"The blue looks good on you," Fiona rasped, her voice hoarse.She expected Leon to be fearful or question her presence, but he simply helped her out, his actions filled with unexpected gentleness.Leon placed the coffee cup on the table, his gaze falling on the astonished Demi and her makeup artist."Enjoy your coffee," Leon's gaze landed on Demi. "Being a celebrity doesn't grant you superiority. You should be grateful the coffee didn't land on my mother's face. Otherwise, you could kiss your career goodbye."Fiona wanted to stop Leon, fearing his words might lead to trouble, but he continued undeterred. "Mom, I started out as a nobody too, but I always respected the crew and never mocked them like she did.""I-I…" Demi turned beet red. The rest of the crew on set watched the scene unfold. Demi had initially hoped to cozy up to Leon to boost her popularity, never expecting to offend him.No one would have guessed his mother was employed as a production assistant—it seemed so un
Aria ruffled Sam's hair and met Leon's gaze. "Leon, Sam is my brother."Aria's brother meant that he was Leon's brother too. Leon quickly shifted his attitude. He shot a smile at Sam and prepared to address the latter. Before he could do so, Landon turned Sam around and showed Leon the QR code on Sam's t-shirt. "Sam can't talk, so I'll speak for him. He likes money."Sam disliked Landon as the latter always gave off an oppressive vibe. Sam couldn't tell what it was, but it just made him want to stay away from him.Unfortunately, Aria liked Landon's looks.Sam asked the ladies on set for their advice. For someone who was typically disinterested in men, her sudden interest in Landon suggested she found him attractive.Sam initially didn't approve of this relationship. However, as a hacker, he discovered that the York family was filthy rich.That was Landon's only advantage. Since Aria only liked him for his looks, Sam thought he could put up with it until she lost interest in him
The spectral twins, Abbie and Angie, clung to the ethereal plane within the amethyst pendant, their spectral forms trembling—too afraid to come out. Everyone around Aria was very dangerous.They had believed their presence would taint Aria's fortune—after all, they were spirits of malevolence. Yet, upon encountering Chaos, their fears were magnified. Aria's willingness to harbor such a being suggested she was not one to be swayed by mere omens.Sam, on the other hand, detected a peculiar scent emanating from Aria. It was tantalizing, a fragrance that made his hunger rise.He rubbed his belly with a longing expression and glanced at the amethyst pendant sideways, trying to convey his desire.Aria, understanding his unspoken plea, pinched his cheek. "These are your future siblings. You must not consume them, understand?"Sam was struck dumb. The notion of his potential prey becoming kin was baffling.He grudgingly nodded, deciding to bide his time. For now, he had to restrain his t
Despite Landon's frail appearance, he was adept at handling seasoned businessmen like Warren in the industry. So how could he suddenly seem polite and harmless before Aria? He must be putting on an act!Besides, no brother would ever find his sister's boyfriend pleasing to the eye, especially since Landon had called off his engagement with Aria. While everything else was understandable, his transformation before Aria was unsettling. After all, Landon wasn't like this with others.Sensing Leon's gaze, Landon looked over with an unreadable gaze."I understand that Leon may be unhappy about me. I was in the wrong, after all." Landon took the initiative to speak, his subdued tone seeming somewhat innocent. "Perhaps it's because I refused to play with him when we were younger, or maybe my foolishness to call off my engagement with Aria."With his refined and pale face, he seemed a bit fragile when he batted his long lashes. Nobody would want to trouble such a beautiful person, especia
Aria raised her eyebrows. "The Wagner family? You seem to care quite a lot about our family's banquet.""Well, I could have attended as your family," Landon replied, handing her a cup of coffee. "Get in the car first. I'll explain it to you when we get there."Aria was well taken care of. She settled into the seat, enjoying her coffee.Landon had arranged for two SUVs. Leon and the others were in the second vehicle, leaving the first one for just the two of them.Landon, capable of working anywhere, adjusted Aria's seat before responding to messages from his workgroup.Reclined, Aria yawned lazily, her beauty undiminished.Landon finished sending a text and caught sight of her. His eyes flickered as he fiddled with the rosary bracelet on her wrist. "A jeweler will come later. You can pick out a ring.""A ring? No thanks," Aria rejected without a second thought. "Having it while I perform my acupuncture is a hassle."Landon was exasperated. "Well, you can choose a necklace or so
Aria's eyes flickered at his words, and she recalled the burdens from the sins he carried. He had been kind to her, and she felt the need to repay him somehow. She reached out, gently holding his wrist to read his pulse. Though it appeared as if she was examining him, she was actually working to alleviate some of his burdens. As a practitioner in esoteric arts, she had many ways to help.However, Landon avoided her touch. "Don't misuse your magic."Aria felt that Landon was not easy to fool. He seemed to know everything.Was it because he read a lot of books? Aria propped her chin and got lost in her thoughts.Suddenly, she spoke up, "By the way, the spirits I adopted are afraid of you."Landon chuckled, wrapping her in a coat. "Do I look scary? You should help them build their courage. They could learn from Sam."Only four Perils existed in the world, like Sam. These creatures were embodiments of pure evil, leaving destruction in their wake. Yet, not all of them had been see
Aria was still pondering Nyx's words. What would the Wagner family have for Nyx to follow them involuntarily?She touched the Charm Coin to contact Nyx. She sought answers about what transpired at the Layne residence, how he ended up gravely injured, and his sudden appearance at Edenvale Children's Hospital. Yet silence greeted her queries.Puzzled, Aria glanced at Landon, eyebrows raised. She couldn't fathom why the little ones seemed to cower before him.Landon noticed her gaze and put down his work phone with a slight smile. He retrieved a bottle of water from the car's fridge and handed it to her, asking calmly, "Why the curious look?""Nothing much." Aria yawned lazily. "You go ahead and work. Wake me up when we arrive."The toll of dismantling a formation always left her drowsy, something Tobias had warned her about. She needed rest after such exhausting work, and the comfort of the car quickly lulled her into sleep.Landon watched her delicate features, a peculiar tenderne
Aria's remarkable resilience was the only thing shielding her from the chaos engulfing the Carver family.A selfish, duplicitous father, a cunning sponsee, and a host of scheming aristocratic families circled her like vultures.Landon could barely hold back his anger when he thought of that. He would gladly help Aria finish them off if she wanted to, and he didn't care if he broke the rules.He fiddled with his bracelet. When he looked up again, his demeanor seemed to have changed.Meanwhile, Aria had a dream. The dream was even more bizarre this time. The setting was the "Survival of the Fittest", but Leon's fate had taken a tragic turn. He lay buried beneath the children's hospital, having sacrificed himself to save another. The twin siblings had transformed into Wrathborns, creatures of vengeance.The dream twisted, bringing her to Leon's final visit home, a stormy confrontation."I won't accept it. No one can replace Aria," Leon's voice was thick with defiance. His gaze was
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