Aria continued, "Sky might really have a sick grandmother, but the way he put it is suspicious. When a man deliberately tries to make you feel sorry for him, that's a red flag. He's just trying to deceive you! "If it's not for love, it's for money. Sky's clearly after the latter. Stringing these clients along keeps them coming back to buy drinks. "Some ladies even got into fights over him at the club. I would say he's quite skilled at using such manipulation tactics." Manipulation? Claire's expression shifted, suddenly turning serious. Aria's smile widened. "To have a top escort with such sophisticated techniques, we definitely have to take a closer look at this place." She watched the nervous Sky inside, her tone light. "He's clever, and he's not just a pretty face." At her words, Landon raised an eyebrow. His fingers paused mid-air as he followed her gaze. He spoke in a low voice, "Since when did his type catch your interest?" He thought, "At least you used to have standa
Someone disagreed, "It's normal for club staff to wear earpieces." Aria gave a soft laugh. "I'm not saying it isn't normal. But this might be our breakthrough." "What do you mean?" Aria gestured at the footage. "This club has countless cameras recording everyone's movements. That's what's visible on the surface. So naturally, we checked the surveillance first—nothing wrong with that. "The issue is how quickly the club provided the footage. It's almost as if they had everything prepared in advance." Aria pointed to the enhanced image. "This isn't a standard earpiece; it's highly interference-resistant. Their tech system would have backup archives. "Since they keep such detailed surveillance records, they must have recordings of everything Sky said that night. We need to get those records." Some were puzzled. How did a temporarily assigned expert like Aria know so much about communication equipment? Of course she did—it was Aria's expertise after all. She had helped build
"Good question." Aria looked up. "If there is a secret passage, we need to consider what the club gains from it. For that answer, those female students who reported the incident might have our clues." "Them?" Someone asked. They were confused and struggling to follow her logic. What connection could there be between secret passages and those college students? Aria did not rush to explain, as her theory still needed evidence. "How's the investigation into those young women's relationships and financial situations going?" Aria turned to the crucial point. Claire responded diligently, "We have results. They're all in significant debt." After reporting this, Claire wondered aloud, "How did you know to check their finances?" Did the Special Missions Unit have some kind of foresight? "Remember how I saw one of their phones?" Aria smiled lightly. Claire frowned. "But that wouldn't show their finances." "Cosmetic procedures aren't cheap, and they've all had work done. Yes, it
Aria glanced back. "There's no need to trouble the tech team then. Let them handle the backups. I'll take care of the chat records." Everyone present was speechless. Were new expert investigators all this versatile now? Claire stood silently nearby, picking up the files Aria had left on the table. She noticed some notes written on the paper just from those brief minutes earlier. When Claire saw what was written, her eyes widened. She knew Special Missions Unit members were extraordinary, but seeing it firsthand was different. Aria had seemed to browse this huge pile of files so casually, yet she had memorized everything and found clear leads. She had heard of geniuses who could find patterns between individuals in an extremely short time. The Special Missions Unit clearly was not for ordinary people. Claire's eyes returned to the files, where "accomplice" stood out starkly, with "business?" noted beside it. "Claire, are we really letting her recover chat records? I've never
However, there was a noticeable pattern. She only followed women who looked innocent and below 23 years old. As for the rest, she would reject them and wouldn't even bother recommending them. Aria was familiar with the internet, so she understood each application's promotional strategies. They would capture the user's interest and leverage data for targeted notifications. In particular, many people trusted Instagram, which was a helpful application for promoting products.However, many posts were crafted to attract people's attention. For example, there were captions like, "I'm earning six figures in my 20s after writing novels for nine years! Offering mentorship for 599 dollars." The caption would be followed by a bunch of royalty screenshots.Many people would be envious and shocked, including some housewives and college students who would be tempted to try. However, they would only realize they could only make a few dollars a month after paying for the useless mentorship and
A continued texting, "You're right. They won't suspect us, anyway. It has nothing to do with us. Even if she reported it to the police, someone would take care of it. Cases like this are difficult to solve. "How can she prove she was forced? She even dreamed about marrying a rich guy. Anyway, we should quickly delete this conversation. Now that Luna has been chosen, we should choose another target."The conversation was also synced on the display screen, causing the police officers to feel a chill down their backs. The young women sitting behind the glass were still college students. Yet, they had been targeting people online and bringing them to bars.The police officers clenched their hands when faced with the four young faces. They weren't people who helped out their juniors but demons!Aria didn't feel surprised at the revelation. What she was doing now was proving some of her suspicions. She already felt something off when she saw them downstairs.However, she needed evide
Haisley, who had just gotten exposed, became pale. She wanted to stand up from the interrogation chair. "What right do you have to investigate my privacy?"Aria said slowly, "Haisley, why don't you look around to see where you are before slamming on the table? You're a suspect. Who else are we going to investigate?"Haisley sneered. "I'm a suspect? When did I become a suspect? You guys are just useless. Otherwise, go ahead and capture those behind the scenes! Why are you arresting me for? You're just trying to shift the blame on me. "Luna likes to jump off buildings. What does it have to do with me? I'm telling you not to accuse me without evidence!""Do I need to remind you of your image of a gentle and considerate senior in college?" Aria said flatly. The police officers watching outside thought Haisley was beyond help. Haisley took a deep breath. "I'm just working as a facilitator. I doubt it's illegal. How can you slander me without evidence? Is that how you guys do your w
Technically, Aria's interrogation method wasn't standard protocol. However, her method managed to expose Haisley's true colors. "It's true that I was envious of her. So what? She acts so arrogantly despite coming from a small town like me. "I don't get it. I'm prettier than her and wear all kinds of branded clothing. Why am I still inferior to her? She just looks a bit more innocent than me, but she also admitted she wanted to find a rich boyfriend."Haisley sneered. "You're interrogating me, so you might as well ask around. Most people who go to the bar are looking for a rich boyfriend. If Luna didn't have the same intention, she wouldn't have followed us."Everyone knows there's no such thing as free lunch. However, people are greedy. They'll get baited if you give them a bit of temptation. "Luna is no different. She dreamed about marrying a rich boyfriend. If she woke up and she found herself sleeping beside Sky, I bet she wouldn't take her life."Aria was looking for that
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
Landon's warm lips brushed against Aria's. The touch was light as a feather yet utterly captivating. His kiss was so delicate it seemed to awaken every memory stored in her body. In that moment, Aria could swear she caught that same sandalwood scent from her dreams. Black mist and countless indiscernible inscriptions appeared, but he paid them no mind, gripping her waist as he whispered low in her ear. When he kissed her wrist without looking away from her face, his presence was impossible to ignore. His black leather gloves lay discarded to the side. To Aria, every place his hands touched felt like it was on fire. The sensation intensified when his fingertips traced the black mark on her neck. Something inside her screamed to take control, which made her grab his hand. He seemed to smile with his lips by her ear. "So, are you ready to pay the renewal fee?" Aria had never thought anyone could enchant her like this. But this was different. It felt just like seeing a fallen g
Landon asked, "You're getting water?" As his gaze drifted down to where Aria's hair fell, his voice turned rich and low. "Then why are your ears turning red?" Aria's hand froze mid-air. "It's hot in here." "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's only 70°F here." Aria wanted to tell him to stop talking so much. It was all because of what he had done in her dreams, making her imagination run wild now. Did he think having a handsome face meant he could do whatever he wanted? He even used all that binding stuff on her too. But she couldn't be sure it was even him. And even if it was, it must have been from a past life. As an arcane seeker, Aria knew what recurring dreams usually meant. But she had pushed those thoughts aside. A past life should not dictate their relationship in this one. At the very least, he wouldn't try anything like putting her in chains and locking her up now. That would be illegal. She would have him arrested and be done with it. Besides, her handsome fi
The atmosphere inside the room was totally different from the outside.Aria did sense the strange aura around Seraphina just now. Her beauty was otherworldly, almost supernatural. And there was something familiar about her presence—Aria felt she had encountered it before but couldn't remember where. Given how quickly Seraphina had withdrawn her hostility and turned gentle, Aria saw no point in making an issue of it. Besides, the way Landon was massaging her neck felt too good, making her mind feel hazy. As her blood flow slowed, she started to feel drowsy. The trio hiding in the copper coin did not dare show themselves; they were probably not even there. They had been especially quiet since arriving in Ludwiten, as if something here affected them. This was one of the things Aria wanted to investigate. The Wagners had used some unknown method to hide themselves after reaching Ludwiten. Even the Special Missions Unit failed to track them. All they had was that initial contact