At the end of the day, those socialites probably just did it for fun. But at this moment, Graham felt an intimidating pressure radiating from Aria. Her face remained beautiful, but her eyes had turned ice-cold. When she looked up, her eyes seemed to glint with frost, as if she could expose anyone's thoughts in an instant. Graham actually felt afraid. He had never experienced anything like this before. Even the famous Lily Kent, who was currently making waves in Ludwiten for her fortune-telling ability, hadn't made Graham tremble like this. For some reason, he recalled the rumors he had heard from Janovin. A recent nationwide case of returning the heroic spirit home had exposed suspicious activities at the church. But people said that the case wasn't solved by any special task force, but by Aria. They said she had worked in secret and struck so suddenly that those involved with the church had no time to react before they were all imprisoned. Otherwise, the suppression of the her
"Mr. Barron raised money everywhere. He used his influence in international business circles to gather both funds and supplies. "Many Farshyan expats abroad gave everything they could to the country. Our medications, weapons, and communication equipment all came through their efforts. Back then, Chamber members had only one thought—Farshya must not fall." "That's how the Chamber of Commerce became a contact point. It was discreet, hard to suppress, and had an extensive logistics system. We didn't have courier services then, just security transport companies. These companies helped deliver crucial supplies to aid the country. "The Chamber succeeded largely thanks to Farshyan expats' help. That's why two of the four decision-makers were Farshyan expats, two were Ludwiten merchants, and Mr. Barron held the tie-breaking vote. "Now years later, the business world has changed drastically. The descendants of those two Ludwiten merchants have gone overseas. Besides Farshyan expats, man
Aria had used this strategy on Marshall back when she took back Kent Corporation under Georgina's name. The Draycotts' method mirrored hers perfectly. The difference was that Aria had only reclaimed what rightfully belonged to Georgina, while the Draycotts did this to destroy people. Not just one company, but many local businesses had vanished this way. Aria suddenly thought of something. "Did the Draycotts have something to do with the fall of the Hawke family as well?" Others in their circle had suspected this but never dared voice it. And Graham's expression confirmed Aria's guess. "The Draycotts did many things just so they could become the decision-makers. Ms. Carver, please be careful in Ludwiten. They'll do everything to prevent your return to the Chamber. It's not that they're particularly strong, but they have too much capital backing them. "The relationship between the Grishams and the Carvers is their leverage." As Graham finished speaking, their car arrived at t
But thinking about it now, would other companies fare any better if the Draycotts became the biggest decision-makers in the Chamber of Commerce? The answer was definitely no. Graham's face changed as he said urgently, "Mr. York, I'll head back to the company right away!" Back in the car, Graham hoped Aria would win this tug-of-war, despite her seemingly impractical words. The Chamber had fallen far from its founding principles. If the Carvers still held their former absolute influence in Ludwiten, they could surely turn things around. It seemed the Carvers had returned for exactly this reason. But was Aria really this uninformed about the Draycotts? How could someone so out of touch compete with them? Wait a minute. Aria had not shown any surprise at his words. She had acted as if she already knew everything, even pointing out the reason for the Hawke family's downfall. Come to think of it, Landon would not normally explain these things to Graham. It was Aria who had told him
To prove her capabilities, Lily had not been just sitting around these past few days. She knew Ludwiten's elite were watching and evaluating whether she was trustworthy. She had racked her brain over this. Fortune-telling alone would not give her free rein anymore. Businessmen cared about profits the most. Lily recalled from her previous life how real estate prices had soared and the stock market had seen extended bull runs. This instantly gave her direction. She pretended to look mysterious. "Everyone needs housing. People's conditions will improve, and more will move from rural areas to cities. West Ludwiten is a blessed piece of land, with fortune favoring its residents. "Gold and pharmaceutical stocks will also see upward trends. Mr. Draycott, I suggest you focus development in these directions." Currently, real estate prices were indeed promising. Lily did not expect to maintain her influence seven or eight years later anyway. She urgently needed to prove herself, and sh
Priscilla agreed. The Draycotts now had the power to control the Chamber of Commerce and get whatever they wanted in Ludwiten. No company dared cross them, so just one poor person's death wouldn't make waves. Besides, it was not her fault. "Poor people are just so greedy for wanting everything. Miracles don't just fall from the sky. How could she possibly get the whole procedure done so cheaply? "Ignore her parents. She signed the waiver before surgery. Since she went to school, surely she could read a waiver. Have our lawyers focus on that angle. She can't deny her own signature. "If those old folks make trouble again, remind them of this. Our prestigious medispa suffered reputation damage just because their daughter was too poorly educated to understand a simple waiver, which led to this tragedy. "The clinic did everything it should. If they're still not satisfied, we'll handle it through legal channels. "If they can't figure out the internet, show them how the online commu
"Never mind, I'll see what the Draycotts are plotting when I meet them the day after tomorrow." Just as Aria put away the invitation, her phone buzzed with a message from the dark web forum. It was her Ludwiten network, Rafe Lane. Without hesitation, she tapped on Rafe's voice message to listen. "Boss, Harry told me you're in Ludwiten! Do you need anything from me?" Rafe's voice was clearly excited. "How did you find time to come to Ludwiten? Didn't you say you'd focus on exams this year, spend time with family, and stay away from venture capital? "Or did you also spot this year's bull market? Everything's green, and the exchange is packed!" Those who had risen with Aria shared an unspoken agreement—they would never reveal her real-world identity. Even if they met in person, they kept this secret. Because Aria clearly was not just any ordinary person; she was an enigmatic genius. If Harry hadn't gone to Southbury back then, only the chairman of Grand Construction Corporation
Rafe continued ignoring the messages. Then his bank sent a notification. Five million dollars had been deposited into his account. Another message quickly followed. "For my investment, you'll get standard market trader rates after profits. Take extra commission if you want, but you must follow my instructions exactly. Open an account." Looking at the money, Rafe decided to take one last chance. He did not act rashly and chose to observe for a few days first. The stocks they mentioned were indeed rising, so he made his move. Even now, Rafe had not forgotten that feeling. He had been sitting at his computer as he watched exchange indexes climb daily, everything turning green. He watched the five million dollars become 10 million, then 20 million, and so on until it passed 100 million. Rafe truly admired this mysterious person. Not a single stock purchase lost money; they showed stunning growth instead. Anyone would get caught up in such success. Just when he was losing restrain
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
Laura's piercing scream echoed through the room, shattering any illusion of the gentle, refined woman from a prestigious family. She had been the picture of grace in the Grisham family—a well-mannered and elegant wife, admired by high society. Everyone envied her seemingly perfect marriage.But Laura had never stopped to consider that it was all because of Eamon. It was his status, his wealth, his name that allowed her to hold her head high among the elite.Now that everything was slipping from her grasp, she lost all composure. Gone was the elegant, dignified image—replaced by a woman consumed by rage and desperation. She grabbed whatever was within reach and smashed it to the floor.The housekeepers kept their distance, unwilling to risk stepping inside.The lawyer, however, had no such luxury. He sighed, maintaining his professional tone. "Ms. Fitzroy, obtaining shares is practically impossible at this point. Public sentiment is overwhelmingly against you. I strongly advise se
Laura went pale after hearing that. She shot up from the couch, unable to contain her anger. "Who's saying my marriage had ulterior motives? Who can prove it? If Eamon hadn't wanted to marry me, how could I have given birth to Jett?"The most disgraceful thing Laura had ever done was to use underhanded tactics to secure her marriage.She still remembered the cold indifference in Eamon's eyes when he woke up that morning. The way he had ordered her out of the room as if her presence alone disgusted him. It wasn't until Jett was born that his attitude started to change.But that didn't mean anything. She refused to believe his affection over the years had been fake. No one had proof, so why should the narrative suddenly change now?The lawyer looked at her solemnly. "Ms. Fitzroy, perhaps you should see the video circulating online. It's an old recording. The quality isn't great, but it clearly captures what happened back then.""Video? What kind of video?"Laura's hands were shakin
For some reason, they suddenly lost all interest in Lily. It wasn't as if they couldn't afford their meals, so there was no need to flatter her anymore. The group glanced at Atticus, whose mind was in turmoil. How he wished Lily was right—at least, he could justify his own judgment. But the truth was far from that. All he felt was mounting embarrassment. "I'm not going." Bastian was the first to speak, followed by several others. It was telling how unpopular Lily had become—so much so that even a free meal couldn't entice them. Lily had never experienced such disdain before. After all, she was used to being the center of attention, yet now, even these so-called village bumpkins were looking down on her!"I get it now. You all just flock to the rich and trample on the poor. Now that Aria is more capable, you want to butter her up—just like you did with me before," Lily sneered.But no one was willing to entertain her mockery. They were young men with their own pride.Bastian sc