Cielo promptly slapped Simon's head. "Where's your thank you?"Simon complied. "Thank you for showing mercy."Eden adjusted her cap and glanced at Simon. "Wait in your ward tonight."Upon hearing this, Cielo bowed to Eden. "In addition to the 100 billion dollars I promised, I'll also send you valuable medicinal ingredients as compensation."Eden, intrigued by the offer, softened her expression. "Send them my way, then.""Understood. My people will deliver the materials as soon as I get home."Just then, the bell rang. Cielo observed the students flooding into the corridor. "I won't keep you any longer."Eden hummed in agreement and returned to her classroom.With her class over, Miriam had no authority over Eden anymore.Eden re-entered calmly, ignoring the stares. Unfazed, she dumped her bag on her desk, placed her uniform over her head, and began to doze off.The students in the corridor stared at her for a long time until someone broke the silence. "She's the GOAT."Anoth
Simon stared at Cielo in silence."That girl you despise so much, she's the reason our family, the Navarros, exists. She's the one who gave us everything we have now. You know how old she was back then?" Cielo pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with a hint of reverence in his eyes. "Thirteen years old.""No way!" Simon exclaimed in disbelief.How could a thirteen-year-old girl have such an impact on the Navarro family?What did she do?Cielo gave Simon a disappointed look. "Everything is possible in this world, even what seems impossible to you. You think being from the Navarro family makes you impressive? There are many others far more capable than you. The only reason you're at Riverside Senior High is because of your family."You think you're the best, but you'll never reach her level."Simon felt humiliated. "I'm not that bad, am I? And besides, Eden failed all her exams. What's so special about her?""Prodigies exist, and Ms. Griffith is one of them," Cielo stubbed out th
What was Joy supposed to do when her classmate sitting next to her was so popular?"I…" Joy felt pressured by their demands. She wasn't sure whether to refuse them or not.Thanks to Eden, all the other students in the class were now willing to talk to her. Joy felt too shy to turn them down, yet she was afraid of asking Eden for help.Just as Joy was hesitating on how to respond, Ewan, sitting in the back row, suddenly slammed his desk and stood up. "You guys are so loud! Can't you see my boss is trying to nap? I'll deal with anyone disturbing her!"The students were startled."Wow, Ewan's quick! He already sees her as his boss?""Hey, let's get back to our seats. He looks serious!""Shh!"At the back by the door, Laudes clenched her fist with an icy expression as she glared at Eden.Seeing this, the girl next to her quickly calmed her down. "Eden's in a good mood right now. She even dealt with Simon. Just be patient.""Patient?" Laudes chuckled, then turned her attention awa
Joy glanced toward the field as well and murmured beside Eden, "I think she's pretty good, actually."Ewan perked up at Joy's comment. "You're into street dancing too?"Eden also turned to look at Joy.Joy blushed faintly and spoke softly, her head lowered, "I'm a fan of Leo Hart's street dancing. He's my idol.""Seriously? Joy, are you serious? How many high schoolers can dance at Leo's level? He's a superstar with multiple hit albums. It takes years for performers like Jasmine to reach his caliber."Leo Hart had risen to fame in recent years, each of his albums selling exceptionally well. His heartfelt lyrics had garnered him a growing fanbase. In just a few years, he had become a superstar in the entertainment industry.Despite his fame, Leo had managed to avoid scandals, maintaining a spotless reputation. Before his solo success, Leo had led a street dance crew called TTY, winning numerous international competitions and gaining widespread acclaim.Although one member left TT
Ewan understood that Eden was skilled in combat, but Leo's bodyguards were on par with those employed by the Navarros—highly trained retired mercenaries. Getting close to Leo would be nearly impossible.Eden gave Ewan a look as if he were crazy. "Are you kidding me? Why would I threaten him?""But didn't you say..." Ewan was baffled. Not threaten him? Then how did she plan to convince Leo to organize a concert in Estburg?"Just call him and ask him to come," Eden said casually as they entered the cafeteria.Joy and Ewan were left speechless.Wait, did she just suggest she had Leo's private number? Did she actually intend to call him?It took Ewan a moment to recover, and he chuckled awkwardly. "That's a good joke, boss."Eden was taken aback. She wasn't joking at all; she really did have Leo's number. But it seemed neither Joy nor Ewan believed her.Ignoring their disbelief, Eden turned away. As they were walking, she glanced back at Ewan. "Stop calling me boss."Ewan nodded q
More and more students gathered around, whispering about Eden and the drama unfolding.Some students who admired how Eden handled Simon refrained from joining the discussion."Stop talking!" Ewan's angry roar silenced the chattering crowd. "I'll deal with anyone spreading nonsense!"The students who had been gossiping moments ago fell silent under Ewan's stern gaze.Scanning the crowd, Ewan demanded, "Who was badmouthing the chief just now?"A few girls from ordinary backgrounds glanced nervously at each other and looked away.When Simon was around, they didn’t really fear Ewan. But now that Simon was out of the picture, Ewan had become the de facto leader of Riverside Senior High, and they feared his reprisal.However, Daliah was unafraid and spoke up boldly, "You're next in line to lead the Horton family, Ewan. Yet you call that country girl 'chief'? Where's your dignity? Oh right, everyone in Estburg knows you as the useless nepobaby and academic failure. Your family's reputa
Eden walked so fast that Joy and Ewan struggled to keep up with her.After a while, Joy stopped and grabbed Ewan's arm. "Maybe we should stop following her. She probably doesn't want us around right now.""Damn it!" Ewan kicked a rock on the path and vented, "The chief is a good person. Why does the Hunt family dislike her so much?"The news of Eden and Jasmine's relationship had spread throughout the school.Ewan had done some digging and discovered that Eden's mother had essentially abandoned her to her grandmother for many years, only taking her back into the Hunt family to marry her off to Alain in Jasmine's place, all for the supposed glory of the Hunts. Jasmine had never wanted this arrangement, but it was twisted to make it seem like Eden stole her fiancé. Ewan felt a lot of sympathy for Eden.Joy nodded with a sympathetic smile. "She deserves better. She doesn't need the Hunts to like her."She looked at Eden's slim figure, standing alone, with compassion.Ewan looked up
Estburg Central Hospital.Eden pushed open the door to a VIP ward, followed by Alain, Horace, and Caelus.Cielo and Simon had been waiting for quite some time.Upon seeing Eden enter, Cielo quickly greeted her. "Ms. Griffith."Cielo was momentarily surprised to see Alain behind her. "Mr. Ward?"Although he had seen Alain before, he couldn't fathom why Alain was here now.Alain's engagement had stirred up a commotion in Rielton recently. As one of the prominent families there, Cielo couldn't have missed the news.He had heard that Alain was engaged to a lady from the Hunt family. So why was he with Ms. Griffith? What was their relationship?"Hello, Mr. Navarro," Alain nodded politely at Cielo.Cielo returned the nod. "Hello."With little interaction between their families, their greeting was purely out of courtesy.Cielo then shifted his attention from Alain to Eden. "Thank you for coming, Ms. Griffith."Eden gave Cielo a nod before walking over to Simon. She took out a pack
Eden had never seen this scarlet rock before. It looked like it had been scorched red by fire, but it felt cold to the touch.She was immediately drawn to it, even though she didn’t think much of it as she picked it up.At first, she thought it might be something unpleasant. But as soon as she touched the rock, a surge of limitless energy flowed into her body, making her realize that her power had reached a new level.Alain finally snapped back to reality, pulling Eden into his arms and patting her head. His voice was rough as he said, “Can you please avoid doing things that make me worry like this?”Eden was taken aback. She had only picked up a rock. What was he so worried about?Then she realized that Alain and Horace had probably seen the mist enter her body.“Alright. I’ll let you know what I’m doing next time.”Only then did Alain seem to relax.He looked at the rock in Eden’s hand and said, “This is called a Styx Rock. An old man gave it to me a few years ago after I sav
The last time Horace was kidnapped, Eden did everything she could to save him.Caelus had been with her for a long time and followed her every command. She wouldn’t just let him die.The two of them had just left the entrance when Horace came rushing over.“I heard Eden is awake. Let me see her!”Horace had been outside organizing the search for the murderer. When he heard Eden was awake, he left everything and came straight over.He treated Eden like a younger sister, so of course, he wanted to visit her now that she was awake.“Yes, I’m awake,” Eden said with a gentle glance at Horace. Then, she gave a slow, meaningful smile as she curled her lips. “I’m going to save Caelus. Come with me.”Horace suddenly shuddered.She turned to Alain. “What’s with her? Why did she smile so frighteningly?”Alain didn’t respond and got into the car.Horace followed them without delay.Caelus had been in the ice coffin for three days, and his body was already starting to deteriorate.Eden
Eden had just walked out of the room when Sinead arrived.“You’re finally awake. I’ve been so worried about you,” Sinead said, taking Eden’s hand. She then checked Eden’s forehead and pinched her face. Once she was sure Eden didn’t have a fever, she finally relaxed.“I’m really sorry for making you worry,” Eden said, her usual shyness showing.“No need to apologize,” Sinead replied. “If it weren’t for you trying to save us, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt so badly. I’ve been feeling guilty about it, so don’t say anything that’ll make me feel worse, okay?”Sinead glanced around at the nurses in the villa, knowing Alain had recruited them recently. “I know these nurses have been carefully selected, but they can’t compare to me taking care of you myself. Why don’t you come back with me? I’ll look after you personally and make sure you get all the nourishment you need.”“Alright,” Eden agreed immediately.Alain, who was behind Eden, could only watch silently.It seemed he had definite
“I… I wouldn’t dare,” the young nurse said, taking a few steps back, visibly trembling.Eden looked up at her. It was clear that the nurse was frightened, though she was trying to hide it.“What’s your name?” Eden asked as she ate the oats, which tasted fresh and just right.“My… My name is Gem. Gem Scarlet,” the nurse replied, her eyes fixed on the floor, avoiding Eden’s gaze.“How old are you?” Eden inquired. Though she was only slightly older than Gem, she exuded a calm, dependable demeanor.“Eighteen,” Gem answered quietly.Eden stroked her chin, observing Gem. “Do you stutter?”“Huh?” Gem looked up in surprise. “No.”Eden continued eating. “Are you afraid of me?”Gem seemed too stunned to stutter anymore and nodded instinctively. “Yes.”But she quickly corrected herself. “No… I… I’m not afraid of you…”Gem’s eyes filled with tears, and she struggled to hold them back.She bit her lip and, with her head lowered, explained, “It’s… It’s Mr. Brooks. He said you have a bad
Even though Hades was known as the king of all Banevermins, it wasn’t always active. Once the person implanted with Hades had consumed enough blood, Hades would fall into a deep slumber.He had just committed several murders, which meant that Hades had been fully fed and wouldn’t be triggered again anytime soon.Eden figured the reason for his sudden activity was that he was searching for a safer place to hide.“The Johnsons?” Liam repeated thoughtfully. “Since Alain is investigating them, and so are you, did they really do something they’re trying to keep hidden from outsiders?”Eden considered this and then decided to share the truth with Liam. “Have you ever heard of the Shamblers?”“Shamblers? One of the kids at the Agency was reading a horror novel a few days ago, and I overheard them mention it…” Liam said, pausing as he stood up suddenly. “Wait, are you saying the things in those novels are real?”Eden thought about it and nodded slightly. “Not entirely, but it’s not too f
Liam was genuinely impressed with Eden’s progress.If his own children had achieved as much, he’d be able to die happy.Eden, however, had a headache.She already knew about it.When Alain told Horace, she was in the same room and overheard it. She was unsure whether to tell Alain or not, wondering if he could accept the world she was part of.The world where the war would take place.After thinking it over, she finally said, “I’ll take it.”“Alright, I’ll send the reply.”Just before hanging up, Liam remembered something. “You’re in Estburg finishing your senior year, right? Almost ready to graduate?”“Yeah.”“With how smart you are, I’m sure you’ll have no trouble getting into a good university. Have you thought about studying in Rielton? We could grab coffee when we’re both free.”Eden replied indifferently, “The Agency must have a lot of free time these days, huh?”“Well, not exactly. I’m working on something pretty complicated and staying busy, but I’m making time to c
Eden massaged her head, glancing at all the nurses surrounding her.They watched her anxiously, afraid they might upset her.“All of you can leave. I don’t need everyone here,” she said, irritated by the crowd.As soon as the nurses heard her, they began to cry. “Did we do something wrong? Tell us and we’ll fix it. Please don’t fire us!”"That's right. Mr. Ward warned us that if we make you unhappy, he’ll kill us.”“We don’t want to die; please let us stay.”Eden froze, then muttered under her breath, “Darn it.”Was Alain out of his mind?Since when did he become so ruthless?Eden lowered her gaze, feeling the tension rise in the room. She glanced at the nurses, who were now kneeling in front of her, sobbing.Frustrated by the crowd, she said, “Just go. Alain won’t kill you.”Turning to Sulien, she instructed, “Pay them five times their salary and send them away.”Sulien, once obedient only to Alain, now followed Eden’s lead. Without hesitation, he paid the nurses as she as
Alain rarely mobilized his organization, and it was even more unusual for him to take a personal interest in anything. But Sinead knew it was serious if he had to step in himself.She remembered the call she had received from the Gardner family earlier, and a sense of unease settled over her.Could the person Alain and Horace were talking about be connected to that?If so, Rielton would become a living hell.The moment Sinead realized this, she quickly pulled out her phone and dialed a number as she walked outside. "I need your help."Three days later, at Pear Garden.Eden woke up shortly after Alain had left.As she opened her eyes, a young woman stood in front of her, staring at her.After a moment, the young woman excitedly exclaimed, "Ms. Griffith is awake, Dr. Sulien. Look!"She had barely finished speaking when dozens of people rushed into the room. Eden instantly frowned.She had only been unconscious for a little while. What... happened?Where did all these people co
Alain arrived just after the rest of the Ward family had left."Why are you here? Is Eden awake?" Sinead asked. She wanted to stay in Pear Garden to take care of Alain and Eden, but with the Ward family pressuring her for answers, she returned to the family residence to handle them first.They had just left when Alain arrived, and she thought Eden might have already woken up."She's still unconscious," Alain replied, unbuttoning the top button of his blazer as he sat down. "I’m here to see grandpa, and then I’ll head to the company."Sinead nodded. "He just woke up. Your uncles were here, arguing with me. He thinks it’s too noisy and doesn’t want anyone disturbing him, so don’t go in for now.""Got it," Alain said, lighting a cigarette. "Can you go stay with Ed in Pear Garden?""Alright."Sinead didn’t say much, grabbed her purse, and left.She had just reached the entrance when Horace rushed in. Without even greeting her, he hurried to Alain."Alain, he’s shown up again."Ho