As Aria pondered, the door clicked open, and in trotted Sam. He shot Landon a wary look, his eyes narrowing slightly. Landon remained composed, his gaze steady as he looked up.Sam, seeming puzzled, circled around Landon, sniffing him cautiously. Finally, he puffed up his cheeks and directed a concerned look at Aria, clearly signaling that something was wrong with Landon.Aria raised her eyebrows. "You seem particularly hostile today."Just as Sam was about to gesture to Aria, Landon slipped a credit card into his hand. "Go buy some meat to eat."Sam glared at him as if to say he wasn't someone to be swayed by money. Before he could protest, Landon tossed another item in his direction.The object glittered so brightly that Aria couldn't ignore it. However, Sam's eyes lit up as he bit into the gold bar.Confirming it was real, Sam rolled on the floor with delight as if he had just discovered his favorite toy.Meanwhile, Landon sat gracefully before him. Anyone not privy to thei
Aria's gaze shifted abruptly to Verona. "Ms. Ander, could you provide the specifics of Toto's birth?"Since Verona had become aware of Aria's exceptional capabilities, she had ceased to withhold information from her. She promptly detailed Toto's birth and even handed over Toto's hospital records to Aria, concerned that she might not have covered everything.Aria carefully reviewed the records and remarked, "He is quite fortunate."Yet, she didn't discern anything particularly notable about his complexion. Of course, she wasn't expecting everyone to be cloaked in purple energy like Landon.However, a person usually exhibits some sign of good fortune on their facial features, but Toto displayed none. If Toto hadn't seemed fearful of Sam, Aria might never have uncovered his fortune.It appeared the culprit had chosen Toto not by chance but because of his fortune.As per the lore, Toto would first suffer from illness and slowly lose his life, and his family would likely never suspect
Verona grasped Aria's intent and assured her, "Don't worry, Aria. I won't mention today's events to anyone, including Toto's father.""Thank you. And please ensure Toto doesn't come across such dolls again."Verona nodded quickly, having had more than enough of this experience. She was determined to prevent it from happening again. As Aria prepared to leave, Toto grabbed her hand. "Aria, what's wrong with Starry? Why did you ask Mom to stop me from playing with her?"Children often become attached to toys, especially those who are single-parented like Toto. This gift, given by his father, was particularly cherished.Aria knew she needed to be clear with Toto. She looked him in the eye and said, "Toto, do you remember what happened in the dream?""I do." There was no way Toto could forget about the events in his dreams. Aria gently patted his head. "The wooden doll caused everything that happened in the dream. It came from Krowo, and—"Before she could finish, Toto's anger fla
"However, if they have to choose to bow to you, they won't be happy about it," Verona said, looking at Aria. "There's also Mindy. The biggest mistake I've ever made in my life is introducing her to people I know."Yet she deserves recognition for her accomplishments. She's highly regarded in the antiques world and has deep knowledge of artifact restoration. If you plan to take action against her, be sure to weigh your decision carefully."Verona was worried, especially after learning that the doll was made by a company whose shares Owen held a controlling number of. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she was that something was going on behind the scenes. Aria laughed, casual and alluring. "After Grandpa passed the company down to me, I was at a loss on where to start from. If someone insists on presenting themselves to me on a silver platter, I'm not going to let them go unscathed."I also know some things about antiques and artifacts. They aren't as powerful as fortun
The Carver family had finally secured a successor. With Aria now leading the company, the family’s businesses were safeguarded. Warren had always been discontent with Owen, not only due to his selfishness but also because of his ineptitude. Warren feared that Owen might trade away their shops for personal gain.The Carver family was now heading in a new direction. The shareholders and capitalists could sense that; thus, the number of people on Owen's side had significantly decreased.…Owen had never lost his temper so badly. In the lobby, he smashed everything he could get his hands on. "Why did no one tell me that Fiona has recovered?"He glared vehemently at the family doctors. "Didn't I tell you to report everything about Fiona to me? Or have you all become blind and incapable of treating your patient?"The doctors panicked. "Mrs. Carver's sickness wasn't one she could recover from. We checked her thoroughly.""Are you telling me that everything which happened at the banquet
The old man had taken on different identities throughout the years, so no one would figure out who he was, and this was why he must be careful to make sure nothing went wrong. He returned to the study with his lamp and looked at his butler standing outside. "What's going on?" he asked hoarsely. His hands were so thin and wrinkled that they were hard to look at.Judging from the cold sweat beading on his forehead, the butler feared him. "The young master is outside. He's worried about you, so he insisted on visiting you. I was afraid that he'd see things he shouldn't, so I made noise on purpose."The man surveyed his butler carefully before pushing the inkwell back into place. This also made him look at himself in the mirror—skin hanging loosely from his bones, an ugly figure, eyes filled with geriatric tiredness.The mirror shattered after he struck it with his walking stick. He said, "Find out from the Laynes when the item I need will be ready."The old man's shadow, hidden in t
Georgina's first encounter with her blood granddaughter Lily was fraught with tension. Though she had considered shutting the door on Lily, the girl's tearful pleas—her eyes swollen and red—halted her."I just wanted to see you, Grandma. Why do you dislike me so—is it because of my mother? My mother and I are different people, Grandma!"Lily was great at acting. As someone who had lived another life, she knew how to make Georgina's heart soften. "Am I no longer your granddaughter in your heart, Grandma? Weren't you and Grandpa excited when I was born?"The elderly residents of the neighborhood pitied her, and they advised Georgina to let her in first despite the misunderstandings between them. After a brief hesitation, Georgina decided not to think so poorly of Lily.Lily didn't ask Georgina for anything. She gave Georgina some supplements and helped her tidy up the herbs at the clinic before massaging her legs.Before leaving, she said, "I'll visit you again, Grandma. You sho
A company would change drastically whenever someone new took office. No one could say for sure where the new CEO's first strike would be aimed at. Every department was discussing Aria, but none of the employees had seen her face before. Aside from the Carvers, the media was more wary of Landon. Without Landon's permission, no reporter dared release a front-facing photo of Aria. It was known that the washrooms in a large-scale company was where the gossip was at, and that was true for Carver Group as well.Aria had overheard two employees putting lipstick on say to each other, "Do you think the new CEO will be adept in managing the company?""Who knows. I heard that she's pretty young. You know as well as I about the situation of our company. There are so many shareholders; who would listen to her?""None of them, probably. She came out of nowhere after all. It's none of our business anyway; we're just ordinary employees. If things don't work out, we can just leave."Aria walked
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