The truth had finally come to light, and justice prevailed.Celestia, who had always believed her fame could shield her from the consequences of her actions, was now facing the backlash. Her arrogance, manifested in her contempt for ordinary people—whom she often insulted as "old hags" or "nobodies"—had backfired. Even her loyal fans had remained silent. Meanwhile, the online focus had shifted to the Hendricks family.Amara, frantic, called an ambulance, hoping to wait for her husband's support. Her neighbors, however, were left speechless, advising her to lay low for the time being.Don, who had been unaware of the incident until later, learned of it through his students. Upon hearing the full details, his face darkened. He leaned heavily on the table, muttering under his breath, "I can't believe this."Without wasting a moment, Don returned home. As soon as Amara saw him, she prepared to vent her frustration about Lettie. But Don didn't give her the chance. His hands trembled a
"I'm aware of it. I'm the one who did it." Aria didn't hide anything. "You asked me to take a look at something previously, and I have some clues for it now as well."Don was stunned momentarily. Then, he sighed and said, "You did the right thing, Ms. Carver. My son is truly a huge jerk. Never have I thought he would turn into someone like this. "It's bad enough that he didn't take any responsibility for the family, but he actually snatched the glory that was rightfully Lettie's. I felt sorry for our ancestors to have a descendant such as Paxton.""The way I see it, it's no mere coincidence," Aria responded. She pulled out the stuff Don had given her before. "The wrath on it is gone, and so is the ones in your place."However, you have a choice to make now." Aria's eyes narrowed. "Make Paxton apologize to Lettie properly and return the novel's copyright to her. "He also has to admit that he cheated on Lettie. Then, he's going to return all of the marital assets and go through wi
Amara stood next to Don with tears in her eyes. After what had transpired, she thought he would divorce her. After all, she came from a rural area. He could've done it any time he wanted. In fact, Amara had felt inferior in her heart. That was the exact reason all of this happened. She lacked love and a sense of security. What was more, she felt the constant need to prove her self-worth. All of these contributed to her inferiority complex. That was how she came to raise someone like Paxton. Lettie saw the change in Amara. Although it didn't mean that she could forgive the latter, she didn't intend to make things difficult for Amara either. Lettie had exacted her revenge. More importantly, Aria showed her that justice would prevail in this world. That was enough for her. Now, it was time for Lettie to forge her own future. From here on out, she and the Hendricks family would never cross paths again. Now that everything had come to a close, Aria should've been happy about it.
No one understood what Aria was talking about, except Landon. "You're suspecting that someone was orchestrating the whole thing and setting up a trap for you.""It's not just for me. That mastermind used the same tricks on the Carver family and the Hendricks family. They sought the incompetent sons in both families and worked their angles there."Aria lowered her voice. "If my grandpa hadn't been a tough man, my brothers might've met the same fate as Daisy. Just look at how closely Paxton and Owen resemble each other. Although they weren't similarly aged, they could've been poker buddies if they got together."Landon's lips couldn't help but curl into a grin when he heard what she said. It looked like a clue had just made itself seen. "You're right. We have to think about this carefully. I think everything's settled here. How about I ask Sam to come back and make sense of the situation? It'll be a little troublesome, though. He's still recovering at Mount Dracotigris."Such as th
"Follow me to the underground parking lot," Aria said briefly, but she didn't specify who she was talking to. Landon was very self-conscious. He didn't feel safe with someone who reeked of bad karma. However, Aria always had a tendency to forget the lessons she learned. He had told her that she couldn't keep saving people like this.It wasn't as if Aria listened to Landon, though. Instead, she was more focused on finding a lover. In fact, Landon couldn't care less about the others. He merely showed up here because he had a bad feeling about the whole thing. By the time Percy turned around, Aria and Landon were gone. Jeez. Landon would just follow wherever Aria went, wouldn't he?Landon was very different from his old self. Now, he was the furthest thing from cold and aloof. Back in the parking lot, Paxton was already having a meltdown. His phone kept ringing, and his information was exposed. More importantly, he couldn't believe that Celestia had been playing him for a fool.
"Stop badgering my daughter, and I'll pay you however much you want. It's not like things are unsalvageable at this point, are they? You still haven't found the person who leaked your information online—they're the ones at fault, not Celestia. Venting your hatred on her is pointless.""Pointless, how?" Paxton said what all men would say, "She seduced me first! If she hadn't latched onto me, I wouldn't have had that massive row with my wife! I supported her career and spent so much money on her because I thought she was pure and innocent, but it turns out she's a slut any man could sleep with!"Audriana's eyes turned red with rage. "You're not to talk about my daughter like that!""I'm not to, you say? Ha, funny." Paxton stomped on Celestia's leg. "As if you could stop me! You should read up on what they're saying online. And you claim to be a noble family in Ludwiten while you're already rotten to the core!"Celestia almost passed out from the sharp pain; cold sweat ran down her ba
Aria said expressionlessly, "Weren't you two still lovey-dovey mere moments before? Why did he become a pervert all of a sudden?"Celestia froze. She looked at Aria in disbelief. "W-Why do you—""I'm from the Carver family," Aria suddenly introduced herself. "I'm managing Lettie's affairs."Celestia's gaze wavered. It turned out that the other woman was the daughter of the Carver family, a hot topic of conversation in her social circles now.She almost struggled to catch her breath as she thought of what she had done. Aria had just told her that she was managing Lettie's affairs, which was scary because Celestia had witnessed for herself what Aria was capable of—she was so brave she could even fly a fighter jet!How on earth did Lettie meet her? "It was you who exposed what's between Paxton and I!" Celestia suddenly had a realization. She took a heavy step back, eyes on Aria. She'd been thinking of how she'd take her revenge before meeting Aria, but now she felt nothing but
Aria gave the leader of the SMU a casual look as she said to Paxton, "Someone like you deserves a heavy sentence."The leader wanted to say, "Yes, boss." However, he noticed that something wasn't right—Celestia was watching them. Landon was here, too, as well as the young boy Aria had saved in the square.And so the leader yanked Paxton up from the floor without a hitch. The men also escorted Celestia to the car. According to Aria, Celestia knew some things that would help their investigation, so they had to inspect her thoroughly. From the beginning, Aria acted like a cooperative passerby. Paxton screamed and yelled, but it all was pointless.Celestia said she wanted to call a lawyer, and she wouldn't say anything before the lawyer came. Her mother had taught her this since she was little. However, the SMU didn't follow the usual flow. Paxton was sent to an ordinary holding cell, while Celestia was subjected to a tightly confined investigation. Audriana hung up, feeli
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