The crowd erupted at Kylie's words.Plagiarism? Stealing? If that were true, the Carver family's stocks would plummet!There was only one way out—disown Aria. The banquet had to end early, or the shareholders would revolt if the news spread.This wasn't the first time. Stocks once worth over 20 dollars had dropped to mere cents overnight. With the market in turmoil, no one dared gamble on a company's fate.Everyone, including the major shareholders, turned their eyes to Aria, voices rising in heated discussion. Kylie barely hid her glee.Leon's expression darkened, but before he could speak, Aria smiled and calmly said, "I did design the clothes. But what evidence do you have of plagiarism?""It's way too similar—it has to be plagiarism!" Kylie nearly lost her composure.Mindy, feigning pity, stepped in. "Kylie, enough. Aria just got back. She probably didn't mean to copy. It's just a habit she hasn't shaken yet.""Mindy, after how she'd humiliated you earlier, you're still def
"She's so young. Plus, I heard Lamar is a noble in Nobeeta."It seemed that nobody believed in Aria.Kylie laughed dismissively. "Ms. Carver, if you want to get out of this, you should come up with something more believable."Though Lamar remains elusive, her Nobeetan origins are widely recognized. Her designs are consistently exotic. To convincingly pose as her, you must closely mimic her style."Aria replied calmly, "Have you ever met Lamar, or heard her claim to be from Nobeeta?""Well…" Kylie couldn't retort.Aria grinned. "You haven't seen or heard Lamar make such a claim. The guests mentioned it was all just rumors. I used to design outfits with an exotic flair to attract overseas orders."I didn't anticipate such strong demand from Farshya. The less I produced, the higher the prices I commanded. I only intended to cover some tuition fees, but it seems I have considerable support from all of you."Her demeanor stunned the ladies and made them reconsider. After all, they c
Verona paused, studying Aria's face. "Your eyes are like Fiona's. Rainbow, I'm Verona Ander. I even held you as a child.""You did misunderstand Mindy, but it's not your fault. After all, you've been away from home for many years. I understand that accepting your biological parents will be difficult."As Verona spoke, she reached out to pat Aria's head. "You were quite the troublemaker when you were younger. Mistakes happen, and you can always apologize. But I won't let anyone slander you. I promise. Why don't you let me see your gown?"Verona was trying to earn Aria's trust. Since Aria's return, Jeffrey and Leon acted differently. They should consider Fiona's feelings. After all, Fiona was someone who couldn't bear to see Mindy or Aria get hurt.Verona glanced around the room. "You should believe my words. During my time in Nobeeta, I had contact with Lamar's brand. I know things that most people do not.""Ms. Ander, we all believe in you," one of the socialites said smilingly.
Luke always supported doing anything beneficial to the company."Should I post it now or wait until the start of the month? Larmir Fashion Week will be happening then. We could capitalize on that to boost our visibility. It's your debut using Farshyan elements in gown design. I'm sure it will cause an uproar, especially in Farshya. They're our main—"Luke was a whirlwind of words, his speech punctuated with exclamations. Rarely contacted by Lamar, his excitement had clearly gotten the better of him.Aria, however, cut him off. "Post it now. I want to see it on the company's official website in two minutes. If I don't, you can turn in your resignation."In other words, Aria also owned the company.Few at the banquet were familiar with Nobeetan, and those who were stood across the room. The socialites closer to Aria had no training in Nobeetan. Meanwhile, some of the ladies who had studied in Nobeeta couldn't discern the details of the conversation but noticed Aria directing someone
What else could Kylie say? She was already dumbfounded. She wouldn't be in such an awkward position if she had reined in her arrogance. But she had been harsh with Aria and offended the Carver family in public.Kylie thought she had hit Aria's sore point as the latter kept silent. She never expected Aria to be Lamar! Why didn't she reveal it earlier?Was Aria deliberately waiting for Kylie to make a scene before addressing the issue?The thought terrified Kylie. For the first time, she scrutinized Aria closely. Was she really just a bumpkin?There was no time to ponder further; the room was abuzz with exclamations and discussions.As Kylie had wished, she was now the center of attention at the banquet. But she would have preferred to remain unnoticed. Nervously gripping her sleeves, she wished she could vanish.Kylie glanced at Mindy, hinting at the latter to help her.Mindy avoided her gaze at first, but she soon remembered the Wagner family was backing her. Thus, Mindy held
It was Percy. He shrugged off his plain-looking coat and walked out of the corner.Compared to Jeffrey and Leon, Percy seemed more like a typical corporate elite. He wore a diamond wristwatch and had a stylish backcombed hairstyle. His well-defined face was adorned with a gentle smile."Percy!" Leon's eyes lit up.At this moment, even the company owners made way for him.After all, Percy wasn't merely the Carver family's son. He was extremely famous among the Hemingway Legal Elites in Ludwiten. No business owner dared to offend a lawyer of his stature.Percy glanced briefly at Leon before locking eyes on Aria. He couldn't resist reaching out to brush a strand of Aria's long hair. "With your talent, you should be celebrated. I can't believe anyone would slander you like this."Aria stiffened, feeling uneasy under Percy's touch—the words she had prepared to say suddenly caught in her throat.Seeing her like this, Percy thought it was the Aria he knew best. His smile grew. "This is
As soon as Percy spoke, everyone in the banquet thought there was something wrong with Kylie.Aria couldn't help but raise her head and look at Percy. His words had been sharp, leaving no room for the Wagner family to retreat without humiliation. They would openly admit their lack of decorum if they refused to apologize. The tension only deepened.Sure enough, Agnes became anxious. "Percy, it's just a misunderstanding."She turned to Kylie with a steely tone. "If you don't apologize today, don't bother coming back home!"Kylie, now realizing the gravity of the situation, felt a wave of fear. Agnes wasn't bluffing."I-I'm sorry." Tears welled up in Kylie's eyes. Though she harbored resentment toward Aria, she had no choice but to bury it. With trembling hands, she bowed slightly, head lowered in submission. "I shouldn't have assumed things without knowing the full story. Please forgive my ignorance and foolishness."Aria, unmoved, glanced at Kylie and spoke coldly. "From what I've
Unexpectedly, as soon as the young Aria opened her eyes, she spat at Agnes, leaving her utterly disgusted. The grown-up Aria was even more insufferable than before. The Carver family should never have brought her back.Though her thoughts were venomous, Agnes maintained a look of regret.She knew she had to say something today. Otherwise, the Wagner family's reputation would be damaged. So, she turned to Owen with calculated concern. "Owen, please speak on behalf of the Wagner family. We truly mean no harm. Mr. Wagner Senior has always reminded us of the Carver family's kindness.""I know that," Owen responded, trying to be benevolent. "Do we even need to clarify how close our families are? Aria just returned, so she's just overthinking things. But Kylie should still learn to control herself." Although Owen appeared to scold Kylie, he subtly downplayed the situation."Kylie, you speak without thinking about the consequences. You're lucky I'm here to smooth things over. I'm sure Ari
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno
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