Dorothy stomped on her feet. "How arrogant! Who does she think she is?"Mindy furrowed her brows and grabbed Dorothy's arm. "Dorothy."Dorothy seemed intimidated and muttered, "I just think that brat doesn't know what's best for her. Ms. Carver, you've already apologized to her in front of everyone, yet she refuses to accept it."After Aria left, Frank could no longer contain his anger. "You're the one who doesn't know what's best for you! Anyone who wants my position can have it. I resign! I can't keep cleaning up after your mistakes. Why did you summon a doctor if you're not even ill? Are you just playing games?"There was a glint in Mindy's eyes at Frank's words. "Mr. Levin, please calm down. It's not worth losing your job over a doctor.""Not worth it? Ms. Carver, do you realize how highly your grandfather regards her? In fact, you should be the one to break the news to him. Dr. Genius isn't kidding. She won't change her mind about not treating your family." Frank seemed fearl
"I don't care what you do; just make sure I don't see her in Southbury anymore!" Karen angrily terminated the call, disgust evident in her eyes. She hadn't intended for things to escalate to this level. After all, Aria was someone Karen had raised. She couldn't bring herself to be so cruel to her.Regardless, it was Aria who refused to stay away from her!Suddenly, Karen recalled something and sent a text message. …As Aria parked her vehicle, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, cloaking Clearwater Alley in darkness. Back then, the functionality of the streetlights wouldn't have fazed her in the slightest. Unbeknownst to her, a few figures had followed her into the shadows that evening. Aria carried a black bag and had a half smile on her face. The half-smile didn't quite reach her eyes, hinting at a deeper emotion beneath the surface indifference. Suddenly, a tall figure emerged from the shadows at the corner, bathed in the faint glow of the second working streetlig
It couldn't be anyone from her past. Aria had meticulously hidden her identity. Whoever had followed her there had struck a nerve, especially considering her grandmother lived there.The thug's voice wavered with fear as he spoke. "I-I honestly don't know. Please, I beg you. We just take odd jobs. We'll do anything for money. I swear, I don't know who ordered us here!" The guy's speech was all jumbled up, barely making any sense. Aria, however, wasn't buying it. "Illicit work, is that it?" The thug hesitated, glancing nervously at his leader sprawled on the ground. Aria saw that and casually planted her black boot on the man's hand. A yelp of pain erupted as he curled into a fetal position."Yes, yes, alright!" he conceded through gritted teeth. "We do illicit work!"Aria released her foot, her gaze turning to the pale-faced man. "You seem to be in charge here. Tell me more about this job.""They wanted us to force you out of Southbury, no matter what. Think about who you mig
"My name is David Simmons. Miss, we only intended to scare you off, nothing more. We thought you'd leave Southbury if we just threatened you a bit," the lead thug confessed, displaying remarkable honesty and no intention of escaping. "That's right. We didn't expect you to beat us up!"This was the most absurd situation they had ever encountered in their line of work. Aria had heard enough. "You did manage to scare me, so I need you to compensate for my mental distress."The thugs exchanged nervous glances. Who exactly was the one who seemed shaken here? They were the ones sporting broken bones and bruised faces.Aria smiled. "Are you not willing to compensate? Okay, then. I can call the police, and you'll have a criminal record.""Don't! We're willing to pay up. How much do you want? We'll pool our money and even give you a cut of every future job!" David reached out his hand, hissing in pain.Aria's tone remained indifferent. "I'm not interested in your money. Since you disru
Those were the only two thugs Aria hadn't fought. David was stunned upon hearing that. He wondered how Aria knew they were doing this all because of those two. Aria said, "Whether you take on jobs or my tasks, it's all the same. Why not consider working for me? At least it's legal."David had taken on many jobs—catching cheating spouses, intimidating mistresses, even immoral ones. He had once forced an elderly man to relinquish his house for his scheming daughter-in-law. They did all sorts of things, and most people reacted with fear or at least a healthy dose of wariness. No one regarded David and his crew as good people. This was the first time they failed to intimidate someone, even getting their tables turned on them. David muttered, "We refuse to do anything too outrageous.""I'm just a doctor who treats patients. What's so outrageous about that?" Aria smiled.David opened his mouth to refute her claim, but Aria cut him off, her voice calm and collected. "That one got
"Heartbound Hall?" David found the name familiar.Simon reminded him, "It's where we got a massage last time."Aria's eyebrows shot up. "What a coincidence! You guys visited before."David was stunned. "But I recall that it was an elderly woman who had massaged our legs…"Aria remained calm. "That would be my grandmother. It used to be a massage parlor, but it's becoming a clinic starting tomorrow. How funny that you guys didn't look into your target's background." David turned red. "We were just trying to make a quick buck. Don't worry, though. We won't do this again."Aria set down her black bag. "Call me Boss from now on."David was stunned. "What?"Simon was quick on the uptake. "Boss." Aria waved her hands in satisfaction. "Just be here on time tomorrow. Now, get going. Don't let anyone from Clearwater Alley see you."Unfortunately, it was too late.Just then, Sarah roared up on her motorbike, heading for her night shift. When she saw the group of burly men, she shudd
It was obvious that Aria didn't want to continue on that subject. Aria strode forward, her long legs carrying her with practiced ease. The click of her black boots echoed in the silence, her unbound hair catching the faint breeze. Landon's gaze, however, remained fixed on her right hand."What happened?" he asked abruptly, reaching out to examine it.Aria offered no resistance. "Just a scratch from a tree branch. I wanted to avoid hitting the wrong person. It's nothing major. I'll just head back and…"She suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence.Landon, with an air of sudden elegance, dipped down. His lips brushed the angry red wound on Aria's wrist. The touch, though undeniably seductive, held a surprising gentleness. It wasn't a kiss on the hand, barely a graze, yet the cool press of his lips soothed the burning ache in its wake.Aria, unused to such closeness, instinctively recoiled. But before she could pull away, he tightened his grip on her, his gaze locking with h
"Sure," Aria agreed without much thought. After Landon departed, Aria couldn't shake the feeling that he had crossed a boundary with his intimacy. Plus, the lingering coolness on her wrist constantly reminded her of Landon's presence.Meanwhile, Landon walked to the intersection where a limited edition Maybach was waiting. The chauffeur graciously opened the car door.In this moment, Landon appeared entirely different from his demeanor with Aria. Adjusting his diamond cufflinks, he exuded a commanding presence that made the person on the other end of his video call hesitant to meet his gaze."Dispose of all of them. We'll discuss the rest upon arrival," he commanded without preamble.Removing the bracelet seemed to lift a restraint. Landon's usual indifference morphed into a dangerous glint that flickered in his eyes.Unbeknownst to Landon, Sarah, zipping by on her electric motorbike, witnessed the scene. She skidded to a stop, a frown creasing her brow. "Isn't that Aria's hands
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,