When Aria finally found a photo of Elara's face, one of the forum posts suddenly blew up. "I can't believe you guys are still having fun here when 'Empty Fort' won't be in cinemas anymore. Something serious happened!""What could happen? Was someone sleepwalking again?""Not something so insignificant.""Did Elara's rivals report the movie because they didn't want it to be shown in cinemas? How despicable!""Not that too. It's something way more serious. I don't know the specifics, but a lot of people were summoned for questioning. I'm really panicking here.""What sort of questioning? Be more specific, OP.""Just get ready. Someone's reputation is about to take a huge hit tonight."Aria knew what the OP said was true, while the forum members dismissed it as fake. The OP's vague posts and refusal to answer questions made them seem unreliable. Still, everyone stayed glued to the thread, eager to dig into the gossip. The more they discussed, the wilder the theories became, fue
Would it be Elara? Could she be connected to the sleepwalking incidents?Aria scrolled through her phone in the car, her thoughts racing. If it was related to Elara, her assistant was sure to know something. Aria's next course of action hinged on Percy securing the police reports and confessions. Meanwhile, Aria sent screenshots of the post to Sam. "Look into who posted this as well as their whereabouts."When Sam received the message, his eyes lit up, and he grabbed his black bag and left, biting on a piece of bread. Finding the identity of a forum member was easy for hacker L. Less than five minutes later, the requested information was sent to Aria, followed by a message saying, "I'm coming too."Aria didn't stop Sam. She read the information sent to her, and as expected, OP was someone on the crew. More specifically, she was one of the background actors; her name was Fanny Allen. The boxing-related profile pictures had led many to assume the user was male until Sam uncovere
Aria pressed on her amethyst pendant. She wondered if something like this had also happened to Elijah's crew. "Cut!" The director looked at Belle. She checked the footage and made sure that nothing was wrong with it before asking for the water to be changed into warm water. She entered the pool with her makeup flawlessly intact, paying no attention to the state of her body double. She found Fanny to be poor and filthy, and she pinched her nose when they passed by each other—how incredibly humiliating. Fanny had a blanket around her shoulders, but she was still cold. The crew had no time to provide her with any care, and they merely told her to head to the dressing rooms which had heating. Fanny headed to the dressing room. Alone in front of the mirror, Fanny clutched her phone tightly, her expression unreadable, her gaze dark. She tossed her cup of tea into the trash, the gesture brimming with resentment for Belle, who was good at nothing but putting up appearances. Yet, Fann
"Slander?" Fanny sneered coldly. "They don't need me to do that. None of those people are decent to start with."Aria pushed Fanny's arm down. "You lied during the police interrogation and posted those slanderous comments online. Do you want to guess at how you'd end up?"Fanny froze. Tears streamed down her face as she protested indignantly, "Am I in the wrong? I was just venting online. "I'm taking this acting job seriously, not them! I'm the one filming all those dangerous stunts, not them! They do nothing but take the credit for everything!"Aria studied Fanny. "You get paid for it, and you agreed to work as their body double. You're also paid handsomely for performing dangerous stunts."You should fulfill your obligations after being paid. What you're doing is considered backstabbing your employers."Not all the credit is yours, too. Some of the audience like to watch action scenes, while some others are just here for the pretty faces."Aria was someone who liked pretty fa
"Why would you think that?" Aria didn't let that piece of information slip. Fanny said nonchalantly, "Not just her, but many others in the industry. It was especially obvious in Elara's case. She was meticulous about things like when filming would start and the direction she faced during prayers."I heard she even got a protective charm from overseas. I don't have concrete proof, though."A protective charm, and from overseas?Aria pressed on her Charm Coin, her gaze darkening. "You mentioned in the post that she was sleepwalking frequently.""I saw her five times," Fanny said. "I guess I'm the only one who saw her, though. I slept there secretly during those days, but I no longer dared to do so after seeing her sleepwalking. I was afraid that something would happen to her and that the film crew would blame me."Aria raised a brow. "Didn't her management company notice such a serious issue? What about her assistant?""Maybe they didn't notice. I don't know." Fanny's gaze wander
The person reporting to Lyla lowered his voice as he said, "Ms. Mobbs, she said that she found a protective charm on the floor and wanted to ask if you recognized it." Lyla's expression shifted. She snapped, "Tell her to come in."Aria didn't have any protective charms with her; that was merely an excuse for her to meet Lyla.Lyla was a very overbearing woman, but her eyes lit up as soon as she saw Aria. "Ah, Ken, why didn't you tell me that the visitor is this beautiful?"Lyla stood up. The longer she looked at Aria, the more satisfied she was. Compared to Aria, Elara, whose image she had spent a lot of effort cultivating, fell short. If she could sign a management contract with Aria, she would be able to create a new trend that would take the industry by storm."Hello. You have such a striking face, it's a waste if you don't begin a career in acting," Lyla said. She fished out her business card immediately. "We have an elite team which will assist you on your way to stardom.
Lyla's face had gone ashen in contrast to Aria's calm demeanor. Her voice trembled as she said, "You had him—""Yeah." Aria raised a brow. "So if you don't want to be sent to prison too, you better tell me everything about Elara's protective charm and the unusual behavior she displayed in detail."Lyla said, "I'll tell you everything, Ms. Carver! I'll tell you everything you want to know! Her death really has nothing to do with the company at all! I don't know how she died just like this without any warning." Lyla was telling the truth. "The protective charm never left her side. I disagreed when she bought the charm."Lyla deliberately avoided being in the vicinity of everyone else when she talked about this. "The police interrogated me, and there are some weird occurrences that I can't really tell anyone else about. I'm worried that they might think that I'm responsible for it.""What would they think you're responsible for?" Aria asked sharply.Lyla wanted to keep a low profil
"Her hair? Annoying?" Aria paused.Lyla nodded. "Yes. She threw tantrums frequently and talked about her hair obsessively. She insisted on cutting it herself, and the stylist was at a loss.""What did she say exactly?" Aria raised a brow.Lyla thought for a moment. "She said her hair grew too fast and was bothersome.""Her hair was growing very fast?" Aria's gaze darkened.Lyla said, "A little, but it went back to normal after she joined this film crew.""It went back to normal after she joined this crew?" Aria was still thinking about the correlation between these two things.Lyla said, "Yes. The people in our company were talking about how this was related to Mr. Carver. Elara liked to watch his movies, and the opportunity to play a couple on screen with him made her very happy. She also became much more even-tempered. She dared not bring the charm with her when she was with him because she was scared that it would be discovered."Aria had a clearer idea of what was going on
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