Initially, Eden hadn't planned to prepare the infused bath for Alain to neutralize the toxin in him. It was something extra she was doing for him.Alain's internal organs had suffered varying degrees of injury due to being poisoned for half a year. Although she had managed to heal part of it and he was slowly recovering, his injuries had become permanent. Full recovery was no longer possible.All Alain could be now was the scion of the Ward family, living in wealth and nothing more.The infusion bath had the effect of significantly transforming one's body, forging and tempering Alain's flesh and bones to make them even stronger.As for removing the toxin, Eden had made that up on the spot. She didn't want Alain to feel indebted to her. She knew her boundaries very well.Alain was someone Jerred had entrusted his life to, so she had to help him. Not to mention, Alain had been helping her since her arrival in Estburg. She had to help him, even for that reason alone.Alain stood t
Alain was at a loss for words.His head was pounding.On Friday, when Eden arrived at school, the campus message board was ablaze with debate over who should be crowned campus belle.Most students were backing Eden. They argued she was the natural choice—beautiful, fearless in the face of authority, and unafraid to challenge even Simon.However, others supported Jasmine, citing her family background, conventional beauty, and poised demeanor. They argued that Eden, while beautiful, had poor academic performance and a penchant for conflict. They felt the title of campus belle didn't suit her.Joy, after reading the heated discussions on her phone, switched it off in frustration. Eden was the only one she believed deserved the title of campus belle.When Eden entered the classroom, she noticed Joy sitting there, visibly upset.Eden hung her sling bag on her chair and glanced over at Joy. "What's wrong?""It's nothing. Everyone's arguing about who should be campus belle. Most think
It was almost time for the first class of the day.A short-haired young woman approached Eden, whispering as she lowered her head, "Eden, I'm here to collect the physics homework."It was Natasha Smith, the student representative for their physics class.She had hesitated to approach Eden earlier, fearing her reputation."Alright," Eden replied casually, pulling out a stack of booklets. She quickly found the physics one and handed it over to Natasha.Natasha flipped open the booklet and raised her head in surprise. "You didn't complete a single question?"Eden yawned, reclining in her chair. "I didn't know how to."Natasha frowned. She had expected at least one answer.But not even one…She sighed. Class 3-18 would be the laughingstock again in front of the intensive classes.After a moment's hesitation, Natasha offered, "Well... If you need help with any, you can ask me or Joy. We can explain them to you."Natasha couldn't bear to see her classmates ridiculed by students fr
Eden pushed Ewan's face away, wanting to maintain some distance from him."Go away," she said curtly, not willing to waste her breath on him.Joy remained silent for a moment before pocketing her phone and looking at Eden. "Let's go eat."Raising an eyebrow, Eden asked, "Don't you want to go to the concert?"Joy smiled bitterly. "I do, but I can't.""Why?" Eden walked out of the classroom with Joy, her hands in her pockets.Ewan quickly followed suit when he saw them leaving."I can't afford it," Joy admitted with a self-defeating smile.She hailed from the countryside, where her parents worked tirelessly to pay for her education. She didn't want to burden them with expenses for a concert.Eden pursed her lips, glancing at her before deciding not to comment.At the cafeteria, Eden and the others were eating when Simon approached with his meal.He stood beside Eden respectfully and said, "May I sit with you, Ms. Griffith?"All eyes in the cafeteria turned toward them as Simo
Estburg Central Hospital.Catherine led the rest of the Hunt family to a VIP ward.Upon reaching the door, they were stopped by two men in black suits standing guard."Who are you?" one of the bodyguards asked coldly.Catherine frowned, her displeasure evident. "This is ridiculous. Since when do I need permission to visit a patient in the hospital?"The bodyguard gave her a dismissive look and replied, "No one enters the ward without Mr. Ward's authorization."Catherine's expression darkened.Alain…He had only been living at Skygarden for a few days, yet he was already enforcing his authority over everyone, even arranging security details for Sofia.It was infuriating."Can you please let us in? The patient inside is our relative, and we're here to see her. Alain is my grandson-in-law. I'll inform him about this," Catherine said calmly, though her frustration simmered underneath."No!" The bodyguard responded icily, his demeanor unwavering.Catherine narrowed her eyes and
Sofia did not care about Melinda, but she cared about Eden.She did not want Eden to do something illegal for this heartless mother of hers.After a moment of hesitation, Sofia got out of bed and opened the door.She looked at the people outside and said to the bodyguard, "I'm sorry, but let them in. I know them."The bodyguards exchanged glances and allowed Catherine and the others to enter.Once inside the ward, Sofia returned to her bed and gestured toward a nearby sofa, saying, "Please, have a seat."Catherine didn't sit. Instead, she walked over to Sofia's bedside and held her hand, asking with a concerned look, "I'm so sorry we haven't come to see you sooner. How are you feeling?"Sofia withdrew her hand and replied, "Don't worry. This is how my body is. I might pass away at any time.""Don't say that. You're still young. If there's anything you need, just tell me, and I'll do my best to provide it," Catherine said gently, her concern seeming genuine to those who didn't k
Sofia chuckled softly."Catherine... I may be old, but I have a good memory. Eden's the one who paid all my medical bills. It has nothing to do with the Hunts."Catherine was taken aback and turned to Melinda. "What's going on here?"Melinda trembled. "It's the card Alain gave Eden."She didn't believe Eden actually had four million dollars and assumed Alain provided the funds, which was why she hadn't mentioned it to the Hunts."Why didn't you tell me something so important?" Catherine demanded, glaring at Melinda.Melinda lowered her head in silence.Ignoring her, Catherine turned back to Sofia. "Now that everything's out in the open, there's no point in keeping up pretenses... We allowed Eden to marry Alain because we felt that Jasmine was too young. But now that Jasmine has made her decision, we no longer need Eden to marry Alain."She paused briefly before continuing, "You know Alain originally wanted to marry Jasmine. His current interest in Eden probably isn't out of lov
"It's true that Edison is better than me, so why don't you marry his children off to the Ward family instead?" Edmund finally had enough and roared at Catherine. "Your son, your grandson, your granddaughter... Are they all just pawns for you to sacrifice? If that's the case, why did you even give birth to me?"Edmund stormed off, still furious.Melinda watched Edmund leave, anger flashing in her eyes as she clenched her fists.She knew Catherine didn't favor them, but she hadn't realized just how little Edmund meant to her compared to his older brother, Edison.She scoffed.She wanted to know just how capable Edison’s family was.-Riverside Senior High.The last two classes of the afternoon were self-study. Eden, not wanting to stay in the classroom, planned to find a place to nap on the sports field. As she reached the stairwell leading to the first floor, she spotted Daliah and several other students from Class 3-1 surrounding Natasha and Joy."You want to attend Leo's conc
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