Aria signaled Adrian to go ahead. However, her gaze revealed nothing. Although Adrian felt he had been played, he didn't have any evidence, so he decided to visit Ronan. The boss dispatched Adrian to instruct Ronan on what he could and couldn't say. Ronan had already made a costly mistake, and another slip-up could easily be exploited by the police. Andrew knew he had to be cautious; these detectives were sharp. As Adrian settled into the visiting room, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The surveillance cameras loomed large in his mind, and he wondered how to extract the necessary information without alerting them. Yet, Ronan seemed nonchalant and showed no signs of worry. Adrian decided to check in with him. "Mr. Belmont, how are you feeling? Did they ask you questions that you don't know the answer to? You may direct it to me and stay silent for the time being. Perhaps you may provide any clues to the police."Adrian carefully crafted his question, pausing s
Orion's primary concern was securing control of the Chamber of Commerce. "You truly understand these poor people the most," he instructed his secretary. "Go and settle this. Handle it flawlessly, or it might jeopardize the Chamber of Commerce's voting."Aria, a potential threat, was disregarded, as were the ethical protocols Orion was undoubtedly familiar with. It seemed that once wealth was acquired, human life became a mere inconvenience. Aria knew the rules. Confronting the names Haisley had mentioned would only alert their enemies. In this critical situation, she desperately needed an ally. As she reviewed her notes, a police officer began, "Ms. Carver, we're uncertain about the actions of your companion. We cautioned him against interfering with the crime scene, but he seemed intent on investigating. And there's a child with him, a surprisingly strong child."Aria smiled at the thought of Sam. "He won't contaminate the crime scene," she assured them. "I believe he's searchin
It was obvious how great the view at night would be. The hall had built-in wine racks and various essentials for hosting parties. The view from the hall was truly remarkable. When one looked out, one could see The Bay. Gazing down, one would feel like a king gazing imperiously over the entire bar below.However, the police could only furrow their brows as they couldn't find any clues. Just as they contemplated their next course of action, Aria arrived. "Where is my friend?" Initially, she just wanted to know Landon's actual location. After all, Landon's call didn't go through several times, which surprised her."They're in the corridor downstairs, not here." The investigator was wearing disposable shoe covers while checking the scene. As Aria was going to look for Landon, she suddenly paused. It was only then she noticed the view from where she was. She could see everyone and everything in the bar, especially as the bar stools lit up when someone sat on them. When Aria reca
In the meantime, an expressionless small figure was moving things in the first-floor corridor. He would occasionally look up at Landon as if asking when he could meet Aria. The officers were bewildered by Sam's presence, completely taken aback by his extraordinary strength. The child seemed unable to speak, communicating only through gestures.The wine barrel beside him was undeniably real, yet he effortlessly lifted it with a single hand. It defied all logic as if the laws of physics no longer applied. Was this some kind of superhuman feat? Was he perhaps a god?Sam ignored the eyes on him. He remembered awakening in a hot spring deep in the woods. It felt comfortable, but he was hungry.Sam stamped his feet on the ground, then leaned over the water to inspect his reflection, meticulously checking his teeth. Only after this self-assessment did he begin to survey his surroundings.There was nobody else other than a bunch of souls. When he backed a step away, the souls would follo
Aria, who just came over, was stunned by the scene. Landon's pose reminded her of the man covering his nose with a white handkerchief in a manifestation in Ludwiten, but the person seemed more wicked than Landon. For some reason, Aria felt it wasn't a coincidence they were brought to Ludwiten. In fact, they were led there. Sam shook his head indifferently as he examined the surveillance cameras. When he saw Aria, however, he immediately dropped everything in his hands and fled to her side. He seemed to have a lot of things to say to Aria. He stretched out his hands and kept gesturing. Aria raised his face and squished his cheeks with one hand. She then glanced at his teeth. "Not bad. You didn't simply consume anything."Sam puffed his chest out proudly as if saying he had listened to her words.Relief washed over Aria as she enveloped him in a tight embrace, stroking his hair and grounding herself in his presence.Aria's bond with Sam transcended the ordinary. It was an unbr
The crow, despite its limited understanding of Chaos' words, sensed a growing unease. It feared Landon's lies and carefully constructed disguise might soon unravel. The crow was uncertain how Aria would react if she discovered Landon's true identity. Landon, seeking a missing fragment of his soul, had come to Ludwiten. This fragment resided within the city, making it crucial to ensure Landon's safety.As these anxieties weighed on him, Landon approached, his demeanor casual. "Mount Dracotigris," he explained, "possesses a sacred ground dedicated to the Decatorian way. Surrounded by dense woods and imbued with potent spiritual energy, it remains largely unexplored by humans due to the presence of various beasts. I believe Sam was there."Aria raised her eyebrows. "There is a place like this in Mount Dracotigris?""Yes. It's just that it was never made public."When Aria turned to Sam, he nodded, confirming his recollection of the place. Suddenly, a memory surfaced, and he swif
The passage was short. Aria reached a door after walking about 60 feet. When she was about to open it, she realized it was locked from the other side.In most situations, one would instinctively search for the lock mechanism and attempt to unlock it. However, Aria, ever vigilant, paused, her senses alert. A faint sound, a muffled whisper, emanated from the other side of the door, indicating a presence within.She raised her hand to signal Landon to pause.Aria, well-versed in criminal psychology, knew that criminals often returned to the crime scene, whether to dispose of evidence or for other, less discernible reasons."It's just as you said," a voice whispered from within, "no one has investigated this place. I knew I could trust you. See you tomorrow at the Chamber of Commerce."Aria knew she couldn't intervene immediately. However, she had confirmed the presence of someone within, a crucial piece of evidence.These individuals were arrogant, believing the surveillance cameras
The insidious wave of online comments, designed to sway public opinion, threatened to bury the truth forever. In most investigations, such a barrage of negativity would undoubtedly hinder the police's progress. However, Aria's rapid understanding of the intricate web of corruption within Nocturne and her discovery of the influential individuals orchestrating the cover-up had prompted a swift escalation of the case's confidentiality level to the highest degree.Beneath the surface of a seemingly tragic suicide lay a massive scandal, a tangled web of collusion between powerful officials and unscrupulous businessmen. Not only had the Special Missions Unit been dispatched, but even the Supreme Court was poised to intervene.Meanwhile, the orchestrated public outcry continued to simmer, fueled by the relentless dissemination of fabricated information.Orion, however, remained unfazed, his focus solely on the desired outcome. His secretary, ever efficient, delivered the news. "Mr. Drayc
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