Aria's striking beauty and assertive demeanor embodied the Carver spirit. The staff, intimidated, didn't question her identity. They couldn't help but be captivated by her.From the moment she strode into the courtyard toward the study, the staff couldn't help but murmur about her beauty.Aria never thought she could win over the staff members just by her looks. After all, she was more worried about Warren's condition than anything.Warren stood up when the study door was pushed open. He couldn't seem to conceal the smile on his face. "Rainbow, come here. Let me have a good look at you. Are you cold?"I wanted to send a car to pick you up, but that brat Landon insisted it would be safer if he brought you himself. By the way, where's your grandmother?""She'll visit next time," Aria replied as she checked his pulse. "Grandpa, how are you feeling now?"Warren felt fine. "Perhaps I got a little too worked up just now."Aria paused before opening her black bag. She retrieved a silve
"Grandpa, who designed this house?" Aria asked as she approached the lily pond. The miniature landscape was designed with flair, containing some greenery and water features to it.Warren thought she found the landscape pretty. Thus, he smiled and said, "Your eldest brother hired an overseas designer. If you like the design, I can ask him for the contact." A smile curled on Aria's thin lips. "Sure. The design seems to incorporate many elements from our country. The turquoise pebbles symbolize good fortune, right?" Warren's eyes lit up. "Rainbow, you even have knowledge about this?"Aria smiled. "I read some books here and there. Grandpa, the design is lovely, but I think there's a clash of elements. For example, the direction of the flowing water could signify financial loss."Then, she pointed at the corner skylight. "Additionally, the skylight creates a missing corner in the house. This can be detrimental to health and business, and its effects will worsen over time. It needs t
Despite Warren being concerned about the many problems in the house, he was pleased that Aria was so knowledgeable. After all, she even knew a thing or two about interior design. Aria was way more accomplished than his friends' grandchildren, whose knowledge was gained from textbooks. After surveying Warren's bedroom, she ordered all the plants to be removed. Only a chamomile plant was left behind to improve sleep quality. Her primary goal was to locate the source of the poison, but she ended up uncovering numerous design flaws in the room.Aria would have disregarded it if it had only been a few problems. After all, people nowadays wouldn't take this concept into consideration when designing their houses.However, it struck Aria as odd that issues were everywhere in the room. If she hadn't looked closely, she might have missed them.Aria's expression turned grim as she stood in the middle of the room. It was difficult for her to believe such a layout was a coincidence.Prestig
Although Keith was in his late 30s, he had been working for the Carver family for a long time. His father had been Warren's secretary before him, and Keith now served Warren. Warren was the only person he would willingly work for; otherwise, he would have left for another job.Many headhunters had offered him other job opportunities, but Keith decided he would only leave when Warren no longer needed him. With Aria's return, Keith solidified his decision even further."Ms. Carver bears a resemblance to you and Mrs. Carver Senior. Like you, she's very polite to us staffers." Keith rarely spoke his mind so openly.Warren sighed. "If only my health didn't cause such inconvenience to you all."Keith immediately replied, "It's not your fault! With Ms. Carver around, she'll definitely treat us with respect."Aria was unsure why she became the center of the conversation again.Warren beamed with pride. "Don't you think her kindness reflects mine from when I was younger?""That's for sur
The person who spoke wore a hood that covered his features. "Yes. I followed your instructions and set the traps. They're so subtle that nobody would notice. Besides, Warren is arrogant and scoffs at fortune tellers. The Carver family will crumble within two years, tops."The old man seated on the chair began slowly, "I've told you repeatedly, our goal isn't to eradicate the entire Carver family."The old man rose to his feet. "There are many of them in the Carver family, so let's deal with them one by one. It won't take long till the old one dies. Those who don't usually come home will be hard to deal with, but I have my eyes on the youngest son. The entertainment industry is ruthless, after all."The hooded man slowly smiled. "You're right. I almost forgot about him. He's much easier to deal with than the others."The old man fiddled with his beads. "Don't make it too obvious. Go on.""Yes, sir."It took them more than a decade to set up a trap in the Carver residence's layout.
"What happened?" Aria raised an eyebrow at Sam as she set down her black bag. Sam pointed at Landon, trying to shift the blame onto him.Landon glanced at the aquarium and smiled meaningfully. "I don't think we can go to the aquarium tomorrow with Sam's special ability."Aria also noticed the dead fish and knew she couldn't hide Sam's condition any longer. Thus, she popped a piece of candy in her mouth and smiled. "Let's go downstairs and talk."Georgina was just peeling an apple for her. "Why can't you talk here?""It's about the Carver family, which Landon is more familiar with. Plus, it's confidential," Aria explained. Upon hearing that, Georgina didn't object further. Landon approached Aria and casually said, "Okay. We can also discuss meeting my parents while we're down there."Sam's eyes widened in horror, and Aria stopped chewing her candy.Georgina was the only one who smiled. "That's quite thoughtful of you, Landon. There's no rush, though. You guys haven't been da
Landon slid the plate of steak he had cut to Aria. "Mindy really wants to get married to me, but I rejected her."Aria was quite taken aback."I wanted to tell you early to avoid any misunderstanding," he explained wearily. "As my supposed girlfriend, you seem unfazed by all the gossip."Aria took a bite of the steak he had cut up for her. "I do care. It's just that I haven't caught wind of it yet. Stay away from her, though.""Okay," Landon replied, amused. He wondered if Aria was jealous of Mindy.The answer, however, was far from it. "She has an unusual scent that might be harmful to your health," Aria said."That's it?" Landon asked with a low voice.As the saxophonist was just nearby, Aria couldn't hear Landon clearly. "What did you say?""Nothing important. Did you suspect Mindy of having bad intentions towards the Carvers? What have you discovered now?" Landon's smile was pleasant.Aria couldn't help but think that he was way too smart for his own good. He always saw th
"What an honor." Landon's smile widened upon hearing Aria's compliment. For some reason, the gold-rimmed glasses he wore made him look even more playful. The York family's bodyguards had never seen Landon like this before, and they were quite surprised.They were impressed that Aria dared to tease Landon. After all, the socialities couldn't even get close to him at parties, let alone tease him.However, Aria didn't seem to fear him at all. Her carefree attitude made it seem like she had Landon wrapped around her finger, though the bodyguards wouldn't dare to say it out loud.By how Aria teased and complimented him so naturally, it seemed that she often did something similar."That's settled then. You're mine now." After Aria made up her mind, she didn't like sharing what was hers.Landon twirled her long hair. "Yes, I'm yours.""Find out everything you can about the young woman the Carvers are sponsoring," Aria requested, yawning. Exhaustion was evident in her voice. "I can't p
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
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