Ever since Owen humiliated himself at the shareholders' meeting, he stopped hiding his true self.Sitting across from him, Ian toyed with his crystal beads. His gray hair made him look weary. "Owen, you're not right to say that. Aria is still your daughter.""I treated her as my daughter, but did she ever treat me as her father?" Owen fumed. "Uncle Ian, you saw what happened at the banquet. "Fiona hasn't contacted me since then. She is set on getting a divorce. And my father? Even worse. He never intended to hand the company to me. He even teamed up with his granddaughter to teach me a lesson!"Ian shook his head, helpless in the face of Owen's stubbornness. "You should consider your position. Back then, you didn't try to get your sons on your side because they weren't close to you."But think about the shares they hold and their status in their respective fields, including Leon. Stop belittling his career." Ian took a sip of his coffee.It seemed like Owen was in control, but h
Upon hearing Ian's words, Owen fell silent. Ian's remarks reminded him that he needed to take action and change the current situation.Ian glanced at him. "Everyone is watching you right now. You should mind your words.""Uncle Ian, I understand." Owen took a sip of his coffee unhappily.Ian sighed and softened his tone. "I've always wanted us to be a happy family. Sometimes, I think back on that old prediction. I didn't believe it then, but with everything that's happened, it's hard to ignore."However, you need to realize that not many people will understand or stand in your shoes when it comes to superstitions. You're lucky a few shareholders do. They've been through enough to believe in fate."Owen felt a wave of relief at his uncle's words. He poured a fresh cup of coffee for Ian. "I get it. I also know some of them are pretending not to believe, just to form alliances.""It's good you see that. As for Aria, she's still young. It's normal for people her age to dismiss the id
This was all Lyla's work. She also included an announcement that read, "From now on, Mr. Elijah Carver will be joining our company in collaboration."Apart from that, she also retweeted a few gossip accounts and Terrance's posts. "The woman in the photo is Mr. Elijah Carver's sister. Our company will pursue legal action against those who slandered him. Also @Terrance, please mind your words."Nobody expected such a twist to happen. After all, no company had targeted a celebrity online so openly before.Lyla was actually hesitating to send the last sentence. However, she decided to obey Aria's orders.This post provoked Terrance's fans. They'd always loved targeting other celebrities to support Terrance. Therefore, they didn't hold back this time. "How hilarious! How can you prove that they're siblings? I've never heard about his sister despite following the entertainment industry for many years. What a lame PR method.""That's right! Plus, let me bring to your attention that the
Terrance's fan page admins immediately sent out statements. "I must have been blinded before. Firstly, I want to say sorry to @SilentElijah. Also, @Terrace, you don't deserve the love and support we had for you over the years."In the entertainment circle, it was unheard of for a celebrity to be unfollowed by all their fan page admins. Terrance was definitely a unique case.As his controversies began trending, Terrance, feeling desperate, reached out to a well-known influencer to try and salvage his image, offering whatever price was needed.The influencer, however, seemed uneasy. "Mr. Angilletta, I warned you not to provoke Elijah. We've crossed the wrong person this time."Terrance scoffed, refusing to believe there was anyone his family should fear. "Just do as I say. I'll keep the money flowing!"But the influencer hesitated. "Mr. Angilletta, look at the accounts tweeting about this. None of them are entertainment-related. Do you know who's behind those accounts? It's the Ca
Carver Group was becoming the subject of growing discussion online, especially this post—"By order of Ms. Aria Carver, welcome home @SilentElijah!" It had gained significant traction, capturing public interest. Though the Carver Group operated within the business world, their tone carried an unexpected sense of chivalry.Many young people, unfamiliar with their reputation as prominent merchants, began to take notice. After searching for information, they discovered Carver Group's rich history. During the turbulent war era, the Carvers played a crucial role in transmitting intelligence and providing financial support. They had also been sponsoring students to study abroad since then.People from that generation studied overseas to bring back knowledge that would aid Farshya's development at a time when it was desperately needed. Carver Group had continuously set aside substantial funds for education in rural areas and invested in infrastructure projects. In addition, the Carve
"You're all taking her way too seriously." Kenny loosened his tie as he settled on the couch. "Sure, she knows a thing or two about fortune-telling, but bringing all of us down? That's not impossible."He then lowered his voice. "Mr. Carver Senior is the one teaching her all of this."Those around him shifted uneasily. "But she's Lamar! You saw how she carried herself at the reunion banquet—she's not someone to mess with."Leon's backing her, and even Percy and Jeffrey defend her. I'm not about to cross the Carvers, especially Percy. My dad says he's an exceptional lawyer."In the past, no one would dare question Kenny's words, especially in a close-knit setting like this. But today was different—nobody backed him.As the illegitimate son, Kenny always craved the upper hand, even in small circles like this. He clenched his fists. "What's Mindy supposed to do with all of you acting like this? She's too scared to even go home."Everyone went silent upon hearing that.They all had
When Ignatius entered the car, he observed Philip briefly and whistled. "Philip, this is the first time I've seen you publicly stand up to Kenny. But what did you mean when you said it would be the last time you refer to him as your brother?""It's nothing," Philip responded, sounding distracted. Ignatius had heard about the tangled mess within the Wagner family and the strained relationship between the brothers. Philip, however, had never intended to inherit the company from the beginning. "It's odd how your brother is still fixated on Mindy," Ignatius remarked, changing the subject. "He's stubborn enough to challenge Aria, but if she decides to act, your brother doesn't stand a chance."Philip suddenly asked, "Do you think he's doing all this for Mindy?""Who else would it be for?" Ignatius was somewhat naïve. Philip lowered his gaze. "Perhaps I'm overthinking it. My brother always…""What?" Ignatius couldn't make out the rest. Philip had no intention of letting Ignatius
However, not everyone shared Mindy's confidence.…Inside the villa, Ian stared at the chess piece on the table, unmoving. Recent incident reports lay tucked beneath the chessboard.Aria was just a country bumpkin. How could she be so capable?Ian had spent years perfecting the art of concealing his emotions. He wouldn't let anything slip."Investigate what happened in Uludon. If she really saved Jeffrey, we need to tread carefully."The butler beside him, unusually young for his role, seemed to hold Ian's trust. "Are you worried she has something to do with the Layne family?" "Her appearance couldn't be any more timely," Ian said, placing his chess piece down. "Go and tell your boss there's no way I will cross the York family."Landon made his position clear at the reunion banquet. So, the only way our partnership succeeds is if we find a way to control Landon."The young man poured Ian a cup of coffee. "I'll pass along your message. No need to worry—my boss knows how to han
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
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