Aria, who was holding herself steady on the bicycle with one leg, looked at the Kents nonchalantly. She had a very commanding presence that was hard to ignore. Marshall glanced at her. Suppressing his annoyance, he handed her a card. Then, he said in a low voice, "Aria, take the money, thank us, and go."Lily was about to be accepted as Salome's pupil that day. He didn't want anything to go wrong. Aria was sitting on the bicycle seat. There were no emotions in her eyes, but she couldn't help but smile when she heard what Marshall said.50,000? Help her out? Take the money, thank them, then leave?The Kents were really trying their best to pin the image of a poor relative on her. Just as everyone thought she would take the card and leave, she threw it right back at them. She did it in one swift motion. Everyone was dumbfounded. Karen couldn't hold in her anger anymore. She shrieked, "What are you doing? We're helping you out of the kindness of our hearts. Don't you dare pus
Lily said softly, "Miss, I'll apologize on my mom's behalf. Since you don't want the money, you shouldn't stalk us anymore. You're completely capable of making a living on your own. I just don't want my mother's rash actions to hurt your pride again."Her words were very respectful and dignified. People around her looked at her with approval. The crowd looked at her, then at Aria. They felt like these two people were worlds apart. Lily was kind and magnanimous like a goddess. On the other hand, Aria was petty and hateful.The people walking behind Salome were shaking their heads in disapproval. Aria smirked when she saw them. It was like her clear eyes could see through everything.Lily evaded Aria's gaze. For some reason, she felt a little afraid of this completely unpredictable "sister" of hers. Was she trying to get revenge against the Kents because they kicked her out? Three months ago, she was still very docile, unlike the way she was at that moment. It was like she h
Marshall's demeanor shifted upon realizing no one else was around. "From now on, we'll completely cut ties with you. Don't you even breathe a word of how you used to be part of the Kent family." Aria didn't respond. She truly didn't want to put up with the Kents anymore. Joel, who came to look for Aria on a scooter, was unhappy with how Marshall was talking to Aria. He said with a frown, "Sir, how can you be so rude to Doc... I mean, Aria?"Aria had always kept a low profile. She told everyone in Elmer district to address her by her name when they were outside. Joel almost let it slip because he was distracted. Marshall got the wrong idea. He looked at Joel and said, "Is this your father? He commutes with a scooter?"Upon noticing Joel's completely out-of-fashion frock coat and unassuming scooter, Marshall made a snap judgment. Now he understood why Aria was in such a state—her father couldn't even afford a car. People from the countryside were truly pathetic.Marshall'
"I thought they wanted you to provide treatment," Joel muttered. Aria didn't think too much about it. She just took out her phone and rejected the York family job. There had been quite a lot of people going to Elmer district to seek treatment. Many of them were from neighboring cities and counties. So, it wasn't weird for Joel to think the visitors were there to do the same. After all, they came all the way from Uludon."Mr. Hayes, let's head back. We wouldn't want Mr. Kane and the others to wait for too long.""Sure thing." Joel nodded with a smile. She didn't say too much, and he didn't ask too many questions. Thus, a misunderstanding formed. …The Carvers were very anxious as they waited outside the Elmer district. The Carver brothers had to work. So, they had no choice but to leave. Warren sat in the car with a frustrated expression. "Didn't the intel show that my granddaughter is here? Why is everyone saying that they haven't seen her before?""I… I'll go look into
"That's right, Mr. Kent. They asked for that imposter by name and wanted to know where she is," said Alfred. Marshall thought about the person with the scooter. He said annoyedly, "No wonder she didn't want the money. She wants more. She wants to leech off our family.""They are so shameless! I'll send them off right away. I have ways to deal with leeches like these people," Alfred said viciously. Marshall replied, "Don't make too much of a scene. Our family has an image to maintain.""Don't worry, sir. I understand."Marshall hung up and went back to socializing with others. Lily was about to be accepted as Salome's pupil. With how influential the Gunthers were in the medical world, they were sure to be able to get in contact with the Yorks.This would be a great help for Marshall's career. It was a very crucial time for him. He didn't have the time to deal with Aria's destitute relatives. The notion itself was laughable. Not going home and meeting with Frank, who had g
Poe was just passing by the place when he saw the free clinic and decided to try his luck. He didn't expect to be healed. When he found out that Aria wouldn't take a dime from him, he had the urge to get on his knees and thank her.Aria stopped him and wiped his hands. "Sir, your condition isn't that serious. It was just a simple adjustment. Most traditional medicine practitioners would handle it like that.""A simple adjustment? But Dr. Gunther said I needed surgery. The surgery was too expensive. It was 100,000 dollars!"100,000 dollars? People around him frowned when they heard that. That was a catastrophic amount of money for the common folk. "Who is this Dr. Gunther? A bandit?" Maria was the first to voice her discontent. A lot of the residents in the Elmer district were government officials. They felt for the people. The other residents were angry as well. They said to Joel, "Joel, you need to look into this."Joel wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I… I'll try my best.
If Dr. Whiz was no longer working with the Gunther family, who would she choose to provide medical services in Southbury?The other prominent families in Southbury went to work immediately and started sending private messages to Aria. Malcolm's message stood out the most. "You've made a wise decision, boss. It's finally the Lowe family's time in the sun!"Aria didn't reply to any of the messages. She turned off her phone after she sent out the announcement and went back to operating her free clinic. No one would think that a young lady providing treatment to people at a community square would be the renowned Dr. Whiz.…Meanwhile, Dr. Salome Gunther whom Maria and the others were talking about, was sitting in Caesar Hotel and preparing to accept a new pupil.Although she met with an annoying brat that day, the Kents were very accommodating and eased some of her anger. At the dinner table, Karen raised her glass. "Lily, quick! Thank your mentor."Lily raised her glass, a gen
Salome reined in her anger. She was too smart to reveal that the Gunther family was on its last legs in public.The most important thing she had to do at the moment was to keep everyone else from suspecting anything. "You're right. Everyone has bore witness to our achievements in the medical world in the past few years. It's just a little annoying to receive such unfortunate news on such a happy occasion."Marshall was a businessman with a sharp nose. He sensed that something was off. Karen was just afraid that Salome would turn Lily away. So, she was still singing her praises. "That's for sure! You've even won awards abroad. Surely, no one would dare to challenge you in Farshya!"Salome didn't mention the fact that the targeted drug analysis that won the award was provided by the Panacea Society.She sighed and said, "There's no need to brag about that, Karen. We're not perfect, after all, like the treatment for Mr. York. We were short of one herb—the Whisperwind Herb. If we h
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