Why had Mindy given her such a sinister pendant? What was she plotting? Verona's back was drenched with cold sweat, and a chill shot up her spine. She didn't keep anything from Aria, asking her directly, "Hypothetically, just hypothetically, what would happen if someone was sniffing this blend for a long time?""This concoction impacts both your physique and spirit, and you'll eventually get addicted to it," Aria said seriously, "You'll gradually become the most loyal believer ever, and you'll lose the ability to form your own opinions about certain matters."Verona's clutch fell to the ground with a thud. Suddenly, everything started to fall into place. Mindy had approached her deliberately. Knowing Verona's struggles with sleep and her desire for Fiona's recovery, Mindy manipulated the situation to make Verona gradually accept her.However, Mindy was only nine years old when that happened.Verona's first reaction was that there was a misunderstanding. However, when she met Ar
"It's not that serious yet." Aria tossed the necklace to Sam. "The adverse effects tend to manifest themselves gradually. I'll go to your house and see what's happening."Sam liked the pendant. The black fog smelled tasty, but he couldn't eat it because Aria forbade him. He was fine with it, though, because the beef at the buffet tasted great too. Sam decided he shouldn't make any more excessive demands, for his salary would be cut, and he would be forcibly sent to school. So, Sam behaved better than ever.…Aria hadn't realized the full extent of Verona's situation, but now that she was aware, she thought it best to investigate. More importantly, she might be able to discern Mindy's school of thought from the items at Verona's place.She hadn't forgotten the important information Nyx had given her. She had Landon take note of the CCTV footage. She wanted a comprehensive list of whoever had entered the room at around half past eight, including the waiting staff.Landon didn't as
The banquet would be ending soon. In order not to make everything seem too out of the ordinary, Fiona and Aria's three brothers mingled with the crowd while Aria checked the CCTV footage. She inspected the footage repeatedly and concluded that the Wagners and Furlers were the only people who had come in during that time of day. Philip was also among them. As he was occupied by certain matters, he'd had no time to go to Aria.This was different from what had happened in her dreams. Aria's sixth sense told her that the person she sought had never come to the banquet.Should Aria stop thinking of her dreams as reality? Or had something occurred today that had altered the scenario, preventing the person from appearing?Aria pressed her finger against the coin. Nyx was still perched on her shoulders. "I picked up on that person's scent, my lord."If Nyx and the twins had sensed the person's scent despite being absent, that meant only one thing—the Furlers and Wagners had met that pers
The fog was invisible to the average person, as was the strange fortune that had suddenly altered the surrounding area.However, arcane seekers of the highest level could sense it, including Homer, who was in the middle of discussing with Lysander how to convince Aria to join the Dracotigris Order. He suddenly stood up straight. "Something's wrong in the west side of the city."That feeling had come and gone swiftly, and Homer had an abrupt realization. "Someone's changing their fate!" This was strictly forbidden for arcane seekers, but Homer could feel that the other party was using magic from his own faction, causing his expression to darken.The clear skies suddenly became dark and cloudy. The moment Aria left the hotel and got on her bike, it started raining.The rain made her uneasy, and the night sky was shrouded in clouds and fog.…Toto was in bad shape. He was completely unconscious, and only a fragment of his soul remained when Aria found him."He'll die soon, my lor
Aria said seriously, "Yes. Some doctors are truly dedicated to saving the injured and sick. There's a saying that not many people know—'medicine is the art of fighting death; the doctor is its warrior.'""Good doctors can protect Toto." Aria made a call. "Hello, Dr. Lowe? It's me, Aria. I have a patient here who's very young—only four years old. He's very weak now and needs to be hooked to an IV."Yes, I'm right across from your hospital. I'll have his mom take him there. When he's there, please monitor his heart rate and breathing constantly. I'll take care of the rest."Abraham didn't quite understand what Aria meant by taking care of the rest. As a doctor who had devoted his whole life to saving others, he immediately became anxious upon hearing about Toto's condition. He was eating lunch after a surgical operation, but after only a few bites, he set his meal aside and rushed to attend to Toto.Verona looked at Aria, who asked if Toto was allergic to anything, and her shame al
Aria raised a brow. "Aren't all manifestations like this? For the ordinary person, your manifestations felt like another world too."She hopped onto her bike. "Hang in there. I'm driving this in." She revved the engine. If anyone else had been there, they would have noticed how the black-and-red bike vanished as it entered the villa.Outside, nothing seemed to change when Aria barged in. Only one corner of the villa emitted black fog, as if an invisible door had briefly opened and closed.Whenever she sought out the missing fragment of a soul, Aria always brought along an object deeply connected to the person—a token of familiarity or attachment.Noticing that Toto clutched a small rubber duckie, a cherished companion in his unconscious state, Aria snatched it without hesitation and tucked it into her pocket.Entering a manifestation typically required utmost caution; any disturbance could send the spirits within into a frenzy, especially when the conjurer was startled. Yet, n
Viktor had his men stop upon hearing Aria's words. This was a delicate moment, and Krowo needed to win over Farshyans, who were willing to side with them publicly.The youth newspaper had been a thorn in the Krowonians' side. If certain issues were exposed internationally, their ongoing claims—that they had come to Farshya to improve the people's lives without coveting their land—would be called into question.Viktor made his way forward. "You misunderstand, beautiful lady. Krowo built schools for Farshyan kids there who couldn't afford to go to school. This girl looks so young, yet she's selling flowers here, so we wanted to send her to school. We don't speak the same language, so she is somewhat averse toward me."Aria hadn't met any politicians before, but she knew instantly that Viktor was insincere. He had a photographer with him, and that, together with their current location, gave Aria insight into his intentions."If we're in Krowo right now, and a young girl was suddenly p
Edmond took out a ten-dollar bill and handed it to Annie in front of the cameras. "This is from Mr. Regal. You should be grateful to him. Thanks to him, we have food to eat and water to drink now."Annie looked at the bill hungrily. Aria, knowing she was short on money, asked, "Do you want it?""I won't stop you if you take it," Aria added seriously, "But I need to tell you something. Sometimes, accepting someone else's money can cost you more than you think because you never know what they really want in return."Annie bit her lip. She wanted the money because her mother was sick, and her father needed money to pay for opium. But she remembered how her younger sister had been taken away by these very men. They had also given her father ten dollars, which he promptly spent at the opium den. Annie had waited and waited for him to return.No, she didn't want this money that was stained by evil deeds! She only wanted her sister back!"I don't want your dirty money!" Fear flashed in
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
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 way—with 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 us—it 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 people—that w