As Ignatius was about to sit down to collect himself, he overheard his uncle, Edmund Furler, telling his father, "Dad's condition hasn't improved. The doctors say there's nothing serious and he just needs rest. Should we mention this to the Carvers?" At the Furler residence, Maxwell Furler, Ignatius' father, was usually the decision maker. "We should, but we can't refuse the visit. Just explain that Dad can't come downstairs due to his health. The Carvers won't mind, but something's definitely off with Dad." "I agree." Edmund whispered mysteriously, "It's like there's another person in Dad's body. Maxwell, last night was frightening; he kept demanding to see Philip. Maybe we should use this opportunity to have Ms. Carver take a look at him." Maxwell frowned. "You and your superstitions. I told you before—" "It's not just me. Remember how she saved Ignatius? We all just treat it as a coincidence but think about it, Maxwell. Ms. Carver had just arrived in Janovin then. Even if sh
Preston ignored Aria's attempts at conversation twice and merely walked ahead. Meanwhile, Landon paused his long stride, clearly waiting for Aria. With an elegant profile, he looked so refined and noble as he reached to help her down the steps. He appeared more like a beautiful but deadly godfather than a gentleman. Now that he was away from the Carver residence, the lethal pressure of his presence was on full display. Only when Preston noticed Landon's manner did he finally acknowledge Aria and put on a smile. "I didn't know Mr. York and Aria were so close to each other." Judging from the contrast in addressing Landon and Aria, Preston was clearly pulling rank to pick on an easy target. Clearly, some people in their circle never learned. Landon barely lifted his eyelids, but even that slight movement radiated so much coldness. Anyone who worked with him would recognize this as the precursor to destruction. Though Preston had met Landon several times, the huge gap between the
After Aria's final words, all color drained from Preston's smiling face. He had been looking down at Aria while trying to curry favor with Landon. But now, he looked flustered as he lowered his gaze and took a sip of tea to cover his discomfort. "These... These are just rumors. Surely you don't believe them, Aria." "Rumors?" Aria's elegant fingers rotated her teacup with casual indifference, but her words sent chills down their spines. "The construction workers worked so hard for a year just so that they could take their wages home for New Year's. Are those who jumped to their deaths because of your debt collection also just rumors? Mr. Lawrence, if you don't want others to know what you did, perhaps you shouldn't have done it. "I know exactly what kind of projects you consider worthwhile." This was not just a warning. She was practically declaring that she would destroy the Lawrence family. Lucy, however, missed the implications. She only wondered how a young woman like Aria d
Landon smiled and rose to follow Aria, adjusting his cuffs as his eyes met Preston's. Coughing softly, his voice remained deep. "Your daughter is already a lost cause, so there's nothing for me to guide her. Such behavior truly needs the cover of artistic education. "But here's one tip for you, Mr. Lawrence. Your family is becoming an eyesore. Perhaps it's time for you guys to disappear." Unlike Aria's bold and direct declaration, his words came so softly and casually as if he was just making small talk. But he was practically saying he would destroy them all. Preston collapsed heavily and nearly had a heart attack. He gasped for air. After years in business, he'd thought his money-making schemes were foolproof. He believed such things would go unnoticed since he operated within technical legality. After all, he was not the only one withholding construction payments. Besides, everyone was in the predatory loan business. He just had the bad luck of a suicide being traced to him.
These comments came from those who usually sided with Owen. This time, they truly feared Aria. She could have skipped the visits and just told them directly to behave. Aria did manage to fire a shot across the bows. Everyone understood these visits were meant to remind the elite families that the Carvers weren't what they used to be. They had better stay in line. Aria did not deny she had such intention. She was heading to Ludwiten soon, leaving Warren in Janovin. She needed to show some muscle to those always hoping for the Carvers' downfall. She worried about Warren's safety while she was gone. Of course, it gave her a perfect cover to observe any unusual behavior among the families. "I actually wanted to be friendly with them," Aria mused in the car. After welcoming Barron's spirit, she had deliberately let two people spread the word about her fortune-telling abilities, hoping others would seek her services. "I could have earned some nice side income." She played with her
The first issue was the overgrown plant. Since it would absorb too much sunlight and oxygen in the bedroom, it could affect their health over time. That was why Aria had recommended switching to a peace lily, which was both auspicious and harmless. As for the second case, the jewelry had dubious origins. One piece came from a black market, and another had dangerous mercury levels. Wearing them long-term could cause illness, let alone affect one's complexion. Aria had already handled these issues and explained everything. But the Furler ladies remained convinced of her extraordinary fortune-telling abilities. After all, how else could she have brought their wandering husbands back home? To them, her title as a master was irreplaceable. "We know you want to keep a low profile, Ms. Aria. We won't spread the word." "Yes, we'll just treat you like a family member." Aria did not want those behind the Earthbound Manifestation to know she had entered it. But this was excessive. Surro
Ashton's voice was unnaturally aged and raspy like rusted iron. He was speaking in such a stilted and mechanical way that he sounded like a poorly assembled puppet. Aria raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Furler Senior, you should always get a doctor to check on you if you have any discomfort. You can't act childish and refuse treatment. I happen to know some medicine, so I hope you don't mind me taking a look." Ashton froze at her casual tone. Without giving him a chance to refuse, Aria's eyes fell to the bedside. With a flick of her fingers, she tossed the Emperor Coins to the four cardinal directions. Ashton struggled to rise. "You—" Pretending not to notice his resistance, Aria cut him off, "Mr. Furler Senior, let me check your pulse." But instead of checking his pulse, she went straight for his throat. Maxwell and the others could not see what was happening inside. Ashton's face darkened as he struggled against her grip, shouting, "Is this how you treat patients? Maxwell, why are y
Ignatius stared wide-eyed as he wondered what Aria meant by possession. Aria had no time to explain. With one hand lowered, she began her incantation steadily, "By ancient powers, spirits hear, evil's bane, begone from here!" With each word, Ashton's expression grew more grotesque. He looked like he was searching for another victim. But all four directions were sealed, and he had no escape. As Aria finished her chant, Ashton threw his head back with a roar before releasing a dense black mist. Aria's eyes flashed as she dodged, but the mist rushed shamelessly toward Landon, which was the only gap in the barrier. Besides targeting family members, evil spirits were most attracted to those rich in fortune. Ashton's eyes lit up at seeing Landon. With such powerful fortune, just one taste of it would heal Ashton's injuries. He could taste, but not possess. Ashton wasn't foolish; he knew such a person carried heaven's fortune. But no matter who it was, anyone would fall ill if an evil
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