Amos hadn't expected Aria's investigation to go this deep. If she knew so much, he wondered why she hadn't just detained him from the beginning.Aria could read his thoughts. "Normal economic crimes would be too merciful for people like you. Now then, Mr. Lune—it's time to meet your mentor."With a snap of her fingers, the door on the other side of the room opened.Rocco, who had overheard the entire conversation, was trembling with rage. He looked like he wanted to kill Amos.Now that he finally had the chance to speak, Rocco couldn't contain himself. "You ungrateful bastard! If I hadn't promoted you, you'd still be stuck in that rural backwater! You'd never have achieved anything without me. How dare you pin everything on me!"Amos felt a jolt go through his head at Rocco's words. He turned to Aria and realized that he'd been set up.But Aria ignored him and stood up. Rocco continued screaming at Amos, completely destroying the calm and genteel image he usually maintained.Now
Aria's gaze flickered. "What about them?"Amos hesitated. "I'm sure Mr. Kelsall must have brought this up."Aria smiled. "He only talked about your crimes. There's no way he would expose his own crimes."Upon hearing that, Amos clenched his jaw. "I was just following orders."He looked up at Aria, trying to appear cooperative. "Ms. Carver, I'm sure you have investigated your grandmother's death and the reason behind your mother's fallout with the Grisham family."He continued, "Mr. Kelsall orchestrated all of it. He knew the bond between the Grisham and Carver families dated back to the war era. It wouldn't be easy to break them apart over minor conflicts."Even when your father deceived your uncles, Mr. Grisham Senior still chose to forgive the Carver family. As long as Mr. Carver Senior paid a visit, their relationship held firm."Mr. Kelsall could never understand how they remained so close. But he was determined to drive a wedge between them. Both families held considerable
Amos felt like he was about to faint. No matter how many scenarios he had considered, he never expected Rocco to actually fall under suspicion.Aria stood up, one hand resting on the table. Her voice was calm but clear. "I've taken note of some of your skills. For example, while I was branded a country bumpkin, you were hailed as a born-and-bred Ludwiten citizen—even though we come from the same hometown."Amos' eyes widened. His background was what he cared about the most, and the one thing he had worked desperately to rewrite.He drank hand-ground coffee, listened to vinyl records, and filled his home with Ludwiten antiques, all to convince people he was one of them. But how could Aria know where he was really from?Aria continued slowly, "You look surprised. Your boss filled me in on most of your details."Amos clenched his fists. He didn't want to believe her. But Aria wasn't done yet. "It's not surprising, really. Some higher-ups always need a scapegoat to shield themselves.
As Amos was escorted inside, he still didn't believe Lucas could have found out about Rocco. After all, Amos had never directly contacted Rocco. If anything, Cormac appeared more like the mastermind. Everyone knew Cormac was close to Rocco—he was often seen as his protégé.Amos remained calm, assuming the police had only linked him to Cormac because of Aliya's appearance at the auction. He didn't believe they had any solid evidence against him.He thought this was just a trap. But Amos had years of experience in politics, and he wasn't easily rattled. That was why he kept his composure.As soon as he entered, he said evenly, "There must be a misunderstanding. I'll fully cooperate with the investigation, but I hope the Special Missions Unit will clear my name."The agent who had brought him in was from the Special Missions Unit. He wasn't one for polite exchanges and simply gave Amos a brief glance before falling silent. However, this only reinforced Amos' belief that he was in co
Aria looked up and glanced at Rocco through the one-way mirror. The person behind the Southbury incident wasn't just targeting Janovin. He had spent years meticulously planning, suppressing others to gain power, wealth, and a longer life.To maintain a youthful appearance, he had built an entire supply chain and eliminated anyone who stood in his way. Human lives meant nothing to people like him.They had targeted Georgina in the past, and now the Grisham family was in their sights. Their goal was to seize control of the Chamber of Commerce.By merging the Chamber of Commerce with the scholarship program, they could operate more freely while drawing less suspicion, just like the Gunther family once did at the hospital. No one had suspected that such a reputable institution was, in truth, a slaughterhouse.The deeper Aria investigated, the more convinced she became that a mastermind was orchestrating everything. Then she remembered the pandemic Lily had mentioned. If the hospitals
Rocco looked at Aria and bit back the questions he wanted to ask. He knew that if he reacted to Amos' arrival, he would give himself away.Despite his deep understanding of government rules and protocols, Rocco couldn't figure out how the Special Missions Unit had found out about his blood transfusion surgery—unless Amos had told them. But that didn't make sense, not even for a powerful organization like the Special Missions Unit.After all, the surgery wasn't documented anywhere. Rocco had made sure not to leave behind any trace that could jeopardize his future.He took a sip of coffee, trying to appear relaxed. But as the minutes dragged on and Aria still hadn't returned, his anxiety deepened.Rocco grew increasingly nervous, trying to predict what Amos might say and how he could spin it if Amos exposed everything. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as his thoughts spiraled.What he didn't know was that Aria was observing his every move from outside the interrogation room. Amos
Aria maintained her smile and leaned over slightly. "You can pretend you don't know anything. I just investigated Mr. Windham, and he has been cleared of any suspicion. It's your turn now. Please come with me."Aria's rather youthful face was a huge contrast with the identity she held. Although the two other officials had many years of experience, they couldn't help but feel a chill down their backs.They knew the Special Missions Unit handled cases more ruthlessly than the Highest Operations Unit. As long as the case didn't involve the highest authority, they were allowed to investigate first and submit any requests later. Plus, all departments had to give them top priority.The two officials had only heard about the Special Missions Unit and never encountered it. Looking at Aria's smiling face, they couldn't help but glance at Rocco. As they believed that Rocco was innocent, they didn't understand why the Special Missions Unit was targeting him. Beneath his pressed shirt sleev
Cormac had lost all his energy, especially seeing Aliya in such a state. He told everything about Rocco Kelsall without holding back. After hearing that, Aria stood up from the office chair. "Hand them over to Mr. Murray."When Cormac heard his name, he looked up abruptly. "Y-You…""As someone who's about to be retired, you have the nerve to deceive the public. You tried to scheme against Lucas before he arrived. "Cormac, you forgot the person who granted you authority and even wanted to rule like a king. If that's the case, I'll make your dream come true. You can rule in prison."Cormac's eyes widened in shock. His defying the higher-ups and scheming against the new governor was a more serious crime than covering up for Aliya. He was utterly doomed!…Elsewhere, Rocco sat calmly, sipping his coffee as news of Cormac's detainment spread. He wore a faint, unreadable smile—detached, composed. Around him, the atmosphere shifted. The two officials beside him finally broke their si
In the meantime, Aria was looking at the computer in Cormac's office. Upon discovering that it had been hacked, she sat there and looked up at him. "You've been to the same place that your daughter visited, just in a different way. You attended the auction online.""What are you saying? I don't understand. What do you mean by an online auction?" Cormac shouted.Aria could confirm that Cormac was not behind this. After all, one couldn't fake their facial expression, especially under such a critical situation. If the person joining the live session wasn't him, someone must have used his computer. Who could it be?It was a shame the office didn't have any surveillance cameras. Cormac didn't allow one to be installed due to his privacy. Now, it had become a disruption to the case's progress.It seemed like Aria was left with three other suspects apart from Cormac.Aria glanced over at her subordinate. "Is Amos Lune coming?""He's on his way here."Aria nodded with a soft chuckle.