Owen should never have treated Aria this way.Would things have been different if Owen had doted on Aria the way Warren did? At the very least, Owen's sons might not have drifted away from him, and Fiona might not have divorced him.Determined to make amends, Owen looked at Fergus with a pitiful expression. "Fergus, you understand me best. I was misled, but I never intended to hurt Aria!"Fergus' gaze remained cold. "Are you sure? What about Mom's illness? How did the abductor who took Rainbow know that Leon was the only one looking after her that day? You gave Ian all that information."I do know you very well. You're a man who would do anything for your own gain. And, of course, you wouldn't act directly—you'd want to maintain your image as a good father."We were young back then and didn't understand what was going on. Leon kept blaming himself for Aria's disappearance, and Mom has lived in the pain of losing Aria for so many years. What about you? You stood by and watched as t
Warren could only reflect on how people change over time. Perhaps Ian had been blinded by greed, or maybe Warren had never truly understood him.After a moment of silence, Warren spoke calmly. "Did you really think I'd come to you without being prepared? Go ahead, check your shares."At those words, the confidence drained from Ian's face. When he looked toward the crowd, their confusion mirrored his own. Panicked, Ian grabbed his phone to make a call, but no one answered.Warren's gaze darkened. "I always treated you as an elder brother, but you've never treated the Carver family as your own."He stepped closer, his voice steely. "To you, we were nothing but stepping stones. But I'm afraid this is as far as you'll go."Ian wasn't afraid of death, but he feared losing everything—his power, his influence in Janovin. The memories of his impoverished youth—the days of hunger still haunted him.For years, Ian had meticulously planned to seize the Carver family's wealth and assets. Yet
Poeta grew anxious. She wanted to deny it, but what Fergus said was undeniable. Initially, Poeta had planned to exploit Warren's disdain for her to manipulate Fergus into abandoning his family and staying by her side. This way, she could establish a foothold in Janovin. However, events had spiraled beyond her control.Fergus clenched his fists. "I know what you've been doing in my name all these years. I was young and foolish back then, even fighting with Grandpa over a gold digger like you. I might have forgiven you, but I can't tolerate your schemes."You dared to plan for me to go against Grandpa and oust him from the Carver family. I can't believe you would do this, Poeta. Since you enjoy being abroad so much, you can return to where you came from."Fergus' tone grew colder as he added, "Your husband overseas has been looking for you. I've already contacted him."Poeta felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She never imagined Fergus would turn her own tactics against he
Malric widened his eyes. "You're asking her to teach you? Are you out of your mind?"The young apprentice turned sideways. "Malric, I'm not fooling around. Didn't I tell you before that Mr. Bond met a genius at dismantling manifestations? "Mr. Bond tried every possible way to take her in as an apprentice and have her join Mount Dracotigris. But she refused, saying she wasn't interested in the Decatorian way."That genius we were talking about was none other than Ms. Carver here. Malric, you have no idea how talented she is. I might be considered gifted, but Ms. Carver's abilities are truly heaven-sent!"If she puts in just a little more effort, she could easily unravel divination patterns. Mr. Bond said her gift was innate, something she was born with. Honestly, we're all envious of her!"The more Malric listened, the more his head hurt. He vividly recalled Aria asking him what a manifestation was, clearly treating him like a fool.Grinding his teeth, Malric was about to retort
Everyone present that day believed in fortune-telling. They obeyed Owen not out of genuine respect but because of the benefits he wielded and his close association with a renowned fortune-teller. While they couldn't directly approach the fortune-teller, Ian could. This fortune-teller was renowned for his accurate divinations and even the ability to alter fate.For those in business, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity.Those present weren't extraordinarily wealthy, and they were merely participants with no decision-making power in their companies.All of them believed that siding with Ian would bring them fortune. Unexpectedly, news broke that the Carver family's missing daughter was a genius fortune-teller—someone even Homer sought to mentor.The revelation left everyone exchanging shocked glances, finding it hard to believe. Even Fergus, Aria's brother, was stunned.Meanwhile, Malric was dumbfounded. His title as Mount Dracotigris' genius apprentice suddenly felt meaningle
Owen shouted, "You should have told me! If you had, I wouldn't have—"Warren cut him off calmly, "What would you have done? Do you still think you're a good father, considering you adopted an outsider? The most important thing to you is whether someone knows how to perform divination."Let me tell you this now—Aria doesn't just know how to read a person's fate by looking at their face. She could change fortune by altering the layouts. She's the one who resolved the chaos in the hotel caused by you and the unease in our household."Everyone was stunned by his words. "I think Philip's divination involved more than just reading his fortune," someone muttered. "She practically predicted his death. That's incredible!"Malric was left speechless. Although he could predict life and death, he wasn't skilled enough to pinpoint the exact time and location of someone's death.He refused to believe Aria was so capable. After all, he had trained in the mountains since he was young, consisten
"Someone won't let you off. You're not the only one who knows the Decatorian way. There are people even more capable than Homer, but he refuses to show himself. If you get rid of us, you'll have to face him. He'll make you regret ever being born." Ian's words felt like a curse, filling the air with unease.Aria, however, remained indifferent. Her eyes revealed no emotion. Her usual arrogance surfaced now that she no longer needed to conceal her true self. "I'll wait for him to make me regret it," she replied coldly.Ian sneered, but before he could respond, the butler stumbled into the room, his voice trembling. "M-Mr. Ian! SWAT officers are here!"Ian's face paled as realization dawned.Aria stood beside him, calm and composed. "Perfect timing. The Carver family owns numerous Farshyan businesses and shops. We can't allow you to sell them off to the Krowonians."Let me remind you, selling these assets is akin to selling Farshya itself to the Krowonians. The Carver family possesses
The SWAT officers were clueless about Aria's identity and continued to give orders. After all, this wasn't under the Special Missions Unit's jurisdiction. Plus, everyone there was a notable figure in the business circle.They looked at the group of people. "Do all of you have business with Ian Carver?"Although the group of people shook their heads, it was futile as everything was recorded. Since they had planned to seize Carver Group's shares and divide them amongst themselves, they needed to be mentally prepared to bear the consequences of being ruthless.With Aria's report, almost half of the group was taken away. The remaining two or three individuals glanced at Aria tremblingly as if she were Satan.Initially, Aria planned on asking about the identity of the fortune-teller Ian talked about.However, she figured Ian would never tell her the truth about how sly he was. Instead, he might use this information to threaten Warren and Aria.Aria hated being threatened, so she didn'
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t
Landon's warm lips brushed against Aria's. The touch was light as a feather yet utterly captivating. His kiss was so delicate it seemed to awaken every memory stored in her body. In that moment, Aria could swear she caught that same sandalwood scent from her dreams. Black mist and countless indiscernible inscriptions appeared, but he paid them no mind, gripping her waist as he whispered low in her ear. When he kissed her wrist without looking away from her face, his presence was impossible to ignore. His black leather gloves lay discarded to the side. To Aria, every place his hands touched felt like it was on fire. The sensation intensified when his fingertips traced the black mark on her neck. Something inside her screamed to take control, which made her grab his hand. He seemed to smile with his lips by her ear. "So, are you ready to pay the renewal fee?" Aria had never thought anyone could enchant her like this. But this was different. It felt just like seeing a fallen g
Landon asked, "You're getting water?" As his gaze drifted down to where Aria's hair fell, his voice turned rich and low. "Then why are your ears turning red?" Aria's hand froze mid-air. "It's hot in here." "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's only 70°F here." Aria wanted to tell him to stop talking so much. It was all because of what he had done in her dreams, making her imagination run wild now. Did he think having a handsome face meant he could do whatever he wanted? He even used all that binding stuff on her too. But she couldn't be sure it was even him. And even if it was, it must have been from a past life. As an arcane seeker, Aria knew what recurring dreams usually meant. But she had pushed those thoughts aside. A past life should not dictate their relationship in this one. At the very least, he wouldn't try anything like putting her in chains and locking her up now. That would be illegal. She would have him arrested and be done with it. Besides, her handsome fi
The atmosphere inside the room was totally different from the outside.Aria did sense the strange aura around Seraphina just now. Her beauty was otherworldly, almost supernatural. And there was something familiar about her presence—Aria felt she had encountered it before but couldn't remember where. Given how quickly Seraphina had withdrawn her hostility and turned gentle, Aria saw no point in making an issue of it. Besides, the way Landon was massaging her neck felt too good, making her mind feel hazy. As her blood flow slowed, she started to feel drowsy. The trio hiding in the copper coin did not dare show themselves; they were probably not even there. They had been especially quiet since arriving in Ludwiten, as if something here affected them. This was one of the things Aria wanted to investigate. The Wagners had used some unknown method to hide themselves after reaching Ludwiten. Even the Special Missions Unit failed to track them. All they had was that initial contact