Gregory's mind went blank when he heard the last sentence. He hadn't felt anxious when he'd heard that Perry Town had kidnapped someone and that Frank had come to seek him out, and he'd felt like he could deal with it even when everyone was waiting for him to surface on the Internet.However, he was now completely in a panic after getting that call because Ollie just had to lay his hand on someone backed up by Kenneth Kane. A heavy fog shrouded the mountains. The moment they took a turn into the paths leading to the village, their car was stopped by a horde of angry villagers. An old lady pounced forward, yelling, "Was it you who took that damn girl away?""Madam, calm down and listen to me, I'm—" Gregory raised his arms high. The old lady refused to listen to him. She spat on him. "I don't care who you are. Give us the girl!"Gregory was dumbfounded. He recalled how he'd been loved and respected by everyone the last time he'd shown up here. "Have you gone crazy? Do you know w
Rainie hadn't had the courage to get out of the car at first, as this place was the beginning of her nightmare. Even if she escaped this place, she would forever be different compared to her peers of the same age. Why had she been so dumb? Why had she believed the old man's words? Her blind trust had led to her abduction and imprisonment in the mountains. She'd been raped and had given birth to a child while all her classmates had bright futures. Two years of constant fear and diminished self-worth had carved a deep scar on her soul. Yet when Aria looked at her with that radiant smile of hers, Rainie felt a flicker of hope reignited in her heart. "You're right!" she agreed. "A woman's innocence isn't the only measure of her worth!""Then let's go," Aria chuckled. She turned her gaze to the lavish mansion. "They're probably waiting eagerly for me, their future daughter-in-law."…Gregory couldn't bear to imagine what would unfold. Aria's every word would shake the very foundati
Aria agreed coolly, "Sure."She then pushed Ollie to the side and let go of the rope she held. "You should be able to take fair action now, Mr. Barter."Dick immediately helped Ollie up. When he noticed that Ollie's legs were broken, his expression darkened. What wedding? He would just hold a funeral for Aria instead! "Tell me, miss, what did my son do to you?" Dick said with a sinister veneer of kindness on his face, "You should have considered yourself fortunate that he's set his sights on you. However, you weren't thankful at all! How dare you lay a hand on him!"Aria raised a brow. "He wanted to rape me, and you're telling me to be grateful? How is this lawful in any manner?""Here, in Perry Town, the Barter family is the law!" Dick bore down on Aria. "They kidnapped you because you look naїve and stupid—an easy target!"Aria fiddled with her amethyst pendant. "That was what you said when Rainie escaped from the village and asked for help from the town government, wasn't i
Dick failed to register why Gregory had come to Perry Town at first. This was a trivial matter to him, something Gregory needn't concern himself over. Had Gregory come because of the videos online? As Dick speculated, he made his way toward Gregory with a smile. "Mr. Webb, I—""Tell your men to leave! Now!" Gregory hissed as soon as he exited the car.Dick assumed that Gregory was putting on an act for Frank, who was sitting in the car, and so he replied nonchalantly, "Mr. Webb, I can deal with any videos that might damage our county's reputation. Why don't you join me for some drinks? Everything will be water under the bridge after a good night's sleep."Gregory was furious. Dick had just exposed him on a nationwide livestream!Ignoring Dick, Gregory immediately approached Aria. "Don't worry, young lady. You'll be safe in Uludon with me here."Aria's gaze darted between Gregory and Dick twice before a smirk played on her lips. "Really? Considering how friendly you seem to be wi
"Are you worried, Dad? Why are you worried about them?" Ollie had become increasingly dumb due to the drugs; no intellect was left in him, only unadulterated cruelty. "Kill them all! Who dares assert their dominance in Uludon? I don't care if they come from the Carver family or whatsoever. Anyone who dares ruin things for me must die!""What are you running your mouth about, Ollie?" Dick had no idea what was up with Ollie. He covered Ollie's mouth and turned to Jeffrey, whose expression was as cold as ice. He was filled with regret. "We didn't know that it was you, Mr. Carver."He crawled over to Jeffrey and grabbed Frank's legs, begging, "You've come to our town a few times before, Mr. Levin. Ollie and I aren't bad people, truly, and we'd never harm Mr. Carver."The sight of him disgusted Frank to no end. He kicked Dick away. "You took young women—wives and daughters—away from their families, and you're aware of the villagers' human trafficking activities. And yet you claim that yo
Aria's voice was indifferent. "There's a path in your 4 o'clock direction. Lead Rainie and Frank that way. Someone will be there waiting for you."There was indeed a special forces team waiting there.Aria didn't write the note for nothing when she left Southbury.It was just that the Special Missions Unit simply preferred to operate in secrecy. Their actions were always veiled, and not even the HOU could interfere with their decisions.This was because all the cases they dealt with were so unique that the public could never be made aware of them, and Aria was the team's core."Why hasn't Boss signaled us yet? Does she not want us to show up?" A black-haired teenage boy adorned in a long robe stood on the hillside, two big bikes parked behind him.A sweet-looking teenage girl, who was wiping a black knife, glanced back. "You men are disgusting! What do you think you are? How could you ogle the boss like that!"The boy then raised his hand. "Don't lump us together. I'm quite a ha
Landon's black hair danced in the moonlight, accentuating his handsome features. Despite his chronic illness, his graceful landing betrayed no weakness save for his pale complexion. The way he landed on one knee, all while wearing leather gloves, was particularly impressive. The gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose made him resemble a young medieval cardinal.As soon as Landon touched down, the other plainclothes officers emerged from the mist. They didn't arrive in ordinary cars but in modified Jeeps with red markings.The seven or eight vehicles' engines filled the air with a loud racket."Mr. Barter, what happened?" The townspeople were beginning to get anxious. They had never seen anything like this before.Not only them, but Gregory had never experienced anything like this. He had only seen a large-scale operation like this on TV for cross-border arrests.Dick also had an ominous feeling. Feeling uneasy, he wanted to use the townspeople again.The plainclothes officers
Dick felt himself going numb.Landon knew so much about him that there was nothing he could refute!Meanwhile, the townspeople didn't know who Landon was, nor did they dare to speculate. Witnessing the imposing military aircraft and Jeeps nearby, their hands trembled uncontrollably. Only someone wielding immense power could command such resources. And that someone, it turned out, was Aria's boyfriend.The Barter family even thought of having their way with her!All the townspeople were afraid.The entire Barter family also felt extremely regretful. This was especially true for Sue, who witnessed the whole scene.When she saw her brother being escorted away, her brain was buzzing. Initially, Sue thought Aria was a clueless, gullible student. A carefully orchestrated mix of money and threats, she believed, would eventually bend Aria to their will.Olivia had told her the same thing. Aria was unlike her daughter, Lily, who was now living as a wealthy family's daughter in Janovin.
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