"I want to know too!""Attention to the crew! Please let them get revenge, or I'll cancel this show!"This was pure brutality. The twins were born into a world filled with hope, only to discover a hellish reality.A long time ago, an orphaned young girl wrote, "The world's nice, but I don't want to be born here again."âĶInstantly, search topics related to "Survival of the Fittest" flooded the trending list. Topics like "Favoring the Sons over the Daughters" and "Our First Step to Saving Ourselves: Admitting that Our Parents Don't Love Us That Much" also appeared.The crew grew increasingly anxious as they watched the chaos unfold. They wished to steer the narrative but found themselves powerless. Would the audience believe them if they claimed spirits haunted the site?At the mention of that, Pax Darwen, the on-set director, demanded more realism from the scriptwriters. "That's not the main problem. If you tell everyone that, the show will be canceled!""You need to figure o
In the hospital, Lana seemed to have sensed something. She looked up abruptly.Abbie exclaimed, "Someone's here!"Lana's face twisted with a fierce intensity. "A being of heavenly fortune has arrived. You summoned them.""You lied to us!" Lana lost control. "You, of all people!"Fury surged through Lana, and she lunged at Aria, intending to strangle her. However, she froze as her hands neared Aria's neck. Aria remained motionless."If you truly can't recall his face, then choose between Players No. 1 and Player No. 3," Aria suggested coolly."What?" Lana paused.Aria said, "Didn't I say that I'll teach you how to play an adult's game? Your father is definitely not one of the celebrity guests, so that leaves the others.""Between Player No. 1 and Player No. 3, Player No. 3 looks more threatening," Aria analyzed calmly, "He's middle-aged, fitting a profile for a father. I wasn't confident just now, but now that a certain person is here, I don't see why you can't take revenge."L
Chandler didn't dare retort against that. Alistair viewed him with disdain. He pointed his knife toward Leon, saying, "You want to save him? Tell the crew to stop with this dumb farce now, then! I don't care about your charades. I saw the police cars outsideâI'm not as blind as you think! "Do you think I'd let the police catch me just because of this scary story you're acting out? You're dreaming!" Alistair dragged Chandler to stand in front of the cameras. "I'll only make my request onceâdon't come in."With each person who takes a step toward this room, I'll kill a hostage!"âĶOutside the hospital, the crew was a panicked mass. Kian looked at Landon, who had already entered the hospital, and yelled, "Who the hell recruited this player?""I-Iâ" Shelby Sands, an intern in the crew, pushed his glasses up. "It's stated in his rÃĐsumÃĐ that he's a doctor. I saw that he's skilled in surgery, so I thoughtâ"Meanwhile, the HOU was already on standby nearby. "Alertâsuspect is armed wit
Aria put all her strength into a swift and decisive kick. Alistair was sent flying, his back slamming into the wall before he crumpled to the ground. The impact left him barely conscious, his threats reduced to incoherent gasps as he coughed up blood.The comments section fell silent.Kian, who was close to tears, stopped. "Has he already been dealt with?"The audience was all stunned. "This is probably the quickest hostage de-escalation I've ever seen.""Is he really a serial killer?""It's true! Look, the police have posted an announcement!"The show was still broadcasting and couldn't be paused due to certain situations, so the police revealed the criminal's personal information.The comments started flooding in rapidly."Player No. 5 is an undercover cop, isn't she?""She isn't afraid of ghosts because she's extremely righteous.""The police didn't mention Player No. 5's identity. She's probably a random person who happened to pass by.""Really? She's my idol now.""S
Only then did Landon look at Cooper. His exquisitely handsome face stood out against the dilapidated hospital. "How did you escape if the criminal was as evil as you'd said?"Lysander thought that Landon had a point. "The manifestation hasn't been dismantled yet. Why is it that you can go anywhere as you please?"Could this guy be another man favored by the heavens? Were there really so many of them?Lysander, who hadn't seen much of the outside world, went with his instinct to call for Homer. Homer had no time to pay Lysander any attention. He quickly dashed toward the second floor, where the densest concentration of vengeful energy awaited.Upon noticing that, Cooper attempted to run away again. However, Landon stopped him. "Which room is the criminal in? Lead the way.""There's a murderer inside the room!" Cooper was flabbergasted. Did Landon not understand human language?Landon said, "And that's who we're looking for.""What do you mean?" Cooper paled instantly.Landon s
Your fortune." Aria put a hand on the stair rail behind Landon and kissed the corner of his lips.They looked perfect together, and Landon gladly let Aria kiss him. They were both beautiful, albeit in different waysâhis regal coldness and her devilish allure made for a pleasing sight.This was what Lysander saw when he came here to apprehend Carlos. His eyes were wide openâhe didn't expect the man favored by the heavens to use his fortune in this manner. Shocked, Lysander exclaimed, "Mr. Bond!""Stop yelling. Take good care of Landon." Homer was busy thinking about how he should dismantle this manifestation. "Make sure the evil spirits don't get close to him."Lysander yelled, "What if one of them is kissing him?"Kissing? Homer had found Lana and was about to perform a spell when he heard Lysander's words, which led him to doubt himself. Did he target the wrong person? Was there a more powerful evil being downstairs? Who would dare to kiss Landon, of all people?While Ho
Aria took the Charm Coin back. Purple energy swirled in her palm. "Some parents only want sons but not daughters. To them, daughters can be sold or abandoned as they please. A father would even push his daughters down the stairs because the woman they had an affair with said she wouldn't get together with him unless his two children died."If the Divine Laws are genuinely effective, the gods should see what's unfolding with their own eyes instead of incessantly dictating laws for the mortal world. The sisters only want justice. They shouldn't be called evil spirits. Who do you think has committed evil, Mr. Bond?"The white-haired Homer was rooted on the spot, seemingly deep in thought. If someone could slash open the doors to Heaven with a sword, then it was possible to thoroughly understand the Divine Laws overnight.Homer didn't go downstairs and merely sat on the floor. With that, he'd basically given Aria an answer.âĶAt the same time, Carlos opened his eyes. When he saw two s
The emerald pendant was forged in the image of Maelis, the goddess of mercy. The pendant unleashed a blistering light that seared the twins. They felt as though they had been cast into a vast inferno, the searing heat causing them to instinctively cover their faces with their hands.Aria was faster. She seized Carlos by the scruff of his neck and yanked sharply on his pendant."You refuse to regret your wrongdoings." Aria put her hands around his neck, her gaze dark. Carlos' face turned purple as his feet lifted off the ground. It looked as though he was on the brink of death. He knew that Aria was really serious about killing him, and so he said fearfully, "I'm sorry, Iâ""Too late." As Aria uttered those two words, the cloud of vengefulness in the corridor became more potent.Suddenly, a young girl's voice could be heard. "Let it be, Aria."Aria loosened her grip and looked down, only to see a young girl pulling on the hem of her shirt. "If you kill him, you'll end up going to
Aria had once told Sam to avoid chaos if he couldâbut 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 toughâit 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 herâher bodyguardâwho 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 resistâhe'd seen what she was capable of.And she'd made her warning crystal clearâif 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 herâfresh, 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 classâbut 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'sâ""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 Murrayâthe 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 wayâwith 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 usâit 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 peopleâthat 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 purposeâto 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 instinctâflee.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,