"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that something was wrong with her face.They hadn't noticed this before, but now that her hair was disheveled and she no longer maintained that gentle, meek façade, she looked menacing from a certain angle.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
"I saw photos of him eating on set. He was handsome, but he really didn't look like the scion of the richest family in the country.""He was doing shows very often so that he could debut.""Let's see who'd dare spread those rumors about how he became famous by sleeping around with executives."Starting now, no one would dare say anything bad about Leon. An online post about Leon's experiences sleeping around was taken down, and the original poster's identity was uncovered. It turned out that this was orchestrated by one of Leon's business rivals. They were absolutely stunned now, especially that actress who'd wanted to give Leon a hard time. She'd coyly requested her sugar daddy to kick Leon out of the movie filming crew. Now, she was the one being kicked out of her sugar daddy's mansion. "You could have done this to anyone else, but you just had to pick a fight with a Carver! My wife said that I shouldn't spend any time and money on women like you and that I would regret it
Most annoyingly, Georgina had no idea about Lily's resentment. "If you ever come across Aria later, you should apologize properly. You and the Short family shouldn't have done that."Lily bit her lip, innocently saying, "You know as well as I do that I don't call the shots regarding that engagement. When I was in Southbury, I did everything my mom told me to."Georgina frowned as if deep in thought. Meanwhile, Lily continued, "I told Mom that it wasn't that appropriate, but she said I was out of line and that I was fortunate that Christian liked me. "I wasn't supposed to destroy the relationship between the Kent and Short families because the Kents heavily depended on the Shorts for their business."I wasn't with them for too long, and I suffered in that village. You know well about what sort of people my foster parents were. They were known human traffickers, and they'd beat me up if I showed the slightest hint of resistance. "I dared not argue with Mom because of that. I did e
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
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