Leon was mischievous but was always fiercely protective of his family. Fiona understood the depth of his pain when Aria was kidnapped.Now that her children were reunited, tears welled up in Fiona's eyes. She'd never expected Leon to forgive her so quickly, especially after her harsh words during her illness.Fiona was never a weak person. Awakening from her prolonged "slumber" at the hotel, she realized she was a stranger to herself. She'd abandoned her career and even left Leon to bear the guilt alone.Fiona had two reasons for joining Leon's entertainment company—to make amends and to counter the online attacks against him. The public's cruelty toward Leon was unbearable, and as his mother, she wouldn't tolerate it.She wondered why Owen hadn't defended Leon, allowing his reputation to be damaged.Fiona knew Leon had left home because of Mindy, wanting nothing to do with the Carvers. Yet, he was Owen's son. How could Owen ignore it?Fiona clenched her fists, her gaze darkening
Aria hadn't investigated Fiona's family background. However, based on what Fiona said, her uncles doted on Fiona as Leon did on her. This led Aria to believe that the Grisham family was likely less dubious than the Carvers.Recently, Aria had been investigating the Carver family, particularly the Wrathborn Manifestation and Warren's death, which she had glimpsed in her dreams.She found several people of interest, including her great-uncle Ian. It was rumored he was affluent yet laid-back. He didn't get involved with the company's affairs and was content by receiving a small portion of dividends each year.Aria focused primarily on those she dreamed about. In her dreams, Ian had shown no malice toward her; in fact, he had defended her.Yet Aria was one to anticipate potential threats. She was concerned not about the overt antagonists but those whose motives were unclear.Aria found it odd that Owen was closer to Ian than his own father.However, Warren had explained this matter t
"Landon is undeniably handsome.""We all know how cunning Landon is. As long as Aria likes him, it doesn't matter.""Isn't Percy the same age as Landon? They must have interacted a lot when they were children.""Me? I'm not as close to him as Leon is. Leon cried for an entire afternoon the first time he saw him. That's why I'm surprised Leon lets Aria have her way with him."Suddenly, Percy asked, "Are you sure Aria is the one going after him?"Leon replied, "It should be."Percy felt he needed more concrete evidence, though.Leon wasn't in the group chat merely to say all that. He intended to share everything Aria had told him about Fiona, especially with his eldest brother, Fergus, engaged in the conversation.The mood shifted when Leon shared Aria's theories with all his brothers, excluding Jeffrey, who was absent. The expressions of the four elder brothers quickly became impassive after reading Leon's message."So Aria is suggesting someone is behind her abduction and Mom'
Percy declared, "Aria doesn't need to worry about this. No one in this group chat cares about Dad except Fergus."Seeing the conversation take this turn, Fergus responded, "Percy, he's still our father. Let's not jump to conclusions without solid evidence. Mom will be upset if she finds out we suspect Dad."Percy took off his glasses, a glint of malice in his eyes. "If Dad really did something to hurt Mom and Aria for his own benefit, he doesn't deserve to be our father."Fergus replied, "It's all just our assumption. Aria didn't actually say that."Percy, never one to mince words, retorted, "She knows we'll take sides if she does. No wonder she hasn't looked for her brothers despite being home for so long."We always say we'll protect Aria, but have we really? That's probably what Grandpa was worried about, which is why he didn't tell us everything."Mindy has treated us like brothers ever since Dad insisted on bringing her back. If I were Aria, I wouldn't bother looking for my
Fergus said, "We need to figure out why Dad is acting so irrationally."Percy raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like Dad confided in you, Fergus?"Fergus replied, "I need to talk to him since he reached out to me. If not, I'll ask him to meet with you all next time."Jeffrey immediately replied, "I'm not available."Percy grinned. "Dad gets sick whenever he talks to me. For his health's sake, I'll leave this to you, Fergus."Owen was a thorny issue to the brothers that only Fergus could handle.Fergus got straight to the point. "I've been looking into some past incidents and will have results soon. If Dad's involved, we need to keep Mom away from him."It's odd that Dad is asking Aria to be sensible with an outsider unless Mindy is truly special to him."Percy raised his eyebrows. "Fergus, are you saying Mindy might be Dad's illegitimate daughter?""Not exactly. It has to do with Aria's horoscope and detailed birth date," Fergus clarified.Jeffrey narrowed his eyes. "You think Da
As Aria's hunger grew from her intensive thinking, the food finally arrived.Despite Landon's claims of it being a modest meal, he had actually brought them to a renowned seafood restaurant in Janovin that had been serving exquisite dishes for over a century.Every dish, from the appetizers to the decadent desserts, was a culinary masterpiece. The freshly sliced meat burst with flavor in every bite.Clearly, Landon knew Sam's appetite well, as he'd ordered a perfectly seasoned tomahawk steak. Its tenderness and flavor were evident in every mouthful. Sam's eyes lit up, and he graciously shared with Fiona.Aria had no cause for concern; Landon was attentive, assisting her with food and napkins. His usual obsession with germs seemed to be forgotten as his coat lay loosely nearby.As Landon brushed Aria's hair back, he asked with a smile, "Are you that hungry?""Yup," Aria replied, her physically demanding job requiring ample energy for her plans. Landon tied her hair back, his eyes
The seafood restaurant was a reservation-only establishment with traditional décor, offering little soundproofing.Soon, a manager approached Christian and his group, who were a bit too loud. "Sir, please lower your voice to avoid disturbing the other patrons."Timmy turned beet red from embarrassment. "They have many rules here, don't they?""Of course. It's a public place, after all. If it weren't for Christian, we wouldn't even be here. Let's show some respect," someone retorted.Humiliated, Timmy was about to retaliate, but Christian intervened to calm things down. "Let's drop it, guys. We can continue this over drinks. Don't worry about the bill. It's my treat."He added, "Lily will be here soon. Take the opportunity to find yourselves a girlfriend. Her roommates are coming too. Don't say I didn't give you a heads-up."His male classmates glanced around. "What chance do we have with you around? Half the school has a crush on you."They weren't exaggerating. Christian was ha
"Lily, I think you'd better not bother with that disgusting fake heiress," Myrtle suggested.Lily thought Aria was involved in a scandal. She could barely suppress her joy as she feigned a scowl and said, "Myrtle, don't be so mean.""Lily, don't blame Myrtle. Aria's the one being secretive about her new relationship. I wonder what's there to hide?" Timmy pursed his lips.Was Aria in a relationship?Lily pretended to worry about Aria, "Do you think Aria might have been deceived? Grandma never mentioned anything about a boyfriend."In truth, Lily hadn't been in touch with Georgina lately. Cameron was the one who had informed her that Aria was single."She wouldn't dare. Your grandmother would have informed you if Aria's boyfriend were even remotely as impressive as Christian. But no, Aria settled for a gigolo! How embarrassing."Lily was secretly delighted. She hadn't forgotten the humiliation Aria inflicted on her. At the time, Aria had seemed so superior.Lily could barely hold
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
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