Those who witnessed the situation all said that Yonah pampered Philip. On the surface, it seemed like he had truly been "spoiled" by Yonah throughout his life.Yonah never pressured him to be like Kenny. He was free to do whatever he wanted, and his studies didn't matter. But wasn't this just another form of neglect? To Yonah, he was expendable.That was why Philip was so drawn to bars and street racing—anything that offered a thrill. Since Kenny was the exceptional one, he figured Kenny could take charge. He would just play the flashy second-generation heir, hoping Yonah would feel more at ease with him.Why was Philip like this? Because, at times, he still felt warmth from Yonah. But recently, that warmth had completely disappeared. And then, there was the incident he witnessed this time.Certain memories surfaced from the deepest corners of his mind, repeating themselves over and over. He couldn't even tell if they were memories anymore.Every night, he had the same dream. The
Philip scolded himself, "Why didn't I think of this earlier? Aren't I the most sensitive to these things? How could I be so stupid, letting Grandpa Yonah suffer for so long? I'm such an idiot. I should've gotten rid of it sooner!"Philip muttered to himself as he tightly gripped Aria's hand. "Aria, don't go to the Furler family just yet. Let's go to my house first."At his words, the people around the dining table exchanged glances. Fergus and Leon locked eyes, their brows furrowing deeply.From Philip's account, it was clear that Yonah had been drinking some kind of tonic for years. But this so-called "tonic" wasn't medicine at all—it was blood.And it had been happening since before Philip even started middle school, so many years ago.It could only mean that the seemingly harmless Yonah was actually someone or something else.Yonah had been possessed all this time, and none of them noticed.To pull this off, someone would need to perfectly mimic Yonah's mannerisms and behavio
"He's not the only one who said that," Fergus interjected. "It's a widely held belief in the business circle.""They say the Wagner family rose to prominence in the south during a time when factories were shutting down. The shift encouraged people to start their own businesses instead of relying on collective systems.""They believe Mr. Wagner Senior seized this opportunity and expanded his business, and eventually moved from the south to the north, finally settling in Janovin."Philip nodded. "That's true.""After leading the Wagner family through so many challenges, doesn't your ancestor deserve a memorial plaque in his honor?" Fergus' words hit a nerve."He didn't want it," Philip replied, unfazed. "Maybe it was because he was influenced by the foreigners' culture. My great-grandfather likely rejected the idea of memorial plaques because such practices aren't common abroad.""If that's the case," Aria said, absently twirling the amethyst pendant in her hand, "your great-grandf
Aria announced, "Mr. Warsaw, please prepare. We're heading to Ludwiten."This decision to visit Ludwiten wasn't made on a whim. The place held something crucial to Yonah's cultivation.Aria didn't yet know what it was, but her instincts warned her that if she didn't go, she would regret it.Stephen, however, didn't immediately agree. He was always deliberate in his actions, cautious not to leave room for criticism in matters of etiquette or social nuance.After a moment of consideration, he said, "Ms. Carver, if it were any other city, we could leave without much thought. But for Ludwiten, we need to be more careful."Aria, quick-witted as ever, understood his meaning right away. "You mean it's because of my uncle and his family?"Stephen nodded. "The Grisham family made their fortune in Ludwiten and have been a pillar of the community for generations. They're one of Ludwiten's most prominent families. When Mrs. Carver married into the Carver family, the Grishams disapproved of t
The market share was already limited, and if the Carvers entered, they would certainly claim a portion of it. Moreover, Fiona's greatest wish was to reconcile with the Grishams. Aria's trip to Ludwiten would only heighten the sense of crisis, and someone was definitely trying to drive a wedge between the families. After expressing these concerns, Stephen continued, "Ms. Carver, though your suspicions go beyond this, outsiders will definitely seize upon this point and keep feeding suggestions to the Grishams." Stephen poured tea for everyone before continuing, "Mr. Grisham was famously devoted to his daughter. Both families supported Mrs. Carver's marriage without much objection since she wanted it. The fact that Mr. Carver offered some company shares at that time put the Grishams at ease too. "Later, as you know, the Carver family's shares were diluted. After you were kidnapped, Mrs. Carver fell seriously ill. The Grishams visited many times, especially Mr. Richard and Mr. Waymon
"Why the rush?" Stephen believed Aria would understand the delicate situation he had just explained and that it did not have to be so urgent. As she threw a glance at Philip, Aria was clearly reluctant to speak in his presence. Phillip looked confused. "Aria, are you sure you won't visit my family first?" "I will, but we'll follow Stephen's planned sequence." After arriving in Janovin, they would visit different families to avoid revealing their actual purpose. Visiting relatives in Janovin before seeing her uncles in Ludwiten would seem natural. Aria suspected that Yonah did not know about what Barron had left behind. With that thought in mind, she moved closer to Stephen while touching her amethyst pendant. She lowered her voice. "There's something I've never found." It was something Barron had left for Aria, and he had even advertised it twice in the youth paper. But Aria did not tell Stephen about this. The less the Earthbound Manifestation was revealed, the clearer she c
Aria wouldn't refuse. Landon was too valuable an ally in dealing with manifestations to leave behind. With him present, their combined arcane and fortune would make her practically unbeatable, especially against those who practiced dark arts. Aria had a feeling that going to Ludwiten would resolve all the mysteries. Though the regrets from the previous manifestation were settled, the root cause remained unsolved. If the opposing forces continued to nurture evil through social media, the manifestation's power would keep growing. Aria worried that this was not an isolated case. There could be a second, or even third. Since the reputation of the Hendricks family had been affected, it had broken their cultural heritage line. After all, someone like Paxton was unworthy of succeeding Don. This was Aria's first encounter with such manipulation. She had not expected that a morally corrupt mistress could destroy Don's life's work in an instant. Paxton's actions would surely affect Don's
"Aria has us, and that's all that matters," Fergus said protectively. With their worthless father Owen's history hanging over them, he remained anxious as the eldest brother. Fergus totally understood their uncles' feelings. The family could easily provide for Aria. If the Carver shares weren't enough, he could transfer all his Parker Street investments to her name. She should not marry this early. Few brothers would ignore a broken engagement, and Landon had broken two. Fergus was there whenever Landon had discussed canceling the engagement with Warren due to poor health. Coughing softly, Landon's gaze was fixed on Aria when he looked up. His pale, handsome face looked so delicate, and his lashes fluttered. "I want to go as your fiancé. With me there, the Grishams won't immediately turn you away. It is their niece's first time bringing someone home, after all." His face made him seem incredibly persuasive as if it would be cruel of her to not bring him along. Aria had always b
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo
Now that Miguel, who was an expert in covering up, was gone, the long-standing issues in the school were exposed.The group stood frozen as they watched a cafeteria worker pour something into a large pot. A closer look revealed it was leftover mushroom soup. But that wasn't the worst of it. The soup reeked, clearly spoiled, yet it was still being reheated for the students.Things only got worse when they entered the kitchen. Hygiene standards were appalling. Not a single chef wore a mask, and some were even smoking while cooking.Amos' expression darkened immediately, even before Lucas could react.One of the chefs noticed them and slammed his ladle onto the counter. "What are you doing in here? Outsiders aren't allowed in the school—don't you know that?"Unlike other schools, Oakvale Academy had somehow always slipped through the cracks during routine inspections. When required to present something, they staged it well enough to fool a camera.So, the staff never expected a surp
Aria understood that this was all the person could offer. The real mastermind would never reveal himself so easily—not even to his most trusted subordinates.Those in power never needed to explain themselves. Those who understood them would earn their favor; those who didn't were destined to remain at the bottom.Her thoughts raced. She needed hard evidence to capture whoever was behind Amos. Baseless accusations would only alert the enemy and push them deeper into hiding.Allowing herself to be arrested had been part of Aria's plan. She needed the mastermind to lower his guard. After all, she had been too visible in Ludwiten lately. With eyes constantly watching her, she couldn't make any real moves. But she couldn't let the incident at Oakvale Academy go unresolved. Her instincts told her it was the key to everything.Before Philip found his family, she had to act—and that meant changing her identity to save Even.Just then, the person's phone buzzed. He turned the screen towa
"Boss!" Weston rushed over the moment he finished dealing with the other officers. Aria arched an eyebrow, flexing her wrists. "He's the mole?""Yes." Weston nodded. The Securities Regulatory Bureau, dispatched by the Securities Regulatory Commission, was tasked with auditing listed companies—particularly sniffing out insider trading and market manipulation.While not everyone in the bureau could be corrupt, it was common for a few to be compromised.The officer who had been interrogating Aria was of a minor rank, but the one Weston had just exposed held real power.Aria looked over at the trembling man. His legs had given out, sending him to the floor. His phone lay discarded beside him as he shook uncontrollably.They had met before—at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. To him, Aria had just been a clever heiress with some market luck, thanks to Landon's influence. No one would have expected her to single-handedly bring down the Draycott family.No one would logically believe