Warren slept soundly that night, while a certain someone wasn't as lucky. Aria was exhausted after dismantling manifestations one after another. For some reason, Nyx and the twins hadn't dared to come out of Aria's arcane implements, especially after arriving at the Carver residence.Nyx said, "Your family's heavenly fortune is overwhelming, my lord. It makes us feel unwell."Nyx and the twins were all evil spirits once, so they would naturally be on their best behavior in a patriotic merchant's territory.From this, one could infer how unstable the Carver family's foundation had once been. Certain evil presences had taken the opportunity to undermine the family.Aria said nothing. After taking a shower, she used a special method to make three sleeping bags so that the spirits could use them. She wasn't good at handicrafts, but according to Tobias, she was very talented at designing those items. Other people would have to perform spells and create the shapes immaculately for thos
Dream-Poeta didn't return to the family with Fergus, unlike in real life. They exchanged a hasty goodbye at the airport once before reuniting when Fergus attended a banquet.It was like how things would go in many novels—Fergus often found himself thinking about Poeta whenever he saw her. Perhaps his first love was simply too unforgettable, and he wanted to get to the bottom of why they'd broken up. Perhaps he wanted to ask Poeta himself why she'd chosen to leave when they'd been deeply in love.Poeta refused to say anything no matter what Fergus did, so he sought Warren out. He told Warren that he'd get by alone without the family's support, almost similar to what he'd said in Warren's study in real life. Warren would never let Fergus get tangled up in trivial romantic affairs. Carver Group was at a critical juncture, and Fergus' priority was to manage the company so that the unemployment rate could be salvaged.This was why Warren forcibly intervened in their relationship. Unl
In Aria's dream, she'd gotten to know about Fergus' engagement not because she was invited but because Fergus had gotten into an accident on the day. He fell unconscious and was in a vegetative state. Poeta, whom Fergus was already legally married to, inherited all his shares of Carver Group. Aria had been thinking about how Warren shouldn't have died so early, judging from both his physical condition and estimated lifespan. Now she had the answers. Warren was hit by bad news again and again, and he, already weak due to his serious illness, could no longer handle it.He dragged his weak body to the hospital, where he visited Fergus. His grandson remained unconscious even until the day he died. After Warren's death, some of the choices he'd made as head of the company were denounced. Naysayers talked about his archaic way of thinking and how it was incompatible with modern development. Owen started expanding Carver Group's business overseas. He fired many of the company's emp
Aria didn't think Poeta would have such a thorough plan—did she really approach Fergus for Carver Group's stock, which she'd use to eliminate Percy? Aria couldn't believe that Poeta had done it for the money. No matter how well someone disguised their ambition, it would still surface from the depths of their gaze. However, Aria believed that the other factors resulted from deliberate planning by someone else. The average person's understanding of the art of seduction was usually like this—a beautiful woman was recruited to seduce a man. That was far from all of it, though. An expert attempt at seduction would feature a man's first love. She'd look beseechingly at the man and tell him earnestly that she wanted to be with him until his life's end, regardless of their difficulties.It was okay if a man's first love approached him, but things were a bit more complicated if said first love had secrets of her own.Poeta and Fergus happened to encounter each other in a massive inter
Devon Michaels was carrying a green rucksack that was just the right size for newspapers. He was wearing a shirt and pants in a similar color and a beret, and his face was filthy. He was pinching something between his fingers. "I can't believe someone's brave enough to show up here!" Nyx was shocked. He couldn't believe that a spirit would enter this hall of all places without permission.The spirit differed from Nyx and the others in that he possessed no vengefulness and thus was not protected. If he really did approach the memorial hall, he would disintegrate at any moment. Devon seemed to have noticed the noise coming from Aria's side. He looked sideways at her, his eyes lighting up. "Hello! Finally someone can see me. What's going on? No one can see me here.""If they could see you, they'd call an exorcist over," Nyx couldn't help saying while sucking on his pacifier.Aria seemed to have remembered something. She walked over and looked at the envelope he was holding. Devon
If a spirit wanted to eat food in the mortal world, a mortal human must explicitly invite him to do so. Devon hadn't realized that he was no longer alive, but he was polite nevertheless. He waited until Aria invited him to start eating. He ate ravenously but not boorishly. He divided his pile of sandwiches into two and gobbled up half instantly before staring at the apple.While he ate, Aria grabbed a pencil and some paper. She was thinking of making some items for him using her special methods. Devon's straw shoes were holey and in shreds, and his feet were covered with blisters.When Aria noticed that he'd stopped, she asked, "Why did you stop?""I want to save the rest for the others," Devon said abashedly, touching the back of his head. "My uncle and brother haven't eaten for a long time. They only had a last piece of bread left, but they gave it to me because I needed to have enough strength to take the train."Aria paused for a while before she smiled and said, "Eat them al
Aria's gaze was filled with shock, a rare occurrence. She didn't expect Devon to know Stephen. Also, was the man named Soren, whom he had mentioned, also a member of the Warsaw family? Before Aria could ponder the question further, Stephen suddenly looked up. "Who is it?"Stephen looked confused despite his sharp gaze. He suspected he'd had a hallucination, but he was sure that he'd heard someone mention his brother Soren's name.Stephen didn't think anyone would know his brother's name, given that he should be the only one who stayed to assist the Carvers according to the plan. Soren Warsaw had joined the army at a young age. Soren was much older than him, to the extent of looking more like his father rather than his brother. He'd heard from Soren, who was on the frontlines for a while, but he ended up being the only one in his family who survived the war.He'd asked around about Soren's whereabouts years ago, and he'd gone abroad to look for traces of Soren, but there was noth
Stephen didn't know what Aria was up to, but he always did as she said unconditionally. It wasn't just because she was the head of the family but also because he believed she could handle everything well. Warren slept lightly, so Stephen didn't take long to wake him up. Stephen told him everything, and he got up so hurriedly that he'd forgotten to wear his slippers. This was unexpected given that he didn't believe in things such as spirits or deities. "Quick, take me to the study!"The visitor was a heroic spirit coming from the frontlines, and Warren had never forgotten how his family's business had come to be. Warren walked briskly, supporting himself on his walking stick. He was anxious as he wondered what had happened for a heroic spirit to visit him here. Stephen wanted to know as well, but he had to wake Fergus up. When Fergus was roused, Poeta, who was sleeping in the room next door, woke up as well. With a coat draped over her and the long hair cascading down her shoul
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
Dave smiled, clearly enjoying the desperation on Lewis' face. "Also, you won't be getting any more orders. Your supervisor is going to help us delete every report you've ever submitted. What a shame, Lewis. You risked your life on the front lines, only for someone else to reap the rewards behind your back. If I were you, I'd stop being so loyal. Wouldn't it be better to join us?"He was trying to manipulate Lewis, planting doubt and betrayal like poison. As Aria listened, her fists clenched slowly. Nothing crushed a person's spirit more than destroying their belief in what they stood for. They had exposed Lewis on purpose—to break his faith in the uniform he wore.The masked clients settled back into their seats, returning to their arrogant ease. They were reminded that they were above the law within these walls. No one from the outside could enter the premises, and if someone did, they wouldn't leave intact.These people had powerful connections. To them, the undercover cop was a
Aside from Aria, who had initially refused the food, everything had seemed normal to Stephanie. After all, Aria eventually accepted a drink, and nothing else appeared out of the ordinary.But the more Stephanie thought about it, the deeper her frown became. A sense of unease crept in, and she instinctively lowered her microphone, ready to rush to the basement to check things for herself. Seeing her reaction, the wealthy clients began to panic.The woman in the fox mask stood up, clutching her bag tightly, and made for the exit. She feared she would actually be arrested if she stayed any longer. She had no intention of ending up in jail just for attending an auction, especially one like this. Most importantly, she couldn't afford to have her reputation tarnished.Like her, the rest of the crowd shared the same instinct—flee.Meanwhile, Aria narrowed her eyes as she subdued a bodyguard with one hand. She maintained firm but measured pressure with her left hand, ready to act the moment
When Sasha heard the man mention the rare gem, her eyes narrowed slightly. Very few people knew about it. Only Dave and a handful of higher-ups were aware. She immediately wondered who had leaked the news.But the man's words had already ignited excitement across the auction floor."What? A rare gem?""It's been ages since we've seen one! I can't believe there's actually one today!"To these people, a rare gem referred to someone whose body was considered exceptionally valuable, blessed with natural fortune, vitality, and unmatched physical condition. It was believed that such a person couldn't fully harness the luck they were born with. But if someone else could acquire it...Not only could they preserve their youth and beauty, but their careers and fortunes could be transformed. The idea sent a thrill through the room, and their greed quickly became impossible to hide.Sasha realized the situation was slipping out of her control. She reached for her communicator to contact Dave,