibility of watching over her, yet this had happened to her. Joel felt bitterness fill his mouth as he racked his brain for how to explain this after returning to Elmer. Aria shook her head. "They claim to be officers who are merely doing their jobs.""Police officers, you say? Where are your badges?" Joel turned his gaze toward the uniforms both officers were wearing. The officers didn't take the short and portly Joel, who had arrived on an electric motorcycle seriously. One of them said, "This isn't your place to speak on her behalf, so stand aside!"No one had ever dared to speak to Joel that way during his many years in the workforce. "What's your name?""Do you not understand human language?" The other officer rudely brandished the electric baton he
Lucas reacted differently. He'd served in the army before. With his relatively young age—just in his late 30s—he had come to Southbury to gain more experience. He didn't expect to encounter such a situation in this modest alley, but he wasn't panicking. He even saw this as an opportunity to learn about the internal workings of Southbury, so he kept silent throughout.He could only be so calm because of his position in the city hall, which gave him some confidence. What surprised him was the disregard exhibited by Aria; it was as if nothing could affect her."I can come with you, sure." Aria was still smiling, almost evilly. "But take her with you too."She tilted her chin up somewhat, and her gaze fell on Carol, who was trying to sneak away. The police officers looked at each other in confusion. The officer who'd called for reinforcements hadn't mentioned Carol at all. Aria bit on her candy. "What? Do you do things differently based on who you're dealing with? There are 100,00
"Yes, Chief Thompson. I've committed everything you said to memory—only the two of us will know about this. I won't keep you any longer, Chief Thompson. Thank you, thank you!" Karen ended the call with a grin on her face and headed to Kent Group excitedly.Marshall was surprised to learn the news. "Did the country bumpkins she calls relatives really assault a police officer?""I know, right? And they were very arrogant about it." Karen found the situation laughable. "They must have no basic legal knowledge at all."Karen need not worry now. She had already arranged everything, meaning Aria would probably receive a sentence. She had only wanted Aria to suffer. However, things got blown out of proportion. Aria would likely face jail time.Marshall considered it for a while. "Tell Chief Thompson not to overdo it. The authorities are meticulous when it comes to background checks. Just ensure that she has a criminal record so that we can take the streaming account from her. Nothing mo
Aria stated, "The law mandates that a violent or coercive interrogation can lead to imprisonment for up to three years or criminal detention."Sherman's gaze snapped toward Aria. Aria casually added, "I advise you not to act rashly."Sherman was surprised. "Do you possess legal knowledge?""Typically, interrogations require two officers," Aria explained. "One takes notes while the other questions the suspect." She locked eyes with him. "You're alone. Haven't you considered the consequences if something goes wrong?"Aria seemed able to bewitch him with his voice and her persuasiveness. Sherman was already wavering. He'd been briefed on the case beforehand. The suspects were arrested by auxiliary police officers, whose bodyworn cameras inexplicably remained off the entire time.It was illegal, but one of them was a distant relative of Kreil Thompson, the chief of Waterfront Police Station. Aria wasn't wrong. If anything happened, he would bear the brunt of it due to his role a
A big group of people were waiting in the city hall's lobby. Lucas was not the average secretary one might see around, not to mention how he was a member of the Murray family. Everyone who knew enough would know what that name entailed. Almost everyone from all departments of the city hall was present, waiting for their new head to start a meeting. Even the streets seemed tidier these past two days.Time stretched on, but no official car arrived. Frances Yaeger, however, remained unfazed. He had refilled his thermal flask with a fresh brew of tea several times as he waited. Finally, a car pulled up, but it was speeding, which was completely out of character for Lucas' usual driving style.Confusion creased Frances' brow as the driver emerged. "Excuse me," the man addressed the crowd, "is Frances Yaeger here?""Yes, that's me. Is there anything you need with? You can take your time explaining." Frances recognized him. "Aren't you Mr. Murray's bodyguard?" Even though Frances c
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,