Initially, Georgina hesitated about going to Janovin with Aria, but now it seemed that she must. Even if she wouldn't be of any help, she could still watch over Aria. Warren and Georgina talked for a long time. Georgina showed Warren photos of Aria when she was a child. "Look at how out of it she was; her gaze was so blank. I was worried about her grades, but now she's the smartest student in the state."Warren's eyes shone. "She's the smartest student in the state?" He knew Aria took after him, unlike Elijah and Leon, who were only interested in acting and singing."Yeah, she's incredibly smart. The Kent family owe her, to be honest." Georgina said guiltily, "My good-for-nothing son and daughter-in-law treated her really badly."Georgina told Warren everything. Warren was understanding. "You didn't have a hand in all that. You watched over and provided for Aria until adulthood, and this is indisputable. Aria is constantly thinking of how she should care for you.""Aria keeps eve
Landon was patient. "Where's your bank account number again?"Sam pointed at the straps of his suspenders.Landon transferred 100,000 dollars to his bank account and said, "I heard that you're partial to yarrow and staghorn."Sam nodded.Landon ruffled his hair with a smile. "I'll bring some for you next time."Sam decided he would tolerate Landon since he'd paid and would bring those herbs for him the next time they met. Tolerating Landon's existence was the farthest Sam could go. He'd never grow to like Landon because Landon's presence felt dangerous, and he always found himself having the urge to escape whenever he was in Landon's vicinity.Sam had no idea if Aria had listened to what he'd said to her. He heaved a long sigh when he thought about it, completely oblivious to the fact that his words had achieved an effect completely opposite of what he was envisioning.Aria still had some loose ends to tie up in Southbury, so she planned to get some investigations done when Wa
This was the scene that greeted Landon when he arrived. Aria didn't look like someone here for groceries but like a doctor offering her services for free in the market.Among all the people he'd met, she was most adored by the elderly. He'd wanted to lend her a hand through his connections, but only after he'd returned to Southbury did he realize that she knew people as important as Kenneth Kane and didn't need his help at all.Landon fiddled with the beads he wore around his wrist, deep in contemplation. Aria still hadn't noticed him yet. She was inspecting someone when her grocery bag was suddenly gone. She turned back only to see Landon's handsome face. He wasn't wearing glasses this time, so he looked less aloof and intimidating. Aria could see that Landon was trying his utmost best to blend in. However, he'd ended up being surrounded nevertheless."He's your boyfriend your grandma's been talking about, isn't he? He's handsome!""You're a good match! Both of you look good."
Samuel's grip on his phone tightened. The person reporting to him pitched his voice lower. "Dad, the project in Uludon is a bust. The HOU was in charge of apprehending those involved, and the York family had a hand in it too. "I have no other alternative but to stop the project. I'm worried that we'll be exposed if we maintain an overly high profile for any longer.""The York family, you say?" Samuel narrowed his eyes. "Since when does the York family get themselves involved in such matters?""Has the Murray family started working with the York family, Dad?"Samuel seemed to contemplate it. "No. The York family never forms any alliances.""Lucas Murray's career is going way too swimmingly so far. That young lady adopted by the Kents has meddled in way too much!" The man on the phone with Samuel seemed to hate Aria to the bone, gritting his teeth in resentment as he spoke.Samuel's gaze cooled. "Is she involved in this again?""If not for her livestream, word about the issues
Warren took a look at the tickets. Aria had booked them for a train leaving two hours later, meaning he could still stay here and have tea for an hour longer. That cheered him up, and he started chatting with Georgina again. Aria went into her room, grabbed some herbs, and wrapped them properly. Before Frank and Warren left, she reminded Frank, "I asked Mr. Watson about this. He said that no one had tampered with his prescription, but I noticed the presence of abnormal sounds in Grandpa's lungs. "After you return, please monitor Grandpa's diet. He should be having meals following the recipes while controlling intake of other foods. I'll resume treating him after I arrive in Janovin."Warren was visibly healthier recently. He'd been coughing when he'd first arrived, but now his face was ruddy. Aria had also given Warren a bag filled with herbs. Warren had wanted to start on some work on the train, but the herb bag had a calming effect. Coupled with how comfortable the first-cla
"I didn't know she was the one the Carvers had been searching for," Landon said.Titus stopped teasing Landon because he was extremely pleased with Aria. "You should do your best. If you have no idea how to gain her affections, you can read more novels for inspiration!"Novels? Landon had no plans to do something so dumb.However, when he unlocked his phone and saw that Aria had not replied to any of his messages, he clicked on a novel greatly adored by its readers—the comments were all praising the male lead, saying that he was their dream husband. Landon could finalize deals worth billions without breaking a sweat, but he couldn't help frowning as he read this novel.…Aria had no idea that Landon had gone astray. The next day, a hundred boxes of chocolate of various flavors and from multiple brands appeared in Aria's house, along with a sea of roses.The elderly residents walking around the neighborhood were stunned by the sight of Heartbound Hall's entrance.Aria doled a
Joel didn't care about what the other people present thought. He was happy after completing the mission Kenneth had assigned him. "Everyone misses you, Dr. Carver. They watch your stream often but haven't mustered up the nerve to log in to their main accounts.""I'll visit them at Elmer before I leave the city," Aria said as she walked.Joel was shocked. "Before you leave? You're leaving, Dr. Carver?"What should he do, then? As if he could rein the higher-ups in! He wasn't brave enough for that, no thank you!"I found my family, and they're in Janovin." Aria smiled. "Don't worry, Joel. I'll tell them about it."Joel was still in disbelief. He muttered, "Mr. Kane was posted to Janovin as well. He's going to leave soon. I can't believe that you're leaving too."Kenneth was posted to Janovin even though he was already retired. He was a more important figure than she had thought. However, Aria didn't dig too deeply into it because it was a private matter for Kenneth. She merely sa
Christian had been there when Lucas was formally appointed Secretary-General, so he knew who Lucas was. "Good afternoon, sir," he said, surprised. Lucas pushed down his anger and looked at Christian. "And you are?""I'm Christian Short from the Short family in Southbury. We specialize in medicine." Christian tried to ingratiate himself with Lucas. "My father and I met you once."Jude Reilly, who was with Lucas, tried to ease the tension. "Mr. Murray, the Short family was instrumental in helping us find the kids–""Do you know them?" Lucas cut him off. Jude paused for a moment before saying, "Yes. The Short family business is one of the most conscientious enterprises in Southbury. You might not know this yet, but they have access to some of the most advanced medical technology in the country.""Oh?" Lucas' face didn't belie any expression. "Is this the same Short family that enjoyed a close relationship with the Gunthers?"Jude's face paled instantly, and everyone else looked q
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno
Aliya had never heard of the Special Missions Unit until today. But after seeing Pedro's panicked reaction, it didn't take long for her to realize that this was a group with more authority than even her father.Still, some people lived so long in privilege that they convinced themselves they were untouchable. Logic no longer applied to them.Aria was done entertaining Aliya's ignorance. With a flick of her wrist, she signaled someone to silence her. Then, she turned to Aliya with icy disdain."Don't worry," Aria said. "I'll take you with me when I pay your father a visit. Then we can ask him together what his name truly means in this state."Her voice was calm but sharp."You seem to have forgotten that his power—any power—comes from the people. And now, you're using that power to treat their lives like currency. To buy yourself a life of superiority."She stepped closer. "Organ trafficking is illegal here. That's the crime we've confirmed so far. But don't worry. We'll find the
When Pedro heard that it was the Special Missions Unit, his forehead was covered in sweat immediately. Even his mind had gone blank. At that moment, all he could think about was how doomed they were!Others might not have heard of the unit before. However, as a state official, there was no way Pedro wouldn't know them. In fact, the Special Missions Unit was something they had no control over.Technically, the Special Missions Unit had way more clearance than they did. After all, they were in charge of big cases. Sometimes, they would even work with the special troops.The Special Missions Unit belonged to the country, and they were extremely mysterious. Even people with high clearance wouldn't know who they were in real life.Pedro only managed to find his voice after a long time. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, he chuckled awkwardly."Oh, this is all a misunderstanding. May I know who I am speaking to? I never expected the Special Missions Unit to be carrying out a missio
Aliya had never met Aria before, but this was the first time she'd seen a young woman more poised—and far more arrogant—than herself. That only fueled her rage. And the fact that Aria was stunningly beautiful didn't help either.Scoffing, she snapped, "Do you dare let us make our calls? Let's see if you still look so smug after that."The other wealthy attendees stiffened. None of them moved. With Aria in the room, they had the sinking feeling that calling in favors wouldn't end well.Aria merely tilted her head and smiled. "Of course," she said, then turned to her team. "Please hand this lady her phone. Let her make her call."The members of the Special Missions Unit didn't question her. They knew Aria well enough to understand what she was doing—she wanted the bigger fish. The call would be recorded, and with any luck, it would lead them straight to someone higher up the chain.Aliya was momentarily thrown off by Aria's easy agreement. But she quickly chalked it up to ignorance.
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