Ashton seemed to speak both to Ignatius and to himself, "I should have died long ago. Instead, I was foolish and wanted to stay longer to see you marry and have children. In the end, it's just a futile dream." Hearing his words, Ignatius broke down. He turned to Aria. "You can save Grandpa, right? You must be able to save him!" "I cannot," Aria's eyes lowered. "He should have died. But he's been staying where he doesn't belong by draining the life force from the surroundings. He'll harm not just his descendants but others too." Ignatius hugged Ashton and shook his head desperately. "That's not what Grandpa would do, Aria! Please, I'm begging you! He loves me most! Just this once!" Ashton watched Aria too, with one hand still hidden behind his back. Aria had meant to spare this grandfather and grandson some final good memories. But since Ashton had dabbled in the forbidden, he had to face the consequences. "Did you only want to see Ignatius marry and have children? Or did you
"Without me, you wouldn't exist, and neither would he. Everyone calls you Mr. Furler now, but what about me? I'm left here waiting for death! "If you're truly a good son, you should share your life with me. That's your duty." As Ashton finished speaking, his face twisted with greed. Ignatius stood frozen. He could not accept that these words had come from his beloved grandfather. Ashton had made his choice willingly. When he discovered a way to extend his life, he cared little for the fate of his descendants. All he desired was to live—and to be young again!Ashton's eyes darted nervously as his hand crept behind his back, ready to seize his replacement vessel. But he froze mid-motion. He believed his covert move had gone unnoticed, but Aria had already secured copper coins to his wrist with a fine thread. The thread, enchanted to react to even the slightest movement, tightened its grip. In that instant, Ashton's eyes widened in horror as he felt his soul begin to slip away.
The true mark of maturity came with a bitter realization. Not all parents would love their children unconditionally. Some cherished only the status their children brought them. Others craved control, while some favored certain children over others based on outdated beliefs. Many struggled to understand why, but life rarely offered simple answers. Even the most devoted love for one's children could sometimes become stifling in its intensity. However, Ashton's relentless pursuit of immortality had eclipsed all else. Aria told everyone not to touch Ashton's body, and she wrote a talisman on the spot. "The body should be cremated this afternoon. And Ignatius, this room should remain vacant for now." Ignatius lifted his head at her words, his face marked by suffering. "Keep wearing this Charm Token." Aria eyed his shoulder. "Take medicinal baths more frequently. I'll write down instructions for you. The fastest way to remove the mark is through beneficence—good deeds often overcom
With that thought in mind, Landon's gaze drifted over. His mesmerizing eyes turned cold and distant. Ah yes, the boy did look rather pitiful with that fair skin and those innocent doe eyes. He remembered how Aria used to prefer men who looked just like that, unlike himself. She had commented on how Landon looked so delicate, easy to bully, and carried an air of fragility. Fragile? Hah. Landon's eyes darkened, his emotions masked behind his perfect façade. Lost in his grief, Ignatius had not even noticed how his constant hovering around Aria might be misinterpreted. After such events, it seemed inappropriate to continue their visit. Maxwell had already begun preparing the funeral arrangements. Ashton's service would need to be handled with proper dignity. But Landon stopped him. "Don't announce it today." "Why?" Maxwell looked confused. Though irritated by how Aria always softened at the sight of pitiful young men, there were important things Landon had to say. "It wouldn't
Aria's voice remained neutral. "We're not exactly friends. The Kents took me in once, and she tried to hurt me a few times back then. Let's just say we're well-acquainted." Maxwell's smile vanished, swallowing whatever he had planned to say next. "Don't worry." Aria's smile held hidden meaning. "I'm just curious how someone with mediocre medical skills suddenly became known as a genius doctor." Maxwell understood now. "But she is skilled. She cured my wife's illness." "Did she?" Aria probed further into the topic. From Maxwell's account, she pieced together the situation. Lily could indeed perform acupuncture, though with inconsistent results. Aria had not visited the mansion recently. Still, she doubted Lily's techniques came from Georgina. Moreover, according to Maxwell, Lily had once said, "The Wagners and Furlers will both prosper. Rest assured, Mr. Furler Senior will be fine." Her words revealed two things. Mentioning the Furlers made sense, but why bring up the Wagner
"There's no need for us to meet anymore. I've made my decision. Yes, we won't have any collaborations with your team." After hanging up, the weight that had burdened Maxwell's shoulders for days suddenly lifted. His heart remained heavy. No one could stay unmoved by a family member's death. Yet Ashton's true nature, revealed at the end, left them all cold. Though other elite families remained unaware of the Furlers' situation, everything appeared calm on the surface. The ladies were particularly warm when seeing Aria out. The Janovin socialites who had waited to mock her now found themselves speechless. While they were still gossiping at their parties, their so-called "country bumpkin" had reached heights they could never attain. She did not need to socialize with them. With one move, she had brought the Lawrence family to their knees. Moreover, the high-society wives they desperately tried to please now treated Aria with so much warmth. They were practically worshipping her!
June pulled out her phone after Mark left, eager to reconnect with her social circle. When she finally got into the group chat, she tried finding a hot topic to discuss. But she realized the entire conversation revolved around ways to connect with Aria. June froze. She had to private message her friends and ask about it. "What's going on here? Aria Carver is much younger than us—should we really be giving her so much attention? When Clare came back from Aralia, I didn't see everyone acting like this." Her friend caught the bitterness in her words and stopped her. "Heavens, keep these thoughts between us. Don't ever mention this in the group!" June's face reddened. "I just don't understand what's happening." "Mrs. Shobert, we've known each other long enough, so I know what you mean. As your friend of many years, let me warn you. Ms. Carver is both capable and kind. She understands the struggles of us housewives. "You better not think Clare's been overshadowed, and don't undere
The patrol guard met Mindy's gaze and gave a subtle nod. But a closer look would reveal an unmistakable respect in him for Mindy. This was not surprising since certain powers had their fingers everywhere. And the Furler incident was just one example. "Is that really what the Furlers said?" "Yes!" The visitor pushed aside the beaded curtain. Morlock wore wooden sandals, his eyes cold. "Everything was settled. Did that old fool from the Furler family decide he didn't want to extend his life?" "The arcane seems to have failed." The attendant frowned. "A Farshyan arcane seeker must have discovered it. In his condition, it would've been noticed eventually. The priests of Mount Dracotigris aren't so easily fooled." The visitor laughed. "No matter how powerful they are, they're still beneath you. Once Morwenna emerges and souls unite, our power will be limitless. Mr. Grimalkin, as you told me—Farshya's vast territory and population are both an advantage and a liability. "With so
Dorian reached out instinctively, but he was too late. Magdalene hit the ground hard, her forehead bruised. How she wished she could just faint and escape this nightmare. But reality was merciless. With her head throbbing, she could only look at Dorian and the chaos engulfing the Fitzroy Group.Dorian's knees trembled with fear. "Mom, what should I do? That bastard must have exposed me! He'll pin everything on me. Mom—""D-Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll get you out of this," Magdalene said, though she was barely holding herself together.But the SWAT team would be here any second.Dorian's face turned deathly pale as a sudden realization struck him. "Mom, you told me to do everything. You said helping the Draycott family tamper with Waymond's financial statements would give us the upper hand!"Magdalene froze. Her outstretched hand dropped as she coughed up blood. "Y-You—!""Don't worry, Mom. Even if you go to jail, I'll come visit you. You're already old, but I still h
Dorian steadied Magdalene, helping her sit down. "Mom, what if Laura refuses to apologize? We need to put an end to this mess online before someone digs too deep.""Don't worry. Your brother is the one involved, and he's already on the plane. No one will link the Grisham family's accounts to you. Even if the police conducted an investigation, they'll only interrogate your brother." Magdalene took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her. Her clothes were stained with Laura's blood, making her feel utterly repulsed. Meanwhile, Dorian relaxed, reassured that he wouldn't be implicated.To him, his half-brother was nothing but an obstacle—a liability who competed for the inheritance. Though Dorian had joined the Fitzroy family late, he had Magdalene's support.Neval, on the other hand, had been nothing but a disgrace, sinking deeper into his gambling addiction. Now, at last, he served his purpose—as a scapegoat.Just as Dorian was savoring that thought, a frantic voice broke thro
Eamon never loved Laura, but he had always respected her. He fulfilled her requests, supported her family, and never strayed. While other wealthy men indulged in affairs, Eamon remained distant and polite, just as he had been in college.Their marriage wasn't filled with passion, but his world still revolved around her, Jett, and his work. Laura had a life many envied—a stable family, a respected position—yet she had only realized its worth too late. Tears welled up in her eyes. If she had been more decisive, things wouldn't have come to this. She could have continued her life as Eamon's wife, reaping its privileges whether love was present or not. Instead, she had listened to her mother and lost everything—her family, her son, and the Grisham family shares she had once taken for granted.She had never even desired those shares. So how had it come to this?Regret twisted inside her, making it hard to breathe. Clutching her shirt, she barely registered the voices around her unt
Magdalene's voice rang out, sharp with indignation. "What an ungrateful wretch! If not for my husband, you wouldn't have achieved any of this!"The PR manager remained unimpressed. "And yet we stayed here for his sake. Otherwise, with their so-called capabilities…" His gaze flickered toward Dorian, who stood frozen in shock. "Your youngest son is a fool blinded by women. He lacks competence and knowledge."As for your eldest, he has potential, but you raised him to be useless. I've been in this business too long to be deceived. You're only doing this to hold on to power."Magdalene's breath hitched. His words cut deep.The PR manager added, "Now that Fitzroy Group belongs to you, clean up the mess yourself."Her hands trembled with fury. She lifted a finger, pointing at the departing figures, but no words came out.Dorian leaned in, his voice hushed yet frantic. "Mom, what do we do? The Guetta family won't even pick up our calls."Magdalene bit down so hard on her lip that the t
The deeper people dug online, the more they painted Eamon as the perfect man—handsome, intelligent, scandal-free. Many began to feel it was a waste for him to have married Laura in the first in the first place. As for Magdalene's accusations, the public remained skeptical. They weren't entirely convinced by her words but were eager to hear the Grisham family's statement. No matter how attractive Eamon was, cheating was unacceptable.Aria stayed out of the online chaos, but she knew exactly who was orchestrating it—Eamon.Since the Fitzroy family refused to acknowledge their wrongdoing, Aria saw no need for restraint. It was time for the final blow."Expose the Fitzroy family's IP addresses," she ordered. "And have the one who photoshopped that image apologize. If he refuses, the dark web forum will make sure he regrets it."Online smear campaigns often relied on bots, just as the Fitzroy family had used them to fabricate rumors about Eamon's infidelity. After tossing out a few mi
Laura's marriage to Eamon had turned her into a laughingstock in Ludwiten. How could that heartless man transfer their marital assets ahead of time? What had she even gained from wasting years in this sham of a marriage?"I want that jerk to pay! Aren't feminists trending right now? Just spin the narrative like they do!"The Fitzroy Group had always been a family-run business, but aside from Magdalene, none of her descendants were competent enough to keep it afloat.The PR manager had long known this. Most senior employees remained loyal out of respect for the late CEO, but after hearing Laura's words, they could only exchange helpless glances. Did these spoiled heirs truly believe the internet could be so easily manipulated? That people would blindly believe whatever was fed to them? How delusional.The reality was damning. The video clearly showed Laura drugging Eamon. Instead of conducting themselves with the dignity befitting an esteemed family, they had resorted to illegal s
The Fitzroy Group's reputation was in shambles, battered by relentless criticism online. Dorian Fitzroy, the so-called CEO, had once boasted that he would triumph over Waymond and the Grisham family. Yet now, he was scrambling just to save himself.The Fitzroy family's underhanded tactics had been thoroughly exposed, with the internet tearing apart their every move.While the previous three generations of Fitzroys had been capable leaders, everything changed once Magdalene took over. Their successors had become mere opportunists, riding the coattails of others rather than proving their worth.Even within the company, employees had no idea what Dorian's actual skills were. Aside from exploiting his connections and bribing officials, he was utterly useless.Now, overwhelmed and powerless, he refused to even leave his office. When his secretary knocked, he stayed silent, praying for Magdalene to rescue him.Meanwhile, the prestigious families who had hoped to use the Fitzroys to el
"How did the video get leaked out? Did Eamon know about this beforehand and prepared for it? All you know is to cry! If I can't secure the Grisham family's shares, you'll soon be worthless!" Magdalene's voice was sharp, sending a chill down Laura's spine. The words cut deep, leaving her eyes brimming with resentment. But Magdalene had no patience for her daughter's emotions. "Who released this video? Why hold onto it for so many years? Did Eamon do this to take you down? Does he not care about Jett at all?"Laura didn't have the answers. All she felt was a deep, throbbing pain. Her phone buzzed nonstop—messages from high-society women, all pretending to be concerned but prying for gossip. Their insincere probing only intensified her hatred for whoever had exposed the truth."Mom, what's the point of yelling at me? I had no idea an old video like this would resurface. Before Jett was born, Eamon did..." She trailed off, her mind suddenly dragging her back to a buried memory.It was
Magdalene had never encountered such humiliation before. Gripping the chair for support, she trembled with fury, her face dark and rigid. The anger surged within her, rendering her speechless—only her heavy breaths betrayed the storm raging inside. People had always feared her. With her status, no one dared to raise their voice at her, much less hurl insults. In the past, when others struggled to survive, she stood above them, indifferent and untouchable.Raised in an elite family, Magdalene had long believed in class superiority. To her, the so-called common folk had no right to challenge her, let alone condemn her.Yet now, they all turned against her. Their scorn was relentless. They called her a vile, greedy old woman who leeched off her daughter's success. Some even accused her of being capable of far worse than drugging someone.Her expression darkened as she read their words. Taking a deep breath to suppress her growing panic, she swiftly contacted Neval."Board the plane