"What misunderstanding could possibly warrant you handling it alone, Mindy?"It was Owen, looking impeccable in a crisp suit. Beside him were his doctor and secretary, all three of them dragging suitcases, clearly just off a planeMindy laughed, her face alight with surprise. "Oh, you're back, Dad! Where's Mom?""Long-haul flights are extremely tiring, and you know how frail Fiona is. She didn't want to come back to the villa, so she's staying the night in a hotel." Owen set his bag on the couch. "Did your grandpa give you a hard time again?"Mindy shook her head. "No."Dorothy couldn't hold everything in anymore. "Mr. Carver, Mr. Watson has gone overboard. Ms. Carver worked so hard to make a bowl of soup for Mr. Carver Senior, but Mr. Watson said that Mr. Carver Senior shouldn't drink it, and he barred Ms. Carver from entering the Carver residence.""Dorothy!" Mindy uttered brusquely.Dorothy muttered, "Ms. Carver, you always keep everything to yourself and never tell your fami
Warren was happily shopping online in his study. He wanted to liven up the house, especially with Aria's homecoming. Her room, in particular, deserved a cheerful makeover.Just as Warren was on a spending spree, Owen arrived. Warren used to get furious with Owen, but now he simply let him be. Warren sat silently, listening to Owen's lengthy monologue. Only when Owen's mouth went dry did he look up and say, "I won't agree to it."Owen frowned. "Why? Why can't you acknowledge Mindy after all these years?" Mindy said demurely, "Dad, please don't argue with Grandpa. It's okay if the adoption doesn't happen. He isn't feeling well, so maybe we should discuss this later."Owen was barely containing his anger. "Dad, you need to give me a reason!""It's been so many years, you say. Have you forgotten about your biological daughter?" Warren said coolly.Mindy was bewildered. This was the first time Warren had reacted this way to the topic. Usually, it ended in a heated argument. Why was
Dorothy had never seen Mindy so enraged. Her favorite rose vase lay in shattered pieces on the floor after she'd hurled it in a fury.Dorothy hesitated outside the room, wanting to comfort Mindy but lacking the courage. She couldn't fathom why Mindy had changed so drastically after visiting the Carver residence and had no one to ask for answers.Also, what was going on with Owen? He'd promised to discuss Mindy's adoption with Warren, but he hadn't returned with her.Unable to sit still, Dorothy decided to gather information. After years of working for the Carver family, she had built some connections among the staff. Owen's driver, for instance, was her cousin, whom she'd helped get the job.Dorothy asked, trying to tamp down her anxiety, "Did something happen in the residence?"Bill Dickinson whispered, "Mr. Carver has just checked into a hotel. I overheard him on the phone, and it seems that Ms. Rainbow has been found.""What did you just say?" Dorothy couldn't believe her ears
"Don't worry about me." Aria hugged Charlie gently. "You should take care of your waist injury."Charlie's usual abrasive temper was nowhere to be seen as he hugged Aria back. "If you encounter any problems, go to the Murray family. Don't worry about being rude. "You're Kenneth's student, so they'll be very eager to welcome you. Besides, they're indebted to you. Without you, Lucas would have been stuck in Southbury."Remember this, Aria. To us in Elmer, you'll always be our child. Regardless of what happens with your biological parents in Janovin, we'll never stand idly by if you're wronged, not while any of us are still alive!""Mr. Tomlinson is right. You're still one of us, even after you go to Janovin," one of the other elderly residents added feebly. "You have nothing to fear."Charlie glanced at the man. "You shouldn't say anything. Do you remember who was behind Aria's arrest last time?""I—" Aria laughed. "Mr. Emmerts is innocent in all this. That happened because some
Dorothy placed a plate of mango pudding by Mindy's bedside. "You should eat something, Ms. Carver. I asked around, and she's just a country girl who can't hold a candle to you.""She was found in Uludon," Dorothy continued disdainfully, "As if that impoverished place was capable of nurturing anyone decent! Don't you worry, Ms. Carver. You were brought up with meticulous care, and you're much better compared to her."Mindy peeked out from her blanket when she heard Dorothy's words. Her voice was muffled as she said, "This stays in the bedroom—don't bring it up anywhere else. She's the real daughter of the Carver family, not me.""She's nothing compared to you, Ms. Carver. I'm just telling the truth. She has nothing but her bloodline." Dorothy finally felt relieved now that Mindy was willing to speak. "Wait and see. Even if she returns to the family, so what? She's not destined for a life of privilege and wealth. The social circle here is ruthless—a girl from the countryside will ne
Owen wanted to argue further, but Warren was so agitated that he struggled to breathe. As Owen approached, Warren’s coughing intensified.Owen hadn't meant to upset Warren. As he reached out to pat his back to ease the coughing, Warren spat a mouthful of blood right on him! Panic seized Owen. "Dad, what's wrong?""Leave," Warren rasped.Just then, Keith strode into the room. "Mr. Carver, Ms. Carver is on the phone. She's already on the highway and will be in Janovin by afternoon. Do you want... Mr. Carver Senior!"Keith entered with a cheerful demeanor, but his words stumbled when he saw Warren's condition.It was only then that Warren caught his breath. "S-She's on the phone? Quick. Give the phone to me!""But you…" Keith hesitated.Aria could hear the commotion on the other end. Her brow furrowed. "Grandpa, what's wrong?""It's nothing, Aria. Keith is just making a huge scene out of it." Not wanting his granddaughter to worry, Warren tried his best to steady his breathing. "W
Keith didn't hold back a single detail from Aria. He named the person who came in to visit Warren and described what they brought."Ms. Mindy Carver, the one the Carver family had sponsored, wanted to send your grandfather some soup," Keith explained.Aria raised her eyebrows. "Send some soup?""Yes, she recently started bringing soup to the office," Keith added.Aria replied, "I don't think the soup is the problem. I doubt Grandpa drank any of it."Keith continued, "Mr. Carver Senior indeed didn't drink any of it. I didn't let anyone into the room, so only the chef and Mr. Carver came by."Aria's eyes flickered. "Mr. Carver?"However, Keith didn't want to elaborate on it. "Your father. He got your grandfather a little worked up."Aria seemed to be deep in thought, only talking after some time, "Mr. Watson, please help prepare a few medicinal ingredients and keep an eye on Grandpa. Don't let anyone meet with him, including Mr. Carver."Keith was smart enough to catch on. After
Inside the study, Warren listened to Aria's voice message urging him not to get worked up.Warren refused to open the door for his son, only replying, "If you didn't provoke me, my condition wouldn't have worsened. I'm warning you. You'd better leave if you still want your position in the company."Owen went closer to the door. "Dad, I'm just worried about your health."Warren gripped his walking cane and lowered his voice. "You should worry about your intelligence more. Get out."Owen clenched his hands. He didn't understand why Warren looked down on him. It seemed that he was completely worthless in Warren's eyes.Owen cast a sideway glance at the door. "Okay. I'll leave, but my doctor will be just outside the study in case anything happens."Hearing no reply from Warren, Owen turned and left. Up until now, Owen failed to tell his wife that their daughter was found.He wasn't sure how to break the news to her. Plus, he was scared that the news would worsen her condition even m
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,