The guests' reactions were clearly visible on the screen, and Dylan was no exception. When the audience saw his nervousness, they exchanged glances."No way. Could she be right?""I don't think so. How could an idol's family member know anything about cultural relics? She's just bluffing about it being from the 17th century. If it's truly valuable, it would be documented in books."Stubborn people like them would never accept reality unless they were proven wrong.Mindy also sensed something was off. Just as she was about to defend herself, the screen lit up again. It was too late.The ink painting displayed a cigar glass in a glass case. As the ink swirled, the piece's origins were revealed.According to legend, a foreign envoy visited Farshya in the late 17th century and was captivated by the region's craftsmanship, which was considered among the best in the world at that time. An expert immortalized the envoy's likeness in the cigar glass.It really was from the 17th century!
Aria looked up calmly. "I didn't want to take it this far, but Mr. Soller, I think it's time your credentials are questioned." Dylan's face twisted in fury. "What do you mean by that?"Aria flashed a sly grin. "Exactly what I said."Mindy quickly tried to de-escalate the situation. "Aria, we're filming a show. Please show some respect for your seniors."Aria shot her a cold glance. "Seniors? Whose seniors? Yours? That explains a lot. Birds of a feather, I suppose."Dylan, fuming, turned to Melody. "This is too much! I'm refusing to participate if she's still on the show. Deal with this. I don't understand why you'd invite someone so arrogant, especially someone who doesn't even have a degree. Or is it because her brother's a famous idol? Ridiculous!"Dylan was certain the production team would side with him. His status alone made that seem inevitable.Melody, caught off guard by the escalation, was about to intervene when Aria spoke again. "Mr. Soller, don't get so heated. It's
Mindy quickly cut in. "Mr. Soller!"She couldn't let Aria reveal the truth. If Aria's identity were exposed, everyone's perception of her would change. Mindy, quick on her feet, knew exactly how to handle the situation. She gave Dylan a disapproving glance and said, "We're here to evaluate artifacts, so leave our family and identity out of this. The only thing that matters here is our skill."Mindy's reprimand earned her many supporters. At the very least, the audience wouldn't blame her for Dylan's actions."Melody, let's continue." Mindy maintained her resolute demeanor. "I'm sure Mr. Soller will prove himself in the later assessments."The audience agreed with her on that."That's right. We're only on the second item. Let's see who wins after all ten.""Although Mr. Soller seems questionable, there's nothing wrong with the aspiring relic restorer. Her achievements are real. Leon's sister should be more careful with her words.""What achievements has she made?""You don't k
On camera, an elderly man dressed in a white suit walked up to the stage. Despite his gray hair and age, he carried an air of refined elegance. However, at this moment, he appeared visibly angered. His gaze fixed on Dylan and Mindy with a look of hostility."Why are you here?" Hugh exclaimed, quickly walking up to him.In the cultural relics community, reputation was everything. People typically made a name for themselves by discovering or appraising rare and valuable items.Don, an expert in the field, had spent his entire life searching for cultural relics. He had been working overseas, with his greatest ambition being to recover all of Farshya's cultural relics through his influence and connections.Everyone in the community respected him. Despite his fame, Don maintained a low profile and rarely appeared in public. In recent years, believing he still had much to learn, he sought hands-on experience by spending up to a year in tomb sites. His living conditions were notoriously
Instantly, the entire studio erupted with excitement. The audience widened their eyes in disbelief, and even the director and the show's host, Melody, were left stunned.The staff exchanged nervous glances, their hands trembling. Could it really be what they thought it was?The show's executive producer was the first to snap out of his daze. He elbowed the cameraman urgently. "Get all the cameras zoomed in on Leon's sister's face now!"It would be a mistake to continue filming the Carver family's adopted daughter. After all, the person Don considered his senior was about to shock the entire cultural relics community. The producer knew exactly what the audience craved. Online comments flooded in, nearly breaking the internet.Those who had previously criticized Aria—accusing her of seeking fame, disrespecting her seniors, and being uncultured—were now staring at their phones in shock.This was so unexpected that it couldn't possibly have been scripted. Aria was actually Don's sen
Don said, "There are some old items I've always wanted to restore, but I'm worried I might damage them with my poor eyesight and trembling hands. Could you come with me after the show if you have time?" No one could believe those words came from Don's mouth.Stunned into silence, the people on stage didn't know how to proceed. Unable to interrupt the two heavyweights, they looked at Leon, their eyes silently asking if he realized how remarkable his sister was.Leon, however, maintained a composed expression. As a top idol, he had to stay calm in any situation. Yet, underneath the table, he was texting furiously."Did you guys see that? Mr. Hendricks actually called Aria his senior! This is the Don Hendricks we read about in textbooks! And what does Aria mean by knowing a thing or two about cultural relics? Thanks to her, I have a feeling I'll be headlining the entertainment news tomorrow!"Leon appeared cool and elegant on the surface, but his text message was far from that image
A new comment appeared online. "He didn't fake his qualifications, did he?"Dylan was sweating profusely on stage. The pressure was overwhelming. When he saw Owen preparing to leave, he called out in desperation, "Mr. Carver, can you help me out? You were the one who asked me to help Ms. Mindy deal with this."Online comments quickly escalated."What does he mean? Is there some inside story here?""I suspected something about Mr. Soller when he acted so dismissively earlier. Today, he seemed determined to undermine Leon's team, especially targeting his sister, as if he wanted to paint them as uncultured.""He's so ruthless! Thank goodness Aria is capable enough, or he'd use his status to manipulate anyone he pleased.""Most importantly, he's calling on Mr. Carver! Is the Carver family involved in this?"The cameramen now focused on the audience, and when Owen noticed, he raised his hand to block the shot.His demeanor had shifted dramatically from when he'd confidently exited t
Ivan didn't dare speak his thoughts, even if he had guessed the truth. Landon's power and presence were undeniable, and his very appearance said it all.Owen, after all, was supposed to be Landon's father-in-law. Yet Landon showed him no mercy.Ivan shivered at the thought. He vividly recalled Owen's request to give special treatment to Mindy. Luckily, Ivan found it troublesome and declined. If he hadn't, he might now be on Landon's blacklist.He silently praised himself for sticking to his principles. Regardless, the production team still had to explain the situation to the audience.…Meanwhile, Dylan was still shouting. "Mr. Carver, don't go! Mr. Carver!"Aria chuckled. "Mr. Soller, are you trying to get Mr. Carver to use his family's legal team? There's no need to trouble yourself." With that, she took a step back and said, "I've already called them here." Footsteps echoed from behind the curtain, and the cameramen quickly panned toward the source.Standing in formation
Aliya had never heard of the Special Missions Unit until today. But after seeing Pedro's panicked reaction, it didn't take long for her to realize that this was a group with more authority than even her father.Still, some people lived so long in privilege that they convinced themselves they were untouchable. Logic no longer applied to them.Aria was done entertaining Aliya's ignorance. With a flick of her wrist, she signaled someone to silence her. Then, she turned to Aliya with icy disdain."Don't worry," Aria said. "I'll take you with me when I pay your father a visit. Then we can ask him together what his name truly means in this state."Her voice was calm but sharp."You seem to have forgotten that his power—any power—comes from the people. And now, you're using that power to treat their lives like currency. To buy yourself a life of superiority."She stepped closer. "Organ trafficking is illegal here. That's the crime we've confirmed so far. But don't worry. We'll find the
When Pedro heard that it was the Special Missions Unit, his forehead was covered in sweat immediately. Even his mind had gone blank. At that moment, all he could think about was how doomed they were!Others might not have heard of the unit before. However, as a state official, there was no way Pedro wouldn't know them. In fact, the Special Missions Unit was something they had no control over.Technically, the Special Missions Unit had way more clearance than they did. After all, they were in charge of big cases. Sometimes, they would even work with the special troops.The Special Missions Unit belonged to the country, and they were extremely mysterious. Even people with high clearance wouldn't know who they were in real life.Pedro only managed to find his voice after a long time. As he wiped the sweat off his forehead, he chuckled awkwardly."Oh, this is all a misunderstanding. May I know who I am speaking to? I never expected the Special Missions Unit to be carrying out a missio
Aliya had never met Aria before, but this was the first time she'd seen a young woman more poised—and far more arrogant—than herself. That only fueled her rage. And the fact that Aria was stunningly beautiful didn't help either.Scoffing, she snapped, "Do you dare let us make our calls? Let's see if you still look so smug after that."The other wealthy attendees stiffened. None of them moved. With Aria in the room, they had the sinking feeling that calling in favors wouldn't end well.Aria merely tilted her head and smiled. "Of course," she said, then turned to her team. "Please hand this lady her phone. Let her make her call."The members of the Special Missions Unit didn't question her. They knew Aria well enough to understand what she was doing—she wanted the bigger fish. The call would be recorded, and with any luck, it would lead them straight to someone higher up the chain.Aliya was momentarily thrown off by Aria's easy agreement. But she quickly chalked it up to ignorance.
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