In the past, Priscilla's behavior might have softened Clyde's heart. After all, who wanted to believe that a child they watched grow up could become so unfamiliar? But after his illness and seeing his family at a disadvantage, everything became clear. Besides, Aria had exposed the Draycott family's spies within the Grisham household. How could Clyde still be soft-hearted? He looked away and ignored her, then spoke only to Aria, "After this test is over, I'll go with you to see your mother." The misunderstandings needed to be cleared up. He really wanted to see his daughter now and properly ask what had happened back then. Aria smiled brightly at this. "Sure thing, I'll hurry up then." Fiona's absence was likely due to the Draycott family blocking her entry. Aria wasn't worried about this. In fact, Fiona's absence from this gathering was better, allowing her to figure out Alaric's true nature. Despite her long involvement with the Grisham family, this was the first time Pris
The surrounding whispers shattered Priscilla's proud façade as her face flushed. It was true that Alaric had not cared about anyone during their school days, but how could he claim not to know her? She had even asked Fiona to deliver her love letter to him. Another reason she hated Fiona was precisely because she had refused to help, saying confessions were better done in person. She even suggested sleeping with him back then, knowing he was a playboy. She was just hoping to become his girlfriend, but he had never acknowledged her existence. Priscilla thought that after all these years, he couldn't possibly forget her after her huge transformation. How could he deny knowing her in front of everyone? When Priscilla was on the verge of losing control, Orion felt nothing but embarrassment. He pushed her aside. "Priscilla, this is a Chamber meeting. Handle personal matters privately." Didn't she realize that Alaric's single statement had already made their allies question how clo
"You... you!" Priscilla was furious. Her already mismatched features were now contorted with fury, devoid of any beauty. Someone in the crowd let out a snicker after hearing Aria's words. Everyone turned to see it was a Royal Hotel server. He coughed, covering his mouth. "Sorry." But he seemed unable to contain his laughter. The Chamber members felt secondhand embarrassment for Priscilla. What started as whispers had turned to pin-drop silence. The silence only made Priscilla seem even more ridiculous. It was obvious to Orion that Priscilla was totally humiliating him. "Take Ms. Draycott downstairs," he growled at his assistant. Priscilla stared at him in disbelief. "Orion, I'm a Chamber member too. You can't..." "Take her down!" Keeping her here would only embarrass the entire Draycott family. The assistant didn't hesitate as he moved to escort her out. Priscilla refused to leave, shouting, "Orion! Have you lost your mind? Why would you attack me instead of that woman?
Priscilla's fate left everyone shaken. She had undoubtedly become the Chamber's laughingstock. Businessmen were never fools. It was clear Priscilla had lied about her connection to the Sloane family. What about Orion? Would Alaric really back him financially? While everyone speculated, the aloof man suddenly spoke to Aria. His attitude was unreadable as his deep green eyes settled on her. "What did you want to discuss?" Instantly, the crowd erupted in whispers. Orion's face turned as withered as autumn leaves. He stood frozen and could not speak a word. Alaric's status in the business world left him powerless. Aria now showed perfect manners. "May we speak privately?" Alaric signaled his bodyguard, and the foreign-looking man with an earpiece cleared a path. "You don't have much time left." Alaric was referring to the auction items. Aria was unbothered. "Then I'll be brief." A wall of people separated them from the others. No one could hear their conversation. As Or
At that moment, Alaric realized Aria knew something—especially about his feelings. As he stopped hiding it, his gaze settled back on her. "I did something that upset your mother. She probably sees me as some scoundrel who takes what he wants and ruins families." "To be frank, even if my mother hadn't gotten divorced, you wouldn't have given up on her, right?" Aria said, then added, "You're way better than that good-for-nothing father of mine." Those words restored Alaric's confidence. "Really?" "Of course. You're much more handsome than he is. Richer too, I bet." Aria counted off on her fingers. "Most importantly, you actually care about my mother." Alaric didn't deny it. His voice grew serious. "So, are you here to tell me you'll help me pursue your mother?" Before Aria could speak, he continued, "I won't use her as part of any deal." Aria smiled. "I feel the same way, Alaric. My mother shouldn't be used as a bargaining chip." Good, so Alaric truly loved Fiona to his c
Alaric's devotion to Fiona was undeniable, so it was hard to imagine why he had lived so recklessly in his youth. Fiona's misunderstanding made sense. Even ignoring his past, who would believe he could be so loyal and devoted with looks like his? Aria then recalled Owen's old schemes. In her dreams, they were crystal clear. She had not studied it closely before, but thinking back now, she suspected Fiona's marriage to the Carver family had been orchestrated. Still, if Fiona had not married into the Carver family, Aria wouldn't exist. If this truly was Fiona's regret from her youth, Aria hoped to use this opportunity to uncover the whole truth. Their conversation seemed long but lasted only three minutes. When the black-clad bodyguards stepped aside, Alaric announced, "Business battles here aren't child's play. The Sloane family has no interest in unprofitable ventures." After that, he headed back to the crowd. Standing far away, Clyde's brows furrowed with worry. And Orion
"Would all guests please return to their seats? We'll now begin the bidding." The performer on stage raised his hand. "We've placed silver dollars in the container on each table. The auction items will follow the same principle—the highest bid wins." As everyone looked down, they found out that the silver dollars were genuine. "Just this one must be worth quite a bit." "What? Do you actually dare try selling anything from the Royal Hotel?" The silver dollars were all from 1914, which meant that the treasures here must be abundant. While playing with the silver dollar, Aria suddenly became curious about the Royal Hotel's current owner. Once this was over, she planned to investigate who was running such a unique establishment and when it was built. As she pondered this, Caspian felt an inexplicable chill down his spine across the wall. "First item, starting bid one silver dollar. Interested guests may raise their paddles now." The first item was a phone holder. Aria kne
"Tell Ms. Kent to keep raising. Since Aria actually dares to wage a price war with the Draycott family, let's teach her a lesson." According to tradition, each party started at auction with only two silver dollars. More partners meant more silver dollars accumulated. In addition to the Grisham and Carver families, only six groups stood with Aria. Meanwhile, at least 16 people backed Lily. Aria was severely outnumbered in silver dollars. This was Lily's most satisfying moment all year. She glanced at Aria across the room and raised her paddle. "16 silver dollars." She believed this number would hurt Aria the most. If Aria bid, she would have only two silver dollars left, while Lily would still have 18. With five projects remaining, Aria would be finished. If Aria did not bid, each failed bid would waste two silver dollars. Lily would always have the upper hand. It was a perfect opening move. She could not wait to see how badly Aria would lose. "16 silver dollars once, 16 s
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo
Now that Miguel, who was an expert in covering up, was gone, the long-standing issues in the school were exposed.The group stood frozen as they watched a cafeteria worker pour something into a large pot. A closer look revealed it was leftover mushroom soup. But that wasn't the worst of it. The soup reeked, clearly spoiled, yet it was still being reheated for the students.Things only got worse when they entered the kitchen. Hygiene standards were appalling. Not a single chef wore a mask, and some were even smoking while cooking.Amos' expression darkened immediately, even before Lucas could react.One of the chefs noticed them and slammed his ladle onto the counter. "What are you doing in here? Outsiders aren't allowed in the school—don't you know that?"Unlike other schools, Oakvale Academy had somehow always slipped through the cracks during routine inspections. When required to present something, they staged it well enough to fool a camera.So, the staff never expected a surp
Aria understood that this was all the person could offer. The real mastermind would never reveal himself so easily—not even to his most trusted subordinates.Those in power never needed to explain themselves. Those who understood them would earn their favor; those who didn't were destined to remain at the bottom.Her thoughts raced. She needed hard evidence to capture whoever was behind Amos. Baseless accusations would only alert the enemy and push them deeper into hiding.Allowing herself to be arrested had been part of Aria's plan. She needed the mastermind to lower his guard. After all, she had been too visible in Ludwiten lately. With eyes constantly watching her, she couldn't make any real moves. But she couldn't let the incident at Oakvale Academy go unresolved. Her instincts told her it was the key to everything.Before Philip found his family, she had to act—and that meant changing her identity to save Even.Just then, the person's phone buzzed. He turned the screen towa
"Boss!" Weston rushed over the moment he finished dealing with the other officers. Aria arched an eyebrow, flexing her wrists. "He's the mole?""Yes." Weston nodded. The Securities Regulatory Bureau, dispatched by the Securities Regulatory Commission, was tasked with auditing listed companies—particularly sniffing out insider trading and market manipulation.While not everyone in the bureau could be corrupt, it was common for a few to be compromised.The officer who had been interrogating Aria was of a minor rank, but the one Weston had just exposed held real power.Aria looked over at the trembling man. His legs had given out, sending him to the floor. His phone lay discarded beside him as he shook uncontrollably.They had met before—at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. To him, Aria had just been a clever heiress with some market luck, thanks to Landon's influence. No one would have expected her to single-handedly bring down the Draycott family.No one would logically believe