"Why would I need you to rescue me?" It was Landon who spoke. Dressed in his usual black suit, his long legs, slender waist, and pale skin, accentuated by the motorcycle helmet in his hand, made him appear even more striking. While they knew Landon would return eventually, no one expected him to be back so soon. The CEOs had intended to leave before Landon returned, but they lost track of time chatting with Lily about fortune-telling. Landon's gaze swept over them, calm and unreadable. It was clear he didn't want them to leave, as he blocked their path. With a raised eyebrow, Landon spoke coolly. "Silas, can just anyone walk into York Residence these days?""N-No, of course not," Silas stammered, stepping forward. Holding the helmet in one hand, Landon tilted his head slightly. "Then why am I hearing all this nonsense?"It was clear who he was talking about. The smug look had already disappeared from Lily's face. Landon hadn't paid her a bit of attention since he entered,
Lily went pale, unable to refute Aria's words. She never expected Aria to say this in front of everyone. Most people would have been too concerned about their image, but Aria was different. She didn't hesitate to expose something as humiliating as having her fiancé stolen!Seeing the CEOs glance her way, Lily thought she might still turn things around and clear her name.With a gentle and innocent tone, she explained, "My family made the decision. Aria, I'm sure you understand. The Kent family wouldn't allow me to go against them. I apologize for my actions. As long as you forgive me, I'll do whatever you ask."The more innocent she appeared, the more unforgiving and relentless Aria seemed in contrast. But Aria was no stranger to her pitiful acts.Aria responded calmly, "Are you saying your family taught you to steal someone's fiancé? If that's the case, they're quite skilled in educating you."Lily was stunned, while Landon couldn't help but smile slightly. Aria's sharp tongue wa
Titus added, "You must thank her, and so must I."The York family always taught their children to keep grievances and gratitude separated. Lily took advantage of this, sniffling as she said, "Mr. York Senior, it's alright. I understand Mr. York misunderstood me because of what happened back then. Now that he's safe, I should go back to care for Grandma."She made herself appear pitiable so that people would think the York family didn't appreciate her for saving Landon—and that even his fiancée was humiliating her.In Lily's position, anyone would feel wronged, and the CEOs thought the York family was being unreasonable.Before this incident, the CEOs regarded Aria as an effective leader for the Carver Group, even considering future partnerships. But now, they doubted she was truly behind its success. Aria was merely the acting CEO; Warren was the real mastermind.After all, it would be embarrassing if people knew that his granddaughter was an unsophisticated country bumpkin with l
Landon spoke indifferently, "Everyone, listen closely—especially you, Ms. Kent. First of all, I was never in a white car."A chill settled over the room. The CEOs exchanged puzzled glances, and Lily, who had been smiling, suddenly looked uneasy."Secondly, I wasn't initially in the northwest part of the city," Landon continued calmly.Upon hearing that, Lily murmured in disbelief. "Impossible! How could that be?"In her memory, the news had reported the car accident in the northwest part of the city.Landon said nonchalantly, "Didn't you know that, Ms. Kent? It appears your fortune-telling skills are quite sub-par."The CEOs cast uneasy glances at Lily, while Titus composed himself, deciding to hear Landon out.Lily took a step back, turning sharply to Silas. "He mentioned a truck loaded with oil tanks! That's true!"Landon chuckled, turning his cough into something that seemed mocking. "A truck and oil tanks? Trucks are common in the city's northwest, and many people sell oil
Lily decided it was time to leave after everything that had happened. She had no expectations from the York family, hoping they'd simply let her go. However, she'd underestimated Landon, the most ruthless figure in the business world.How could Janovin's most powerful man overlook someone trying to take advantage of him?That wasn't Landon’s style, especially since he despised blackmail. Moreover, the entire incident had been orchestrated to give Aria the chance to "save" him, providing him with a solid pretext to officially marry her. Yet Lily had taken this opportunity to try to con him.If Landon left things ambiguous today, rumors might spread that he owed his life to her—a notion he loathed.Before Lily could say more, Landon cut her off. "Ms. Kent, you can't provide a detailed explanation because you only guessed the location correctly. You failed to guess the other details."With that, Landon walked over to Aria and took her hand. "My fiancée was the one who saved me. She f
Lily immediately felt afraid. She glanced to her side anxiously and noticed the CEOs' expressions had changed dramatically. One of them, quick to adapt to the situation, sneered, "Liar! Only Mr. York could see through you!""She's probably fooled the Furler family, too. We need to inform Mr. Furler Senior!""Exactly. Mr. York, we'll be going now. This brat likely deceived a lot of people, including Mr. Furler Senior. We have to warn him!"The CEOs were eager to leave before Landon could make things difficult for them. Besides, they wanted to get back at Lily for deceiving them earlier. Looking at their harsh looks, Lily knew she was done for.The Furler family had been her stepping stone to the other prestigious families. Without their support, all her hard work would be for nothing. She'd invested so much effort into building a persona that convinced the Furlers she wasn't after their wealth. She appeared non-materialistic, claiming she didn't need anything in return, aiming o
Titus sighed. "Dr. Genius, you're finally willing to come back home with my grandson. I remember meeting you long ago and finding you incredibly talented and interesting. Little did I know you were the poor child from the Carver family."No one in Janovin knew Titus had met Aria long ago, nor that she was the only person he referred to as a genius doctor.If the CEOs who had left earlier discovered that Aria was the legendary Dr. Whiz, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.Aria retracted her gaze before greeting politely, "Mr. York Senior.""Don't call me that. Call me Grandpa." Titus walked over with a smile. The more he looked at Aria, the more satisfied he felt about her as his future daughter-in-law."I'm not exaggerating when I say you saved Landon's life. He used to struggle with something as simple as eating, let alone making it home safely after getting caught in the rain."As he spoke, Titus motioned for Aria to sit, then glanced at Silas behind him. Silas no
Titus didn't hesitate to reveal all of Landon's embarrassing moments. "Don't you think he's childish?"When Aria turned to look at Landon, she saw he had his lips pursed. Although he was still smiling, he didn't seem happy at all. "Grandpa, that was all in the past."Titus placed the coffee cup down. "Oh, right! That was back then! Ever since he knew he was engaged to Dr. Genius, he visits the Carver residence more than he comes home. I can barely stand to watch."Aria, his health improved after he met you, and he even regained his appetite. Our whole family was thrilled. We wanted to thank you, so we asked him who managed to help him recover. But he kept you a secret, worried we'd bother you. Now he's anxious, constantly urging us to send gifts to the Carver family."Titus continued, "Anyone who didn't know better would think someone in our family is desperate to get married."Landon raised an eyebrow. "Grandpa, drink your coffee. It's getting cold.""I don't mind cold coffee. A
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,