It was normal for different people to approach a topic differently. Some of those excessively kind people would always have excuses ready. The line between good and evil was blurry for many people to start with, and things had changed now compared to the past. Although Mindy wasn't a daughter of the Carver family by blood and had done many evil deeds, numerous folks still found her pitiful.The support offered by those people would usually be converted into fuel for Mindy, enabling her to borrow more fortune. She'd wanted to manipulate the public's way of thinking like how she'd always done, but it didn't work because the crowd was huge. Also, she couldn't make use of the fortune surrounding her no matter what she did. Was it because of those students whose prospective careers she'd taken for herself? Mindy realized that this was a pivotal aspect of it. She turned to look at the students.Was their appearance here not purely coincidental? Did the country bumpkin also arrang
Carver Group's legal representative was present, and he told everyone else that Owen had been kicked out of the Carver family. Mindy, the sponsored student, also had nothing to do with the family from now on. They had only succeeded in doing those evil deeds in the name of the Carvers because the average person had no way of knowing the family's internal affairs.It wasn't as if the Carvers could tell everyone that something was wrong with the previous head of the family. He'd insisted on adopting a student they sponsored, stirring up dissent within the family. Now, through this variety show, everyone finally came to realize that Owen was a useless man who kept on bringing down his own biological daughter, Aria. His so-called adoptive daughter was also guilty of more despicable wrongdoings. Everyone, whether through the Internet or in person, demanded justice for those who were wronged.Mindy shuffled toward the exit, her face covered, but she failed to leave because of the
"No! I can't just sit here and let this happen!" The man extinguished his cigar, grabbed his keys, and left his villa.…At the same time, the smile that Mindy had plastered on her face disappeared. She looked somewhat twisted, even, prompting the audience to realize that something was wrong with her face.They hadn't noticed this before, but now that her hair was disheveled and she no longer maintained that gentle, meek façade, she looked menacing from a certain angle. It was as if this wasn't her original appearance, and she'd had her face altered. There was no other explanation for her protruding forehead. Cosmetic surgery? This was the audience's first reaction, given how common it was. Why wasn't this clearly visible before today, though? Weird. Just as everyone was wondering about that, someone said, "She probably got surgery in her childhood.""That bad? Surgery in her childhood?"What was she after, for her to get surgery on her face at a young age? The audience
Leon was pushing Aria's baby stroller. Everything was going great until he reached out to pay for something. Aria disappeared soon after, and no one responded no matter how loudly he yelled her name. Mount Salam was so crowded he had no idea who had taken her away. He ran with all his might when he noticed someone suspicious, but his legs were too short, and he couldn't catch up to the suspect no matter how hard he tried. As he fell to the ground, a van disappeared into the traffic.Leon had always wanted to compensate for his mistake. He didn't want Fiona to feel so sad, and he'd rather he was the one who got abducted. However, he fell short of his brothers regardless of his efforts. He was good at nothing but singing and dancing, and he—"I was abducted because of you," Aria said to Mindy, pulling Leon behind her. "You orchestrated everything. I'd be abducted regardless of who was watching over me. "The fact that you got cosmetic surgery to look like me further proves that.
It was very likely that Mindy was the child of human traffickers, sent here to destroy the Carver family.Aria also suspected that she wasn't Farshyan. Where would she be from, then? The audience's first reaction was that she was from Krowo because Owen was working with Krowonian business.Mindy and Owen were trending on social media because of hateful comments aimed at them. Nobody had seen anyone so venomously evil like Mindy before. Leon's fans exploded when they heard what Mindy had said about him. "What she said was honestly insane. Mindy Carver—bah! She isn't worthy of the last name Carver! When she talked earlier, I felt the hairs on my arm stand up.""She seemed unhinged. I feel like she was gaslighting Kina. Do you think Kina grew up hearing all that?""Why does she walk around so arrogantly when she's merely a student sponsored by the Carvers? What did she mean by 'just singing and dancing', huh? Kina is an international superstar who has done a lot to bring Farshya
Everyone relied on that master as well. Problems had arisen on Mindy's side, but the shareholders would never give up on all the wealth and power close to their reach—not before the master had shown up. They were already so close to taking over Carver Group, which they'd later divide between themselves, and they'd never give up on that. They realized only now that they should have kept an eye on Aria, the young woman the Carvers had brought home from the countryside. If everything didn't work out, they had their ways of dealing with her. A simple manifestation by the master was all they needed for her to disappear from this world, leaving no trace behind. They would know, especially when they'd previously done so to that annoying reporter. …Mindy was forcibly taken away from the building. She released spell after spell, but nothing budged. With her hair wild and eyes wide with fear, Mindy's heart raced. This shouldn't have happened. The master had told her that she could
Dylan screamed and yelled beside Mindy, filled with regret. Grabbing onto the police car, he pleaded to stay, insisting he could provide more leads.Owen was the only one who stayed after his lawyer's intervention. However, judging from the current situation, leaving with the police might be the better choice.Everyone looked at him in contempt. After the commotion, his bespoke suit was wrinkled, and his leather shoes were dirty with footprints.Despite that, no one planned on letting him leave. "He calls himself a father, but he's worse than an animal.""He was trying to blame the young lady for everything he did. He basically delivered his daughter to the human traffickers with his two hands!""We demand an apology!" they chanted.Begrudgingly, Owen could only say to Aria, "I'm sorry. I failed to perform my responsibilities as a father. I hope that you can forgive me.""Oh, I won't." Aria did what she wanted. "How about you, Leon?"Leon said coldly, "Same on my end."Owe
Looking at Leon, who was surrounded by a horde of reporters, Aria smiled, her mole particularly striking.Even the cameramen couldn't help but zoom into her face. Her fangirls screamed online, "Aria is so cool!"Landon, who was in the director's breakroom, raised his brow at the sight. This was Aria's first time smiling like that, and it was clear that she was truly happy. However, she'd never smiled like that while with him. This realization made Landon pause. The producer was still introducing other variety shows to Landon, who might be interested in investing in or inserting ads in them.He didn't expect the air around them to cool down suddenly, and he and the director exchanged confused looks. Wasn't everything going smoothly for Aria out there? She was also plastered all over the Internet, with every single post talking about her. So why did Landon look so unhappy?They looked at each other but didn't dare ask. They'd also heard that Landon had canceled his engagement w
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