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
"Don't call me 'bro.' I'm a woman." It was a relaxed voice with a distinctly youthful ring to it. Rafe was stunned. Was she even an adult? Aria was indeed young then. She had even told him she was doing homework, so he should handle future investments himself since they had already won back their capital. Rafe found it surreal. His mentor was doing homework and studying. The mature, reliable, experienced brother figure in his head suddenly became a young woman, leaving him dazed. Aria's choice of Rafe wasn't random. "Harry recommended you. I checked your background. It's quite impressive." Rafe finally understood. She had meant to help him all along, hence choosing stocks. As a trader for many years, he had never met such a financial genius. Harry had said she did not just help one person. She selectively invested in those who had left state enterprises due to market transitions. "Dude, look at me. I'm just a country boy who knows coal mining, yet Boss never looks down on m
That was unlike Harry. He usually told everyone everything, so Rafe was genuinely surprised. "But Boss, weren't you just starting college?" "I'm repeating a year, starting this year," Aria said casually, "Age doesn't matter for engagement. It was arranged back when we were younger." Rafe was incredibly curious about what kind of man could catch Aria's eye. The voice on the phone had a northern accent, with a slight cough. He sounded quite considerate but with health issues. Would he be alright? Aria noticed Rafe probably did not know she was the youngest Carver. She knew Harry and others were keeping their old agreement too. "Actually, Rafe, I do need your help with something." Aria looked at the invitation card again. "I remember you have considerable influence in the Chamber of Commerce. How well do you know the Draycotts?" Rafe was eager to help. "Very well. Boss, are you looking to join the Chamber?" "That's the idea." Aria smiled mischievously. "I'm particularly intere
Warren felt deep remorse about his foolish son Owen's actions, and Stephen understood how he felt. He did not say anything more about that and only mentioned Felix's endorsement matter. "Mr. Carver Senior, Mrs. Carver made a smart decision. The Draycotts won't find it easy to cause trouble. Family will always stick together; surely the Grishams will accept Mrs. Carver and Ms. Carver. Mrs. Carver's brothers used to adore Ms. Carver the most. They'll find ways to reach out." Hearing this, Warren gazed out the window while leaning on his elaborate walking stick. "The Draycotts have devoured many companies over the years. Our old friends can barely survive now. The Chamber... I hope Aria understands my intentions." "Mr. Carver Senior, Ms. Carver is brilliant. She'll grasp your vision. The fact that Mr. Fergus volunteered to go to Ludwiten proves your approach was right. "I believe none of our ancestors wants to see the Chamber become what it is today. The Carvers haven't changed."
Orion looked up. "Some traditionalists in the Chamber won't listen to reason. They keep preaching about morality. Everyone knows that despite our foreign status, our patriotic hearts never wavered." "Right! I donated plenty during the last flood." "The Kincaid family's influence at the port is quite big. These stubborn old-timers are foolish to oppose them, and they shouldn't drag the Chamber into it." Orion smiled politely. "My thoughts exactly. We can't make mistakes with the voting." "Beyond voting, Mr. Draycott must have other plans." Someone winked from the side. "The Hawke family is a perfect example, isn't it?" Orion smiled silently, and everyone understood the unspoken message. They all knew what happened to the Hawkes. That was because they had refused to listen to the Draycotts. They insisted the Chamber was founded by Barron and should include the Carvers.Such blind loyalty. They really couldn't read the situation, could they? The group burst into laughter agai
The man sat beside Luna Hanson casually. "Is this your first time here?" Caught off guard by his approach, Luna fidgeted nervously. "Yeah, I came with my friends." Were her friends here as well? A flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes, but the command in his earpiece left him no choice. "Where are they?" Right on cue, a few young women walked over. "Luna, look at you! We were just in the washroom, and you've already caught someone's attention." Luna's cheeks flushed. "No, he just thought I was alone and bored." As she spoke, she didn't notice how the man relaxed when they appeared. He exchanged a knowing glance with them. It was clear what he wanted. "Don't turn him down, Luna!" "Come on, have a drink! We're here with you, so nothing bad will happen!" Her friends kept encouraging her while the man smiled politely. "I just want to share a drink with you, nothing more. If you're worried, I'll take the first sip." Luna glanced between the man and her friends. Everyone l
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