Tiffany looked like a hollow shell. She was experiencing genuine fear for the first time in her life. She crawled forward and clutched at Aria's clothes. "I'm sorry. I really am! Please give me another chance! I'll never be like that again. I'm begging you! "Don't go after our family. Please let my grandfather go. If you want revenge for Shirley, slap me instead! I'll let you!" Aria ignored her. She turned on her phone to send several videos to Sam. "Post everything online, including what you found. "And since you've hacked their hard drives, email them all individually, especially that group Tiffany was chatting with. Remember to follow regulations and blur faces in the videos." Sam replied quickly, "Got it! They're spilling the truth so fast, it's hardly fun anymore." "Target their parents for maximum impact, and don't release all videos at once. Space them out every few minutes." Aria's instructions were precise. Sam understood. She wanted to frighten them. Just like h
Suddenly, every electronic device in the house turned on simultaneously. "What's happening? Mabel?" Layla called out to the maid in confusion. Mabel Burnett rushed from the kitchen where she had been cutting fruit. "Yes, Mrs. Meyer?" "Who turned on the projector and home theater?" Layla did not get up. "Go turn them off." Krissa barely paid attention. She raised her phone to continue texting, but she froze in the next second because coming from the projector was her own voice. "You think you're so good at studying, don't you? Study then!" It was her, speaking in the school washroom. Krissa's head snapped up to see herself slapping Shirley. Though her face was blurred in the video, anyone who knew her would recognize her. She was wearing the hair clip that Layla had bought her abroad. "Krissa, what is this?" The usually composed Layla stood up, her face draining of color. Krissa dropped her phone in a panic. "Mom, let me explain. This was that game I told you about, and
Krissa nodded and showed her phone to Layla. "Only the people in our private group know, and you know all of them." "Then why is it—" Before Layla could finish, her phone rang. It was her husband, Orson Meyer. Layla felt relieved to hear from him. "Orson, there's something about Krissa—" "What have you been doing at home all day?" His angry voice cut through. "Why are these videos online? Didn't you say the school situation was handled?" Layla's face drained. "You... You saw them too?" "Someone sent the videos to my workplace! I don't want to see this! Contact them immediately. Whatever the cost, buy those videos and get them deleted!" Layla could hear his meeting happening in the background. Her hands shook. "I'll do it right away." She never imagined things would get this bad. The private group! It had to be Krissa's group chat! "Who in the group would leak these videos?" Layla opened Krissa's phone. "Message them and ask who did this! What do they want?" But befo
Sharon seemed to suddenly snap back to reality. "Lucian, what do you mean? What do you mean 'they said she killed herself'? Didn't your class valedictorian's jump because of academic pressure?" Lucian stayed silent, but his pale face revealed everything. Sharon stepped forward and gripped his hand. Her voice was shaking. "What's really going on? You know something, don't you? Lucian, don't scare me." Lucian looked up with red eyes. "Mom, should I go to the police? I keep dreaming about Shirley. She asks why I won't speak up about what I saw. But what good would it do? The online posts will disappear quickly. Mom, what should I do?" He had considered going to the police, but he was terrified of retaliation from that group. Though he had tried submitting anonymous tips, the investigators visiting their school did not care about his evidence. One of the investigators was even Tiffany's uncle! The Karken family was too powerful. He would be finished too if he crossed them. That d
The one silver lining was that everyone in the videos was blurred. Aside from those who knew them, most netizens could not identify the bullies. "Seems like whoever released these videos probably wants money, or they wouldn't have left us this opening." Irritated, Orson switched off his phone. "Since we're all here, let's ask the kids who they've offended that would orchestrate something like this." Radley's father, Ivor Daley, had his secretary wait outside. "Before anything else—has no one reached Ms. Wharton? Is she not around either? As the principal, she would be the most logical person to handle school matters." "We still can't reach her." Orson stood up. "Are all the kids here? Let's get them to the airport." Krissa still did not want to leave, but she had no choice. Radley seemed unbothered. "Dad, Grandpa said he'd cover for me as long as I don't go too far. Why are you so worried about these videos? Just buy them off." "Shut up!" Ivor knew Radley's issues. The othe
Each perpetrator was labeled with their full identity."Tiffany Karken, granddaughter of Gordon Karken and daughter of Principal Julia Wharton.""Krissa Meyer, granddaughter of Harvey Meyer and daughter of Orson Meyer.""Radley Daley, grandson of Gerald Daley and son of Ivor Daley." Instantly, every adult in the villa went pale. All their careful planning was wasted. "Didn't you say they wanted money? What is this?" Ivor exploded in rage. Orson stood frozen, drained of color. Krissa's actions had sparked the most outrage, so netizens were desperate to expose the Meyers. The comments flooding his department's official accounts now were overwhelming. His phone would not stop ringing. It was as if someone had detonated a bomb. And after this bombshell, no one would escape unscathed. Orson shouted, "What a coward! Why won't they face us directly? It's Draco! It must be that fool who never knows his place!" Unknown to others, Orson and Draco were actually former war buddies.
Since Shirley died at school, the administration should bear primary responsibility. They could throw Julia under the bus to appease public anger, and then the rest of their families could be saved. This was a tried and true method. Having found their scapegoat, Ivor and Orson exchanged glances. A daughter-in-law was certainly not as important as the Karken family's survival, so Gordon would agree to their plan. There were two others in addition to the Daley and Meyer families. Both were involved in the business industry, so they would naturally follow Ivor's lead. "But no one from my side can reach Gordon still." Orson had tried calling repeatedly but with no response. Ivor found it strange, but a call came from home just then. It was Gerald's longtime driver. "Mr. Daley, Mr. Daley Senior told you to calm public sentiment first. He's called the internet department. None of you should respond; everything's under control. "After that, find the girl's parents. This can all be r
Julia, who should have been the scapegoat, had already been arrested. It was even recorded on video right in the police car. The footage was clear. Julia seemed agitated and had lost all her composure as a principal. She screamed and demanded to be released, even shouting, "Do you have any idea what you'll face from arresting someone at school? Does Mr. Meyer know about this?" She had not just dug her own grave—she had thrown Orson under the bus with her. Orson dropped all pretense. "That idiot! Who's behind this investigation? Mr. Daley, you can see it in this video, don't you? Whoever's gunning for us has to be an insider! "Don't you recognize that vehicle too? Your family's got deep connections in the police force. So, who would dare move against us without even giving you a heads-up? "Fine, maybe you were kept in the dark. But does Mr. Daley Senior not know anything about this too?" Orson's suspicions made sense. This was such a big operation with Julia already in custody
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,