Aria was trying to destroy the influence Ian built for himself in Janovin for 70 years. Aria locked eyes with Ian. "Saving Grandpa's life once earned you a lifetime of comfort. If the Carver family didn't genuinely care for you, they would have sent you away with a couple of dollars."After all, there were plenty of beggars who couldn't afford to eat at the time. Great-great-Grandpa couldn't bear to see a child begging in that era. That's why he decided to adopt you."Grandpa has never revealed your identity to anyone all these years. He has always treated you as if you were his elder brother."Aria's gaze darkened. "The Carver family owes you nothing, yet they have always been protecting you. Despite this, we're still the bad guys in your eyes."Aria stared at him with an icy gaze. "You know, you really remind me of a saying—some people will always be ungrateful, no matter what's done for them.""How dare you!" No one had dared to talk to Ian like this since he was a child. I
After Aria finished speaking, everyone was in an uproar."Ashes? What ashes?""What is Ms. Carver talking about?"The relatives weren't the only ones who were puzzled. Even Warren and Fergus looked over. Aria had never mentioned anything about ashes to them.Ian never expected her to know about the ashes. An unprecedented panic crossed his face, but he quickly regained his composure.Ian had been to Mount Dracotigris and had studied fortune-telling. He would have known if someone had tampered with the layout. Thus, the only explanation he could fathom was Aria bluffing.Ian sneered. "This is getting more and more ridiculous. Everyone knows how skillful Mr. Veyrith is. If there were something unusual here, he would have sensed it by now."Malric lifted his chin when his name was mentioned. Moving his fingers thoughtfully, he stated firmly, "There's nothing supernatural or evil here. Ms. Carver, please watch what you're saying."Aria smiled. "There's a crow, isn't there? I don't
Ian's unease had reached its peak. He couldn't let the situation spiral out of control. He thought of his so-called family member who always claimed to value family ties.Ian looked toward the side. "Warren, how could I possibly be in charge of the company's matters? I don't even have the right to attend shareholders' meetings, let alone lead anyone on."Do you perhaps have some misunderstandings about me? I only helped Owen because he came to me. I don't wish to see you two falling apart."Owen, oblivious as always, blurted out, "Dad, don't blame Uncle Ian—it's my fault! You've always handled the company alone. Besides, I've always been useless to you."Since you never give me a chance to prove myself, I had no choice but to ask Uncle Ian for help. The shareholders were just following my instructions."Warren didn't even bother to look at him. Owen seemed to have inherited none of his genes."Mr. Owen, you're overestimating yourself," Aria interjected, stepping in as Warren rema
Malric had his fair share of experience in expelling evil beings. Logically, he should fear nothing. Yet, he couldn't suppress the unease that gnawed at him as he faced the crow before him.His mentor had once advised him to always remain polite when encountering such creatures. Clasping his hands together, Malric bowed to the crow. "My apologies.""Mr. Veyrith, what are you doing?" someone asked, their confusion mirrored by others in the group. Malric couldn't fully grasp the peculiar sensation he felt, so he could only explain, "This crow is no ordinary crow.""Not an ordinary crow?" The group trusted Malric's judgment and followed his lead, bowing to the crow.To their astonishment, the crow accepted their gesture. Puffing out its chest, it strutted a few steps forward with a distinct air of importance.Fergus was baffled. "Aria, this…"Aria stroked her chin thoughtfully. "The crow is indeed special. It's proving to be quite effective," she said cryptically as if referring t
A strong gust of wind howled, scattering leaves to the ground as the crow cawed ominously. The sky was eerily clear, not a single cloud in sight. The crowd was absolutely stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief."It's really a cremation urn!"Why is there a cremation urn here?""Isn't this layout supposed to bring fortune?"As questions were hurled one after another, Ian's expression darkened.Warren reacted swiftly, staggering forward with his walking cane to take a closer look. "T-This cremation urn...""It was taken from the Carver family's memorial hall," Aria said, stepping forward to support Warren. Although she had warned him not to get too upset or angry, she was still concerned. She tapped on Warren's life-saving pressure point and raised her voice so everyone could hear. "These are Great-great-Grandpa's ashes."Warren froze for a moment before lifting his reddened eyes. "How could this be? You're lying to me, aren't you? Your great-great-grandfather's ashes should
"When a soul lingers in the present world or harbors unresolved regrets, it may develop resentments. Over time, the soul could become an earthbound spirit, endlessly repeating its final moments or the actions it regrets," Malric explained."You're right, Mr. Veyrith. When I dreamt of Great-great-Grandpa, he looked troubled. He must have something he regrets about." The crow, perched on a nearby tree, almost cawed aloud in disbelief. Aria was laying it on too thick, and the bird could hardly bear to watch.Noticing the crow's reaction, Aria glanced in its direction and continued, "Based on what Mr. Veyrith said, this cremation urn must belong to my great-great-grandpa. He even told me he felt cold. No one had offered him blessings, and it seems he's lost something important."Aria paused for dramatic effect before turning to Malric. "Mr. Veyrith, do you know why my great-great-grandpa would say such a thing?"Malric drew a deep breath, hesitant to feign ignorance. He feared Aria m
"It's funny, Mr. Owen. You've been superstitious for most of your life, yet now you're saying that ghosts can't appear in dreams." Aria turned her gaze toward Owen. "Still, I can't blame you. You've always been nothing more than a pawn. I doubt you're smart enough to figure this out, so I had someone prepare the evidence for you."With a smile, Aria laid out the photos, one by one. "Ian has been collaborating with the Krowonian businessmen for years, and his butler is one of the major shareholders you were hoping to partner with. Quite the schemer, isn't he?"Aria continued, her tone unhurried, "It only took a few compliments to make you see him as a father figure. You fell right into his trap. I'm sure your dear uncle has been stoking the flames of your conflicts with Grandpa from the start.""Shut up!" Owen clutched his chest, feeling faint.Aria tapped her temple, exuding a dignified air. "It seems there's nothing in here," she said, pointing at her head. "And you certainly lack
"Mr. Carver Senior, please don't get angry. I will not serve Mr. Owen in the future," Malric quickly said.Upon hearing that, Aria clenched her amethyst pendant. Malric had backed off sooner than she had anticipated.However, Owen couldn't take another blow. He gripped Malric's arm and begged, "Mr. Veyrith, we've known each other for many years. You…""Mr. Owen, I already performed a divination on your daughter. Well, I can only say that your bias influences certain results," Malric said ambiguously. "It may be a blessing or a curse. Besides, your daughter's fortune has also been altered since your family's fortune was stolen."Owen widened his eyes. "What do you mean? Does Rainbow not bring me bad luck? What about the past divination?""What past divination?" Malric seemed puzzled.Owen explained anxiously, "Mount Dracotigris gave me the divination."Malric reminded him, "Mr. Owen, only my mentor is skilled in fortune-telling in the entire Mount Dracotigris. Even if someone agr
In that moment, Cormac couldn't afford to care about pride or appearances. His survival depended on severing all ties, especially with a traitor."I don't have a daughter like you!" he snapped, slapping Aliya again. "Do you even realize what you've done? Trafficking human organs—do you think that's something you can walk away from?"Aliya collapsed to the floor, stunned. A chill unlike any she'd ever felt seeped into her bones. She stared up at her father in disbelief, watching as he bowed his head respectfully toward Aria, the very woman she had just mocked.In Aliya's world, her father was the state government. She had grown up believing that their family controlled everything, that Cormac Windham's influence extended far beyond his office, even as retirement loomed.But all of it was crumbling before her eyes.Outside his office, word had already begun to spread. Though muffled, the sharp sound of a slap echoed faintly through the corridor.Everyone understood what that meant—
The group dared to be reckless as Amos was Ludwiten's lieutenant governor. They were peas in a pod and did corruption together.However, they didn't know that their support had already collapsed. Aria was not in a rush to capture Amos' lackeys as her target was in the state government. She didn't go alone either, for Aliya also went with her.Shortly after, Aria issued a new command. "Seal the premises. No one is to leave. Tell everyone to remain in their seats."A request like that, especially directed at the state level, would typically require an exhaustive process—dozens of forms, layers of red tape. Even in cases involving fatalities, senior officials were rarely detained on the spot.But Aria followed with a second message, one that sent chills down spines. "This case involves foreign infiltration. Someone has betrayed the country."Those words landed like a thunderclap. No one dared raise an objection. No one wanted to be associated with treason—not ordinary citizens, and
"Grandpa, it's not convenient for me to get in touch with all of you right now. Remember to take your medicine on time. I have to pretend that I'm locked up. Uncle Eamon and Uncle Waymond have to seem fretful so that the enemy wouldn't be alerted. I'm sorry, Grandpa."Aria didn't reveal what she had encountered in the message. This was because the Special Missions Unit was bound to a confidentiality contract when making decisions. What Aria said was almost pushing the limits.Aria only agreed to get locked up just to see how people would react when the Grisham family was in trouble.When the opponent placed their attention on this incident, they would let their guard down and give Aria a chance to secure evidence of their crimes.If the Grisham family retained its usual influence, the mastermind wouldn't show himself so easily. As Aria felt sorry for her family and worried about Clyde's health, she immediately sent a message to apologize after the auction. However, she couldn't s
There was no way Aria didn't know that the conviction was unfair. Furthermore, Percy specialized in handling economic cases. He knew there was no way Aria would be locked up so quickly. Yet, her crime had been publicly declared without prior warning. Percy was absolutely furious. He tugged his tie and declared the system was corrupted. While Fergus was also helping to find connections, Warren had just landed from Janovin.Clyde had sought out all sorts of connections, even his ex-colleagues in the education field.Fiona clenched his hands. "They promised to help Dad look into it." "They're just trying to fool Mr. Grisham Senior. Their higher-ups have already warned them about it." Nisa suddenly lowered her voice. "They're trying to make his health relapse again. If that happens, the Grisham family is done for."At this moment, a low voice sounded from the door. "So that's what happened. I was wondering why there was no progress with Aria's side after a whole day."It was Eamon.
Because Amos' arrest was part of a covert operation, the news didn't reach anyone outside the circle. That meant Durand remained completely unaware. He was still riding high on the thrill of his plan, blinded by the pleasure of watching the Grisham family fall.That night, he raised a glass of wine in early celebration, his mistress seated beside him. He didn't know that the move he'd made would become the greatest regret of his life.Elsewhere, Nisa couldn't bring herself to be as heartless. That was why, under the quiet cover of night, she made her way to the Grisham residence—not to see Clyde, but to speak with Fiona. She knew Clyde would shut her out immediately, but Fiona… Fiona might just listen.They weren't close. Not the way Fiona was with Priscilla. But they had once shared a few polite meals, floated in the same social circles. Enough to warrant a conversation—barely.When they sat down, Fiona's expression was cool, even distant. She hadn't forgotten the things Nisa had
Lucas could hear the pride in his mentor's voice for Aria. After all, his mentor had taken Aria in Southbury and even owed her his life. Lucas didn't dare to inform his mentor that Aria was being suppressed in the political world. He understood his mentor well. He was devoted to the country and couldn't stand such injustice.Therefore, Lucas didn't tell the truth to prevent his mentor from worrying. If someone with his position made a move, it would become a huge issue. That was why Lucas hid the truth from him. The former had to play along with the other politicians and endure them spouting empty promises. Before Lucas set out, his mentor stood on top of Old City and looked at the vast mountains. "Do whatever you need to, just like what you had done in Southbury. I'll be waiting for you and Aria's return at Janovin."These people didn't deserve his mercy at all!"You used your authority to disregard people's lives." It was the first time Lucas had shown his emotions so open
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno