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'
As the clouds dispersed, layers of halos appeared in the sky.Perplexed, the junior arcane seeker turned to Malric. "Malric, is there an arcane expert making their appearance?""It's not an arcane expert." Malric looked at Fergus and Aria carrying the urn. "It's the soul of someone who performed great deeds in his past life."The crow watched the scene unfold in the sky. When Barron was alive, he had been a merchant who dedicated his life to saving citizens. Such a soul deserved to be blessed with fortune, not suppressed in an unmarked land or exploited by traitors.Having traveled to the past, Aria understood Barron's life better than anyone. She knew this was the only way to welcome him home. Barron needed to witness the downfall of those who sought to divide the Carver Group and betray their country.Aria had no grand ambitions. All she wanted was for Barron's soul to finally find peace.As leaves fell around the manifestation, Aria's gaze shifted to a light not far away. Sh
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe
After finishing her sentence, Aria ended the call. She trusted her senior would take action on that end. Besides, nobody at the Public Integrity Task Force would dare ignore her message after hearing the way she spoke. Lucas had received his transfer orders. Just after arriving, people were already waiting for him at the train station before he had even attended any meetings. None of them were low-ranking, which matched his own status. The phone call came at an oddly perfect time. It rang right as he left the station, and it was from the Public Integrity Task Force. He hadn't forgotten why he was transferred here, so he glanced at his secretary. His secretary, Douglas Nixon, told the others, "Mr. Murray has some personal business to attend to." Douglas handled things smoothly. He immediately blocked a few people from approaching, though they were all prominent public officials from Ludwiten. Lucas did not want to delay the matter for too long. After hearing the problem, he
Besides, this spot was a perfect blind spot for surveillance. The school's security cameras couldn't reach here, and a tree blocked the view from across the street. If anyone reviewed the footage later, they would only see Eden exit the school gate and disappear after heading to the opposite side. This was exactly what Miguel and the scholarship committee wanted. Miguel had already walked away. He acted as if he'd just been out for a casual stroll, chatting with security while escorting a student along the way. Right then, Aria rode up on her motorcycle and caught the whole scene. Though she had planned to enter the school, she immediately spun her bike around and tailed the van as it drove off. Nobody noticed her because everyone in the van had their eyes fixed on Eden. The attention made Eden's skin crawl. The driver named Viggo Moseley chuckled. "You'll get used to it. The people you're meeting later are the ones handling your paperwork for going abroad." It was just a s
"Don't be silly, your grandmother and I can take care of each other just fine," Brent said. Despite the fact that he came from a village, he never thought of women as any less than men. Eden was an orphan, but her grandparents gave her all their love. "Once you go abroad, your grandmother and I will move back to our hometown. We'll farm a little land and do some other jobs while waiting for your return!" Brent's laughter put Eden much more at ease. As Miguel walked ahead, he felt nothing but mockery when he overheard her conversation. Indeed, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. If there were really such great opportunities to study abroad, the school would surely give them to children of investors and business people who supported the school. Who would choose to send a bunch of poor kids overseas? Not understanding how social class worked was just plain stupid. Eden was walking behind him, so she couldn't see his expression. When they reached the gate, the security g