Aria quickly noticed something off about Sam's condition. She set her helmet down smoothly and moved toward the alley. The bodyguards tried to follow her but were stopped by Sam, who walked behind Aria with a bag slung over his shoulder, his eyes gleaming with excitement.As Aria made her way there, she tried to recall any evil spirits that would compel someone to make a choice. Yet, as she entered the alley, she sensed something different—it wasn't the work of an evil spirit. The dense, swirling fog and the unnatural shift in the weather, along with the bit of gossip Leon had shared, reminded her of an old myth she had once heard.According to legend, a snake could become a majestic lizard after a hundred years, and with a thousand more years and an ordeal in the three realms, it could finally transform into a dragon.These lizards, she recalled, would often take human form and seek out someone they were fated to meet. They'd ask that person a single question—"Do I look like a dr
Sam was uninterested in exchanging pleasantries with the majestic lizard. He longed to catch it, grill or deep fry it and enjoy it seasoned with cumin and chili flakes. It would surely taste delicious.Aria pinched Sam's cheeks and lifted his chin, saying sardonically, "Now, now, we can't be too hostile to this man who's just trying to help."She shot a sideways glance at the majestic lizard, a hint of mischief in her smile. "We'll have to trouble you to lead the way.""It's no trouble at all. This alley hasn't been safe lately," the majestic lizard replied, oblivious to the intent behind her smile. Whenever it was out to take a soul, it'd mimicked the first person he had consumed. "Everything will be fine as long as you walk out of it."Aria casually remarked, "Judging by your uniform, you seem to be an electrical technician at the network.""Oh, yes. We work overtime every day, but our salary remains low. It's a tiring profession." The closer they were to the mist, the harder
The majestic lizard seemed to recall something important, quickly darting behind Aria. After all those years, it had grown weary of battling fortune tellers. Landon was waiting; if he sensed the lizard had fought with this young woman, it would be doomed.Determined to act quickly, the majestic lizard resolved to eat Sam first before turning to Aria.Cunning by nature, it thought holding Sam hostage and threatening Aria with him was a solid plan. But just as it reached for Sam, Aria interrupted, saying, "I forgot to remind you of something. For your own safety, it's best not to target my younger brother here."The majestic lizard, of course, ignored her warning. It relished the taste of children, especially those with tender flesh and petite forms. But the moment it extended its claws, it was thrown to the ground with an unexpected force.The impact left the lizard dizzy, and tears welled in its eyes from the pain. It was stunned. Since when had human children become so strong? It
Sam wasn't about to listen to the majestic lizard. With all the recent rain, he knew they were surely due to the majestic lizard's machinations, which only fueled Sam's disdain.In Sam's mind, the best-tasting animals were those he caught himself. Warren had set up a grill just for him, and Sam imagined how good the majestic lizard would look sizzling over the flames.Warren would surely benefit heavily from eating the majestic lizard's meat too, so Sam was willing—albeit reluctant—to give Warren some of it. He could start marinating the meat any time now.Sam always took everything seriously. He let the majestic lizard scream its fill as he took a coil of red rope out of his bag expressionlessly and tied it around the lizard.What could be more terrifying than encountering Chaos? Discovering that he had learned how to wield Demonbind made by arcane seekers!The majestic lizard sank into despair. It couldn't fathom what Chaos was doing. Why was Chaos sprinkling salt on his face? T
The majestic lizard had wanted to tell her that Landon was waiting for Chaos at its residence, but it suddenly remembered that arcane seekers harbored a deep-seated hatred toward Landon. Of course, it'd heard that from the grapevine. Younger demons like the majestic lizard hadn't had the chance to meet Landon before. The majestic lizard reasoned that Landon would prefer to keep his identity hidden; otherwise, why would he bother to disguise himself as a human?With this in mind, the majestic lizard resolved not to disrupt Landon's carefully laid plans. It was acutely aware that Landon could dispatch this arcane seeker without breaking a sweat, and it had no intention of letting her command his mount.The majestic lizard concluded that all it needed to do was lure Aria to where Landon was hiding, and once there, he would ensure her demise.The majestic lizard was quick-witted, but it also made a lot of assumptions. Meeting Sam's piercing gaze filled it with dread, and it quickl
How could it be such a coincidence? Just two days after Homer left, something strange happened to Landon.Various thoughts raced through Titus' mind, making him feel uneasy. At that moment, the phone in the living room rang. It was rare to see landlines in homes these days, but vintage items like that were common in York Residence, a symbol of their quiet luxury.Not in the mood to take the call, Titus motioned for his secretary to answer it.Unexpectedly, the caller's first words were, "I know where Mr. Landon is. I can give you some clues."The secretary's expression shifted. "Please hold for a moment," he said, covering the receiver and turning to Titus. "Mr. York Senior, it's a female college student. She claims to know where Mr. Landon is."Titus walked over, his expression tense, though his voice remained steady, revealing none of his rising anxiety. "Hello."The caller was momentarily thrown off by Titus' voice. She had seen the news about Landon's disappearance, which m
Titus instinctively wanted to frown upon hearing that Lily was from the Kent family, but when she mentioned her grandmother, he hesitated. He hadn't met Georgina, but he knew of her reputation. More importantly, she was the grandmother of his future daughter-in-law, Aria, with whom he was very pleased.Who would have thought that the doctor Landon had praised as a genius would turn out to be Aria? Even more astonishing was that she was later revealed to be the long-lost daughter of the Carver family.Titus could confidently say it was thanks to Aria that Landon was still alive.Knowing Lily was somehow connected to Aria, Titus held back any harsh words and remained silent.Sensing that Titus was holding back, Lily seized the opportunity to continue. "Mr. York Senior, I know you're worried about your grandson. "When I went out to restock medicine, I saw Mr. York in a car on the northwest side of the state. The car wasn't from Janovin; I could tell from the license plate. "I wa
Titus indeed viewed Lily with suspicion. He wouldn't have been so cautious if she had asked for something in exchange for her information. However, since Lily offered clues without seeking anything in return, it made him wary. His impression of her was far from that of a kind, selfless woman.Titus believed that some people could indeed tell a person's fate by merely observing their face—Homer was proof of that.However, such abilities were either innate or honed over years of cultivation. Could Lily possess such gifts? If she did, why hadn't she revealed them earlier?Titus was not someone who could be easily deceived, being both knowledgeable and cautious.Lily, knowing this, had prepared her script. "I understand my words may seem unbelievable. If you doubt me, you can ask the Furler family—I once helped them by predicting an event."But Mr. York Senior, what matters most right now is finding Mr. York. Once you do, make sure he doesn't ride in a white car and have him take a di
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,