"Could there really be something between the two of them?""I have the same suspicion, but there's no evidence."The chat in the live stream quickly shifted from talking about how Olivia could actually pull off such a dangerous trick to scolding Brandon for being so foolish. It seemed like he was being manipulated by her, helping count the money after being sold out, completely unaware of the trap he was falling into. Eventually, the conversation turned back to discussing their relationship, hinting that it might not be so simple after all.Albert, who had been watching the live stream, noticed the perfect opportunity for his team to release the bombshell. He instructed his team to take action. They first anonymously uploaded a video to a paparazzo's account. Once the paparazzo made a move, they would jump in to stir things up and boost the hype.Not long after, a well-known paparazzo with a large following posted a message on Instagram.“Top Paparazzo: Want to know the juicy deta
Richard and Grace were once again bombarded with questions from relatives and friends. This time, Richard’s father and mother, Randolph Harper and Valarie Hall, stepped in, delivering a direct notice: they were to return to the family estate the next day. There was no escaping a round of scolding.Richard, who was still abroad, received strict orders from his father to come back immediately. He had no choice but to ask his assistant to book a flight for the next morning. Afterward, he pulled up the latest episode of the reality show and skimmed through the key moments. By the end of it, he was so furious he felt like he might burst a blood vessel. It was as if his lungs were about to explode.He couldn’t understand how Brandon’s mind worked—how could he be so foolish? Even after his luck was drained, leaving him in such a miserable state, he still couldn’t bring himself to be firm with Olivia. Richard couldn’t believe that his family had produced such a self-sacrificing fool. If an
He could clearly feel it—everyone was shutting him out, isolating him. The urge to leave was strong but doing that would just make him look even more pathetic. So, he stayed silent, sitting stiffly in his seat.Around nine, the group left the inn to explore the night market. As they stepped outside, Elric glanced back at Brandon and asked, "Aren’t you going to take care of your dear sister?"Brandon’s jaw clenched. This guy really had a knack for hitting where it hurt. His feelings toward Olivia were a tangled mess now, and he didn’t know how to face her, so he was avoiding her. "I’m on a show," he replied. "I need to keep work before personal matters."Elric chuckled. "The night market isn’t part of the live stream. The show’s almost over for the day.""It doesn’t matter," Brandon shot back. "I want to check out the night market too. Is that a problem?"He’d much rather be ostracized and follow along with the group than have to see Olivia right now.Elric smirked knowingly. "Of c
As they walked, Lindsay explained, "Most of the items here are cursed in some way. If you take them home, at best you’ll have bad luck, and at worst, you could get seriously ill or even die. So, they’re not suitable for you."She had noticed that nearly ninety percent of the antiques on display carried a curse, which meant most of them likely came from dark or tainted places. Of course, not all were necessarily from burial sites—some had been deliberately exposed to cursed locations to soak up negative energy.For the average person, cursed objects are dangerous, but for many practitioners of divination, they could be useful. Aside from using such items to harm others, mystics often need cursed objects for their own rituals or battles. When practitioners face off, drawing on these strong curses becomes essential. Regular environmental energy just wouldn’t cut it; these objects provided the concentrated energy they needed for more intense workings.Hearing Lindsay’s words, those who
Some of the items were so rare that, even with a significant amount of money, they couldn’t be purchased outside the market.However, nearly all of them were cursed, and a few had an incredibly strong malevolent energy. Bringing one of those home would be like bringing a weapon of misfortune. The Divination Association had strict rules, whether inside or outside the night market. Items that were highly cursed couldn’t be sold to ordinary people, or even to lower-level mystics—it would be a death sentence to take them home. Regular cursed objects, on the other hand, were less of a concern. While they could affect people, the damage was minimal and unlikely to cause serious harm.Joshua had a stroke of luck at one of the stalls, finding a snuff bottle that caught his eye. Lindsay inspected it and confirmed that it was a rare item imbued with positive energy, urging him to buy it right away. Trusting her judgment completely, Joshua spent every last bit of his savings to purchase th
Lindsay chuckled softly. "When things start going well, they tend to keep improving. That’s why it might feel like a lucky streak."Joshua shook his head. "It’s not just a feeling—I’m convinced you’re my lucky star."At that moment, Benedict chimed in. "Judging by your fortune, Lindsay does seem to be your lucky star. Without her, your career wouldn’t just have stalled—it would’ve been stuck for years. You’d eventually cross paths with someone you shouldn’t, and your life would take a turn for the worse. It would’ve been a rough ride, to say the least."He had noticed earlier that Joshua’s fate had changed significantly after meeting Lindsay. The shift wasn’t something forced but rather a natural course of events, an alteration permitted by the greater order of things. It wouldn’t bring any negative backlash or punishment.One thing was certain: meeting Lindsay had been the best stroke of luck in Joshua’s life.The group listened intently, fully believing Benedict’s words. After all,
After a while, as Joshua and Lindsay walked ahead and created a bit of distance between them, Brandon seized the moment. He sidled up to Joshua and whispered, "Would you be willing to sell me that snuff bottle? I'll offer double what you paid."Whether it was for his own use or for Olivia later, having that bottle would help lessen the bad luck. He was willing to pay a hefty price for it.Joshua looked at him with mild annoyance. His tone was cold. "Not for sale."Given how poorly Brandon had treated Lindsay, Joshua had no interest in entertaining him. The bad luck Brandon was dealing with? He deserved every bit of it. There was no way he was letting him use something so valuable to lessen the consequences.Brandon frowned. "Just name your price."Joshua frowned back. "No matter what you offer, it’s not for sale."He had bought it to gift to his father as a protective charm, which was why he had spent all his savings on it. After hearing Lindsay say how beneficial it would be to we
Brandon couldn’t help but feel frustrated. They were all guests on the same show—why couldn’t they just get along? Instead, they were playing these petty isolation games.The group wandered to the end of the street but didn’t come across any more items with positive energy. Lindsay stood by the wall at the end, admiring several ancient paintings hanging there. The vendor at this stall was an elderly man with white hair, watching her with a smile.Seeing her lost in thought, he asked, "What do you think of these paintings?"Lindsay snapped back to reality and replied, "They’re beautifully done—masterful technique, full of life, and they carry a certain charm."The old man chuckled. "Of course, they do. These are masterpieces by none other than Mr. Scott."Lindsay was taken aback. "These were painted by Mr. Scott?"The old man nodded, his tone laced with admiration. "Yes, indeed. Many mystics believe that if they’re fortunate enough to study these, they might even gain insights to enh
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