There was an uncommon steadiness and openness in Don's voice as he spoke. "Actually, this is a good thing. Amara and I have talked it over, and we've decided that wherever I go, she'll go with me."She has some deeply ingrained views that won't change overnight—her husband had been her everything, and her son was her entire world."I'm not trying to excuse her actions. She was definitely wrong—outrageously so. But I believe that if I provide her with enough security and patiently show her a better way, she will eventually understand."The real challenge is Daisy." Don hesitated, his words caught somewhere between shame and frustration. "I don't mind admitting this, even if it sounds ridiculous—I can't communicate with her at all. But I know it's not her fault."She was raised to be this way, and the blame lies with me, Amara, her father, and even Lettie to some extent."Don's words rang true—family education was complex and intricate. "The main responsibility lies with me." Don
Leon found Philip's demeanor deeply unsettling.Having spent so much time by Aria's side, Leon had witnessed how she handled truly sinister situations."Fergus, I think Philip might be dangerous," he murmured.Fergus was in the middle of a meeting. He had one earbud in and was busy issuing orders in his usual concise and precise manner.Leon arrived just as Fergus finished his conversation with the marketing department head. "Inform the Norwood family that the Carvers operate with integrity. If they're unwilling to collaborate, we don't need them."Ever since Barron's urn had been unearthed, Fergus had been contemplating expanding into Ludwiten.The Carvers had originally risen to prominence in Ludwiten before relocating to the north. For Fergus, Ludwiten wasn't just strategic; it was a city he had always admired.His expertise in finance would flourish there, offering him greater opportunities. More importantly, it was a critical move for the future of Carver Group.Among the
It was as if Philip had sensed a shift, a hostile energy directed at him. His neck twisted sharply, and his gaze snapped to Leon.Philip's eyes locked onto the copper coin in Leon's hand, filled with a peculiar mix of hatred and wariness. His fists clenched tightly as though restraining himself.Fergus noticed the tension immediately, his brow furrowing.Leon raised an eyebrow, unperturbed.The two brothers exchanged a glance, their silent understanding unspoken but clear.Fergus was the first to move, stepping slightly forward.Philip's expression remained unnervingly stiff, but the corners of his mouth curled into a sinister smile."Even if it's one of the Five Emperor Coins, you'd still need to know how to use it, and do you know how to use it?""One of the Five Emperor Coins?"Fergus' eyes widened slightly. For the first time, he realized the significance of the coin in Leon's hand.He had seen such items at exclusive auctions, where their rarity and historical significan
At that moment, it felt as though something had seared his hand.Philip's eyes flickered wildly with disbelief as he stared at Leon, the one who had thrown the copper coin."How could this ordinary man—mediocre in both fortune and fate, even marked for a short life—know how to wield the power of the Five Emperor Coins?" he thought.The black mist clouding Philip's gaze retreated swiftly, recoiling in fear. He realized that the Five Emperor Coins would incinerate him beyond recovery if he lingered even a second longer.It had been years since he had endured such agony.This wasn't just any force. It was unlike anything he had ever encountered before. Not even the Dracotigris Order had delivered a power so unrelenting, so consuming. If he stayed, he wouldn't merely suffer—he would be obliterated.The Carvers weren't as straightforward as they seemed.Even someone he thought he understood, someone as seemingly inconspicuous as Leon, could wield the Five Emperor Coins.Leon, who ap
Philip added, "Aria had warned me to be careful because of my constitution. That's why I didn't reveal myself. I pretended not to notice anything. If Ignatius hadn't been hogging the bathroom, I wouldn't have had to use the restroom in the Furler residence's family hall."The strange thing was that it wasn't even very late, but there wasn't a single servant in sight at the Furler residence. It was as if they had all been deliberately sent away. I was already uneasy, but after I finished in the restroom and came out, I saw that scene."The memory of that moment was seared into Philip's mind.He had tiptoed back, heart pounding as though it might burst, terrified of being discovered.When he returned, he immediately asked Ignatius if Ashton had been acting strangely lately.Ignatius, still engrossed in his game, barely looked up. "What could be strange about my grandpa? The old man just keeps nagging me to hang out more with the Carvers boys. Do you think I'm cut out for that? Oh, r
Tobias had always said Aria was a once-in-a-millennium prodigy in spiritual cultivation, but Leon's ability to effortlessly channel the power of the Five Emperor Coins was both baffling and unsettling.Although Aria had marked the coin with her imprint to serve as a protective charm for Leon, the outcome had far surpassed her expectations.Because he was her relative, Aria had attempted to deduce more about him based on his facial features, but nothing came to her.As she touched the now-charred coin, the lingering heat revealed the intensity of the force that had been exerted upon it.No one knew what exactly had happened.Aria didn't believe Leon was lying to her. He truly didn't understand these matters and had his own dreams and ambitions. Perhaps it was from his past life unless the Leon in this life had tapped into the power of the Five Emperor Coins.Ever since her experience in the manifestation, Aria had been driven by an urge to uncover more about the Carver family's
Aria didn't notice the subtle shift in Philip's expression. The influx of information was overwhelming, and she needed a moment to sort through it.Philip being possessed wasn't a surprise to her, but Ashton's behavior left her unsettled and full of questions."Leon, contact Ignatius and let him know you're taking me to visit the Furler family," she instructed.Philip immediately grasped her intent. He lowered his head, appearing calm, yet a shadow of unease lingered as though he was hiding something."Now or tonight?" Leon asked.Aria wanted to go right away but noticed Philip's apprehension. "Tonight is fine," she conceded.Assuming Philip was still shaken, Leon instructed, "Mr. Warsaw, arrange for Philip to get some rest."Stephen entered the room carrying a tray of tea. "Leon, no need to worry. Mr. Wagner's room has already been prepared; it's right next to yours."Turning to Aria, Stephen added, "Ms. Carver, you've been busy all day. Please, have some tea. The kitchen has
If Percy were here, his reactions would have been even more exaggerated.Everyone in the family had a protective streak when it came to Aria. Even Stephen, who wasn't keen on seeing her marry so early, believed that a man like Landon was indeed worthy of Aria."Ms. Carver specifically mentioned to me that Mr. York's stomach handles noodles better," Stephen said warmly as he placed a bowl of chicken noodle soup in front of Landon.Aria, mid-bite of her braised pork, froze momentarily upon hearing this.Landon turned his gaze toward her, his voice calm but probing. "You specifically told Mr. Warsaw that?"Aria glanced between Stephen and Landon before nodding. "Of course, I mentioned it." Whether or not it was "specific" was up for interpretation, and she decided to let Stephen manage that narrative.A faint smile tugged at the corners of Landon's lips, and he murmured just loud enough for her to hear, "At least you still have some heart."Stephen chuckled knowingly. He understood
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
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