Richard immediately understood Grace's thoughts. "What else? Your son is at fault for having an inappropriate relationship with his adopted sister. Let’s not ruin a good girl’s future. Tell Edmund that if he continues to act foolishly, his position as the heir is not guaranteed. My brother's third son has been performing quite well in the company, and my father thinks highly of him too."Richard wasn’t just trying to scare Grace and Edmund. In the Harper family, even though they would allocate resources and focus on grooming the designated heir, the future of the Harper Group was paramount. If the chosen heir proved incompetent, they would be replaced. Richard certainly hoped that his eldest son would eventually take over his position, but if Edmund continued on this path, he would have to make the painful decision to choose a different heir for the sake of the family's future. He planned to invest more time and effort into mentoring his nephew once he returned.Grace's expression
Lindsay tagged Leslie, Wendy, and George in the group chat, asking if they wanted to come to their room to watch the fireworks show together. Elric even posted a photo of a table full of snacks, warmly inviting the three to join them.Without hesitation, Leslie, Wendy, and George agreed. They all headed to Elric's room, where he took a group photo and posted it in the chat.Olivia, Raymond, Alex, and Justin felt slighted. Raymond huffed. "What’s their deal? Inviting only the other group and ignoring us."He had no desire to push through the crowd to clock in. Watching the fireworks show from the room would allow them to clock in without squeezing through people and they could comfortably sit on the couch and enjoy snacks.Alex rolled his eyes. "You’re just noticing now? We were ignored in the first round too."Olivia sighed dramatically for the livestream. "They’ve always been a clique. Don’t expect an invitation, Ray."Justin glanced at Raymond. "Have some self-awareness." He then
After sitting down at the bar, Elric took another photo and posted it in the group chat. He was deliberately trying to provoke the other group, knowing that Raymond's temper might lead him to follow them.The four of them had just pushed their way out of the crowd and were about to head back to the hotel when they saw Elric's bar photo. Feeling annoyed, Raymond suggested, "Let's go to a bar too."Alex asked, "You don't mean the same bar they're at, do you?"Raymond raised an eyebrow. "Why not? If they can go there, so can we."Alex sighed. "Do we even have enough money for that?"Seeing the name of the bar in Elric's photo, Olivia checked the app. "This bar isn't too expensive. As long as we don't order the fancy drinks, we have enough."Hoping her brother would take the opportunity to regain some dignity, Olivia supported the idea. Justin, wanting to see Lindsay, agreed, "Let's go then."Having no other choice, a reluctant Alex followed them. The bar was just a ten-minute cab ride a
Hector walked onto the stage and picked up a guitar, testing the sound. He began to play and sing one of his own new ballads. His voice was pure and ethereal, immediately capturing the attention of the bar's previously noisy patrons, who gradually fell silent. The live stream camera focused on Hector, but he ignored it, immersing himself completely in his song.He sang about his journey: starting on a high note, then being pushed down into darkness, and finally being lifted out by someone who showed him the light of a hopeful future. Hector's performance was heartfelt, reflecting his personal struggles and triumphs since entering the industry. The patrons were drawn into his story, and soon many began pressing the green buttons on their tables. The approval quickly surpassed one-third, then half, then two-thirds. In the end, over ninety percent of the audience had pressed the green button.When Hector finished, Lindsay's smile grew broader. He had not let her down; his song was
But he still believed he was better. Seeing Hector receive over ninety percent of the green buttons, Raymond felt a strong urge to showcase his talent. However, he didn't want to appear too eager, so he looked at the other three and asked, "Do any of you want to go up and sing?"Justin shook his head. "Not me." He was at the bar to watch Lindsay, and he wasn't interested in performing.Alex also declined, "I'll pass." He had sung enough during the day and his throat was sore. Besides, he recognized that Hector's performance was excellent, and he didn't want to embarrass himself by trying to surpass it.Olivia hesitated, pretending to be unsure. Raymond noticed and said, "Olivia, why don't we go up and sing? We're here to have fun, after all."Olivia had been waiting for this opportunity to perform, especially to sing a song her brother had written for her. She pretended to think for a moment, then smiled. "You're right. Since we're here, let's go sing. Good luck, Ray."She added
To those not well-versed in music, Olivia's song sounded quite pleasant, though there was something inexplicably odd about it. Elric and Lindsay's comments helped pinpoint the source of that odd feeling: the style contradiction. Olivia hadn't captured the song's essence.Wendy, being a professional singer, noticed something off from the middle of Olivia's performance. "Olivia's style is very different from this song's style. Singing it in such a soft, delicate way feels really contradictory. It doesn't match her personality."She had a strong suspicion, which made her dislike Olivia even more.Hector added, "Her songwriting style is quite unique, leaning more towards a masculine vibe."With that, Leslie and George also understood that Olivia's claim of writing the song herself was dubious. The live stream viewers started discussing this too. While some suspected Olivia had hired a ghostwriter, there was no evidence to prove it.After Olivia finished singing, she received just over ha
"I've said before that Olivia probably used a ghostwriter for her songs. I got bashed by her fans and had to close my Instagram. Now others are finally catching on."Other viewers shared their frustration."Even though I'm not well-versed in music, Olivia and Raymond's singing styles do seem very similar.""No wonder that middle part sounded like it was for a male singer; it makes sense now.""Olivia is really something, getting a famous singer to ghostwrite for her.""I don't get it. Didn't Olivia graduate from a music academy? How can she not write her own songs?""She began her career mainly as an actress. If she can't write songs, she should just perform ones written by others. Why pretend to be a talented songwriter by using someone else's work?""That's because Raymond indulged her.""They're close. Sharing songs isn't unusual for them.""Right. If the cameraman hadn't shown up early last time, I would've suspected they were making out. Sharing songs is nothing.""This is disresp
Raymond was frustrated and dissatisfied that his song didn't receive more votes than Hector's. Determined to win the PK round, he stood up confidently and walked back to the stage. Hector, equally confident, also got up and joined him.Both had their phones out and wore Bluetooth earphones, relying on Olivia and Lindsay to help translate the instructions from the host, as neither was fluent in the S language.The host, a young woman, stepped onto the stage and didn't let them choose a song. Instead, she opened a computer and selected a song. "To keep things fair, you'll both learn this song now and perform it in half an hour. There will be accompaniment and lyrics for you to follow."This song was composed by the bar's former resident singer specifically for client PK rounds. If the contestants were from different countries, they would use songs in their respective languages. For competitors from different countries, an international song would be chosen.Both Hector and Raymond no
In the vibrant district of the historic town, the streets were lined with vintage boutiques and various artisan stalls. Lindsay's group visited the town’s administration office and rented a temporary booth.Alex and Justin eagerly borrowed a table and chairs, setting up the booth. Following Lindsay's instructions, they also bought a piece of white fabric and worked together to create a simple sign. The production team provided markers and other supplies.Lindsay glanced over at Benedict and said, "Benedict, I’ll let you handle writing the banner."She was eager to observe his writing and the energy he gave off while doing it.Benedict sighed inwardly—this girl was constantly trying to test him. After a moment’s thought, he nodded. "Alright, I’ll write it."He grabbed a marker, uncapped it, and wrote in bold letters across the white fabric: “Fortune Telling, Divination, and Tarot Readings.”Lindsay watched him closely, noticing the fluidity of his movements as he wrote, his posture exud
Justin added, "My mom’s been trying to get me to help Olivia and distance myself from Lindsay. She’s also said plenty of nasty things about Lindsay. This time, not only did I ignore her, but I even pushed back. It probably pissed her off, and now she’s taking it out on Lindsay."Alex, clearly upset, said, "You should talk to her and tell her to stop fixating on Lindsay. Lindsay hasn’t done anything to provoke her. It’s ridiculous."He was frustrated that Justin’s mom had been stirring up trouble, making Grace even more difficult to deal with.Justin nodded. "Alright, after the show is over, I’ll have a talk with her."He also felt his mom was acting out of line. Back when he liked Lindsay, her disapproval at least made sense. But now that Lindsay had kicked him to the curb, his mom’s continued obsession was baffling.Although they were speaking softly, Lindsay and Benedict, walking ahead, heard every word.Lindsay found the situation with Abby baffling as well. A woman who fawned over
After Lindsay left, the other guests quickly followed, leaving only Alex standing there awkwardly. He spoke briefly to the production staff, and they soon shifted the cameras away from that area. Alex then walked over to Grace, saying, "Mom, since Lindsay won’t lend it, let’s just drop it."Grace shot him a cold glare, her expression dark. "How can you be so heartless? The one lying in bed is your fourth brother. Are you hanging around Lindsay all the time just to learn how to be cold and ruthless?"Unable to contain her frustration toward Lindsay, Grace directed it at Alex instead.Alex sighed in exasperation. "Even if we need help, it has to be something she’s willing to do! We’ve wronged Lindsay enough as it is, so why do you keep trying to guilt-trip her? Brandon’s situation isn’t Lindsay’s fault. Why don’t you go find Olivia? She’s the one who caused all this, maybe she can fix it. After all, whoever’s behind her is no easy target."Right now, all Alex felt toward Lindsay was gui
Grace held back her anger and said, "It'll only take a few minutes. I have something important to discuss with you."Lindsay sat back down in her seat. "Fine, go ahead."The livestream was on, and Lindsay was fully aware of it—she was doing this on purpose.Grace was about to speak when her assistant whispered something in her ear. Her expression changed, and she subtly shifted her body to turn away from the camera.Then she looked at Lindsay. "Can we talk outside?"In her rush to find Lindsay, she had almost forgotten that this was a live-streamed variety show. She didn’t want to be on camera, much less discuss such personal matters in front of an audience.Lindsay, however, refused. "If it's important, say it here. If not, then don’t say anything."Grace’s expression darkened. "It’s because it’s important that we need to talk privately."She emphasized, "It’s not appropriate in front of the camera."Lindsay just smiled. "Unless it's something shady, what’s wrong with saying it on cam
Lindsay thought about it for a while and figured that if Grace was coming to find her, it was probably for Brandon. The only thing she could want would be the artifact in her possession.Alex saw her reply and couldn’t help but smile wryly. His sister was indeed sharp and saw right through it.He sent a voice message, repeating what the head of the Divination Association had told them. "Mom just wants to borrow the artifact from you to suppress Brandon’s condition."Lindsay replied, "Tell her not to waste her energy."Seeing that message, Alex knew right away that she wouldn’t lend it out. It didn’t surprise him—his sister could be ruthless when she wanted to be."We can’t convince her otherwise, not even Dad can stop her... sigh," Alex added. When their mom’s temper flared, she wouldn’t listen to anyone.Lindsay didn’t seem to care. "Then let her come. I’m not going to do her any favors."Alex recalled the conversation between their parents at the hospital and decided to warn her, "M
Recently, Grace had been spending more time with Abby, often meeting up for outings. Over time, Richard noticed that Grace's anger towards their biological daughter had deepened. Abby had always disliked Lindsay and showed more favoritism towards Olivia. She must have been stirring up trouble and egging Grace on whenever they met. With time, Grace was bound to be influenced.Grace, clearly annoyed, said, "You even want to control who I make friends with? Aren't you going too far? What's wrong with me getting along with Mrs. Ford and spending more time with her?"Richard felt cornered. "I just think there's something off about her. Her intentions in getting close to you don't seem good. That's why I'm trying to give you a heads-up."Grace didn't believe him at all. "I think you're overthinking it. We’ve always had a decent relationship. We’re just closer now, that’s all.""What do you men know about women’s matters? Don't interfere." She now had plenty to talk about with Abby. Jenny wa
Richard glanced at Grace with clear disapproval. “This whole mess was caused by Olivia and Brandon. What does any of it have to do with Lindsay?”He could tell that recent events, and the embarrassment caused by their sons, had left his wife feeling bitter. It seemed she had begun to project that frustration onto Lindsay, despite the situation having little to do with her.Grace crossed her arms defensively. “If it wasn’t for her ongoing fight with Olivia, Brandon wouldn’t have gotten involved. He’s her brother. Doesn’t she owe him some consideration now that he’s in this condition?”Richard frowned. “What exactly are you trying to say?”Valarie, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up, her displeasure clear. “I see it differently. It’s Olivia and your son who started the trouble, and all Lindsay did was defend herself. Are you really looking to embarrass yourselves even more?”Grace shifted uncomfortably, feeling the sting of her mother-in-law’s words. “I’m just thinking abou
Given the Harper family's persistence, there was no way the Divination Association could avoid a thorough investigation. Seeing that Randolph wouldn’t back down, the official left, courteously escorted out by Randolph, who, for the moment, had ceased his protests.Valarie carefully placed the multicolored stone inside a small protective pouch before securing it around Brandon's neck. Though he felt a slight relief after putting it on, the bad luck continued. As the official had warned, his misfortune was too severe for one artifact to fully contain.Randolph tried every connection he had, attempting to borrow a second artifact, but came up empty-handed. Time slipped by, and evening approached before they could find any further solutions.By the time Richard and Grace arrived at the hospital, they were met with the weary faces of their parents. Feeling guilty for everything his father had gone through, Richard bowed his head. "Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry you had to go through this today."
Hearing their words, the hope that had briefly flickered in Brandon’s eyes quickly faded, leaving him more devastated than before. "Grandfather, I know I was wrong," he muttered, finally realizing the truth. His foster sister had been nothing but trouble—far from trustworthy, she had been a constant source of harm. Meanwhile, his real sister, though harsh and distant, had proven to be far more reliable. Regret gnawed at him deeply.Randolph sighed, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Knowing you’re wrong doesn’t change anything. It’s too late now.”Turning back to the two mystics, Randolph asked, “If you can’t break the curse directly, could you at least help suppress his misfortune? Maybe with a protective charm or some kind of mystical object?”Despite his frustration with his grandson’s foolishness, he couldn’t just leave him to suffer.Both mystics exchanged uneasy glances. “We don’t have the ability to suppress his bad luck with charms.”“For something like that, you’d need t