She had never cared about the engagement.And it seemed he hadn’t been too keen on it either.So, she let her grandfather call it off.Later, when people compared her to the adopted daughter of the Cromwell family, he had only said one thing:“The Jenkins family values blood ties. The one engaged to me was Miss.Cromwell—not that I didn’t want her, but rather, she didn’t want me. Cough, cough. You all should find something less ridiculous to talk about.”By then, his coughing had worsened.Yet, in a world where everyone resented her, he had still spoken up for her.But that was all in the past. By then, her grandfather had passed away.Her life had become chaotic.She had wanted to see him, to ask how he was doing.Who would’ve thought he’d end up in a car accident?A man like him—how could he have been in a car accident?Amelia's eyes snapped open.She lifted a hand, shielding herself from the sunlight streaming in.For a moment, she couldn't tell whether she was still dreaming or alr
“I used to love watching idol dramas. I learned it from there,” Amelia lied naturally and steadily. “Go open the door for Elijah. If you don’t, he’ll come in and start questioning me nonstop.”Carl brushed his fingers through her hair and indeed stood up.But as for her words—he didn’t believe a single one.When the door opened—Elijah’s fair face was full of caution.He was afraid that his boss had lost his mind, being blinded by a pretty face and causing unnecessary trouble.The black mist surrounding the man was even denser now—was his prayer bead bracelet losing its effect?Elijah’s gaze lowered to the man’s wrist.Carl raised an eyebrow. “You came alone?”Elijah gestured, pointing downstairs.Carl understood immediately. “Grandma is having breakfast downstairs, and she sent you up to call us?”Elijah nodded vigorously.Carl chuckled. “You picked the wrong time to come up today. No money for you.”Elijah: … What kind of logic is that!?Carl brought him inside, making sure to set s
Amelia had a lot on her mind—things she needed to sort through.She wanted to clarify everything before telling him.But Carl was sharp and always caught onto the key points. “You think I’ll be in danger on the highway?”“Yes.” Amelia met his gaze directly.Carl looked into her eyes and laughed softly. “I’ll listen to everything you say.”That made Amelia’s expression shift slightly. “Then be careful of the people around you.”“Understood.” Carl tucked her long hair behind her ear. “Do you need my help with the Cromwell family? After all, I’ve lived in New York longer than you and know more than you do.”Amelia didn’t hesitate. “I do need you to set up a meeting with a designer.”“Who?” Carl asked.Amelia handed him a business card. “A foreign designer—Kogawa Takeda.”Carl’s expression darkened. “Another Kogawa family member?”“You know him? That makes things easier.” Amelia spoke casually. “He designed the Cromwell family’s old residence. I think he did a good job, so I want to ask a
"Miss Amelia, first time here?"The man was talkative, speaking in a pure New York accent."You can call me Scarface."As soon as he finished speaking, someone from a nearby stall called out, "Sir Jonathan, you're here! I’ve got some good stuff today!""I’ll take a look later." Scarface nodded, exuding an air of authority."Alright! I’ll keep it reserved for you!"Amelia’s smile was subtle. "Sir Jonathan?"Scarface fanned himself leisurely. "It’s just a name folks in the trade gave me out of respect. You know, I go by Scarface."Then, he turned back to business. "Mr. Cromwell mentioned that Miss Amelia is looking for some mountain stones and special artifacts? Any specific requirements for quality?""Not really." Amelia replied while shifting her gaze to Elijah.Elijah seemed right at home in the vintage shop, his sharp eyes scanning the stalls before slightly pursing his lips.Amelia brought him here as her personal scanner. His eyes could help her locate valuable items with remarkab
Scarface initially wanted to dismiss her as someone from a "small place" with limited knowledge.But seeing her composed and confident demeanor, he couldn’t help but second-guess himself.Regardless of what others thought, if Mr.Cromwell acknowledged her, then she was legitimate—end of story.Scarface reassured himself with this thought.Amelia remained as poised as ever, her refined presence standing out, but she showed no interest in discussing Mr. Cromwell."We’re here." Scarface lifted his heels slightly to get a better look. "As expected, there's a queue."The crowd was sizable. The line of appointments stretched from inside the store all the way out onto the street.The storefront had a traditional aesthetic, filled with an array of antique treasures.A man walked out holding a slip of paper, beaming with joy. "The master said that if I follow this prescription, I’m guaranteed to have a son!""The master even knew you were trying for a child?!" someone nearby exclaimed in amazem
Curse Others, Curse Yourself?!Scarface gasped sharply.Better not stay in the capital?!Could Master Dawnshade have foreseen that the person he brought was actually the seventh young lady the Cromwell family just reclaimed?Scarface opened his mouth, about to speak, but Amelia beat him to it:"Master, may I ask if there is a way to resolve this?""It is very difficult to resolve." The elderly man looked compassionate. "Some suffering is beyond your control. You lacked love since childhood, rarely understood by others, leading to resentment."Amelia spun the teacup in her fingers, her smile faint. "Resentment?""Yes," the old man looked at her. "Your suffering stems from resentment—you are unaware of it yet unable to break free. You wonder why others have what you lack."Elijah, listening at the side, was growing impatient, his tiger-like eyes narrowing dangerously.Yet Amelia merely sighed lazily, her tone indifferent:"Someone read my fortune before. He told me that my blessings are
Scarface was floored!She had done it on purpose—deliberately leading the conversation toward academics to expose that Master Dawnshade couldn’t predict a thing!He had spent no less than a million at Master Dawnshade’s place over the past year.How did it come to this?!Scarface forced himself to stay calm.Master Dawnshade was still looking at him. "Sir Jonathan?"Sir Jonathan, my ass! Scarface’s eyes widened fiercely. "Not buying!"The elder's expression stiffened—he clearly hadn’t expected this outcome.Just then, laughter sounded behind Scarface."Grandpa Oak, you’re really turning your back now? Not even giving Master Dawnshade some face?"The group strolled in, dressed in the latest fashion, all wearing high-end brands.Each had a distinct style—some with dyed hair, others with striking good looks—but they all had one thing in common: their privileged backgrounds.Elijah found this quite intriguing—he was always sharp when it came to money.He glanced at Amelia, as if asking,
"He is indeed very good-looking," Amelia said casually, about to leave.On the other side, Spencer, who was about to have his fortune told through calligraphy, glanced over and slightly narrowed his eyes. "Miss, you should be more polite when you speak. This is New York."Amelia chuckled. "Is this gentleman trying to teach me how to behave?"Spencer looked at her. She was undeniably beautiful, but what kind of attitude was this?Did Scarface never teach her the unspoken rules of the New York elite?"Scarface, handle this as you see fit," Spencer said indifferently. He couldn't be bothered with this any further. In his eyes, she was just an outsider.His younger brother had only looked at her a few times, yet she was putting on airs.Hah, the disdain on Spencer's face was obvious.Rowan, on the other hand, realized he had gone too far. "Ah, my bad, my bad, Miss. I was just joking. I didn't expect you and your fiancé to be so close. You're a pure love warrior, huh?"Amelia could tell th
He called him Mr. Fisher?Rowan felt like his legs were going to give out. “I…”“I heard that Mr. Fisher really admires my fiancée and thinks that I can’t compare to you in any way,” Carl lightly coughed, a small smile curling on his lips. “I thought it was just gossip.”Whoosh!Rowan was hit like an arrow, his expression incredibly vivid.He suddenly remembered the things he had said at the vintage shop.At that time, he seemed to have mocked Amelia for telling her boyfriend everything...Now, he regretted it so much. He wanted to go back in time, shut his mouth, and stop flirting and making jokes!“M-Misunderstanding, Mr. Jenkins, it’s really a misunderstanding!”In their circle, Rowan couldn’t believe anyone wouldn’t fear Carl.Forget what his brother said behind his back—when facing the real deal, it was all about one look from him.There was an unspoken rule in their circle: anyone could compete, but no one could compare to Carl. He was simply out of their league.Carl’s gaze lan
The man spoke with a few light coughs, his sickly appearance not diminishing the natural aura he radiated. The Buddhist beads on his wrist were wrapped several times, vibrant and striking, symbolizing his cold, ascetic nature.He was already tall, and now, standing in the hotel corridor, his long legs and strong physique made him appear even more striking, almost out of place in this world.“So, how did you get in here when even the telecom signal is down?” Amelia asked, gripping his wrist and pulling him into the room.They were standing very close to each other.Carl hadn’t expected her to act so suddenly. His nose brushed against her hair, and as he lowered his gaze, he could catch the faint fragrance of her.Amelia’s “girlfriend power” was unmatched—quick and precise. Anything that tried to get closer had to stop in its tracks.Soon, all the lights in the corridor dimmed.Behind Carl, a thick black mist stretched, seemingly endless.He couldn’t see it, but Amelia could.However, s
Amelia held the purple jade pendant between her fingers, trying to clear her mind and piece things together.What role exactly was Abby playing in all this?Aunt Ashford’s boldness suggested she wasn’t just an ordinary maid, and Zane’s attitude was highly suspicious. However, Amelia didn’t believe Abby was Zane’s illegitimate daughter.It was simple logic. If Abby truly had a blood connection to Zane, she wouldn’t have been just a sponsored student of the Cromwell family. She would have replaced her and become the seventh young lady of the Cromwell family.Everything was full of contradictions.She remembered her grandfather saying that the reason the Cromwell family had fully sponsored Abby, making her different from the other sponsored students, was because she resembled him so much when he was young...Amelia’s gaze deepened, about to ask more questions when, suddenly, the sound of a wind chime filled the air.But there were no wind chimes in the room.Amelia turned to look outside
To fully understand what was going on, Amelia needed to go underground.The hotel's complex layout actually provided a form of protection for her mother.This was the first time Amelia had encountered such a situation. She hadn’t moved her mother, choosing instead to stay here because she sensed something amid the chaotic energy.Although the hotel was dangerous, at least it helped preserve her mother’s sanity.She tapped in a code and used equipment to calculate the path.In the Five Elements system, there was a technique called "Acupoint Sealing."Originally, the hotel had no issues, but some of its smaller design choices had caused the overall Environmental Energy to deteriorate, bringing bad luck.The first step was to adjust the flow of energy and restore balance. The next task was to head underground.There was definitely something hidden beneath the hotel, something that wasn’t easy to detect.The role of the Mountain stone was extraordinary.Once Amelia had a plan in place, s
Barret clearly didn't take Master Dawnshade seriously. He stood up, crushed the peachwood beads on the floor, and sneered, "People like you only help the wicked do evil. Let me tell you, you can’t save him. I will make sure he comes down to keep me company!"The housekeeper was trembling in fear. "M-Master, the young master, he...""The time hasn’t come yet. It can’t hurt anyone for now."In this world, everything has its cause and effect. Even if one seeks revenge, it must happen at the exact right moment.Master Dawnshade glanced at the housekeeper. "The plan has changed. Tell Mr. Crawford to get Mr. Fisher here as soon as possible!"If Mr. Fisher didn’t come, Master Dawnshade wasn’t sure he could save Young Master Crawford’s life.He had already prepared everything, but now someone had disrupted the flow. Who had made the vengeful spirit leave Barney?Master Dawnshade clenched his fists, his eyes never wavering.It wasn’t yet the time when the vengeful spirit’s resentment would rea
At the same time, after Rowan turned off his phone, he immediately made a U-turn.Barney opened his mouth in surprise. “Rowan, aren’t we leaving?”“We’re not leaving. Miss Amelia is the safest place for us right now.” Rowan had made up his mind.Barney blinked. “Then what about me?”“You go home,” Rowan glanced at the darkening sky, “My brother will definitely come looking for me at your place. Just tell him you don’t know where I went.”Barney hesitated. “But Uncle Cromwell saw you today.”“He’s too busy with Abby to worry about contacting my brother.” Rowan was especially sharp this time. “Park the car at my apartment, then take a taxi home. Don’t waste time.”Barney realized the urgency of the situation and nodded. “Got it. Leave it to me.”Rowan certainly knew his older brother, Spencer, very well.Once Spencer couldn’t get through to him, he started tagging people in his group chats.But the rich kids were all silent.After asking several peripheral people, they all said they had
When Spencer made that kind of request, Rowan would usually go along with it, no questions asked. But this time, he didn’t agree.“Brother, I’m really useless anyway. The Crawford family has you, and Grandpa won’t say anything about it. I’ll leave it at that. I’m hanging up now.”“Rowan! Are you out of your mind? You need to come to the Crawford family now! I—”Before Spencer could finish, the call dropped with a series of beeps.Spencer froze for a moment, never imagining that, on this day of all days, pulling out the family’s influence wouldn’t work on his younger brother.He gripped the phone tightly, frustration evident in his posture.A member of the Crawford family approached, with Mr. Crawford leading the way. He looked at Spencer, his voice low. “Rowan didn’t come?”“Grandpa Crawford, he’s probably really exhausted these past few days. His mind’s not in the right place,” Spencer quickly explained. “Should I go up and stay with Barret?”Mr. Crawford didn’t agree. He leaned on h
“We’re leaving now!” After a minute’s hesitation, they realized that it would be disrespectful to the master’s professionalism to delay any longer.Rowan was still worried. “Miss Amelia, is there anything we can help with?”“You guys…” Amelia glanced at the two young masters and spoke frankly, “If something really happens, I’ll need to protect you. Didn’t your family ever tell you both that people with light fortunes should take extra care to rest?”Barney stammered, “No, no one ever mentioned it.”“Well, I’m telling you now.” Amelia’s eyes grew deep as she added, “Remember my words. After dinner, go straight to sleep when you get home. Don’t go anywhere, especially not to the Crawford family. Even if your good friend calls you, don’t go. If anything happens, I won’t be able to save you.”Barney immediately nodded. “The Crawford family pushed us out to take the fall, so we definitely won’t go!”“Right.” Rowan seemed distracted, his mind elsewhere.Amelia noticed his distracted look an
Some of the older employees at the hotel were feeling uneasy.When someone’s dangling above your head, you’re always worried about getting axed.If Amelia came in and fired them all, they could join forces to file complaints to Mr. Cromwell or expose some unsavory details about the hotel before quitting.But Amelia wasn’t doing that. She gave them time to make corrections.This left them caught in an awkward position—neither able to leave nor stay, nervous and indecisive.This was exactly what Amelia wanted. From the moment she stepped into the hotel, she knew it was riddled with problems that couldn’t be fixed in just one or two days.But for now, the most pressing issue was her mother.Amelia needed to learn some things, but Aunt Ashford remained obstinate, refusing to say a word.When the police finally took her away, she shot Amelia a hateful glare and cursed, “You won’t last long in New York. Mr. Cromwell and Madam will see through you, and the high society women won’t accept you