The roads were soaked. It had been raining for a whole day in Southbury. Aria Carver's backpack was thrown out of the door by the butler in disdain."Mr. Kent doesn't want to see you, Ms. Carver. So, I have to say some words in his stead. Your birth parents are in the countryside. Your father's last name is Carver."The Kent family mistook you for their daughter in the past. But now that Ms. Lily has been found, I hope that you can do what's best for everyone and stop contacting the Kent family."The butler, Alfred Dun, took out a card. "Here's 10,000 dollars. Mr. Kent instructed me to give it to you as compensation.""No need."Aria didn't even look at the card as she picked up her backpack.Alfred looked at her in disdain. She didn't want the money? Was she acting tough?She should really think about her circumstances. The Kents had found their real daughter. They wouldn't want a country bumpkin like her anymore. She was an embarrassment. "As you wish, Ms. Carver." Alfred
"I'll offer treatment for everyone at the community square tomorrow." Then, Aria reminded them, "Remember to take the medicine. Don't stay up late to watch soap operas. They won't end so soon.""The Tiara" was all the rage in the Elmer district at that time. All the older men and women were hooked on it.A lot of them looked guilty after Aria said that. "We…We will sleep at 10:00 pm from now on."In the past, no one could have imagined that this group of people would be so obedient to one person. A lot of them had made great contributions to the country. Even their identities were kept a secret.Elmer district's community manager, Joel Hayes, had been hoping that Aria would come back sooner. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Dr. Carver, I have been keeping an eye on your house. I've not allowed anyone to approach your property.""Thanks for the hard work." Aria bowed slightly and handed him an apple. Joel accepted the apple with a smile. "It's no trouble at all. I tr
"You have a good eye, boss! I'll prepare an account to receive payment from the Yorks!"Aria said calmly, "No need to rush. Let me sleep first. Do it tomorrow."Other than making money, Aria's biggest interest was treating all sorts of rare diseases. This job from the York family was a nice one for her.Honestly, she was probably the only person who wasn't fazed by the York's visit to Southbury. All of the prominent families in the city were scrambling into action.A family like the Kents had to reach out to everyone they knew and utilize all of their connections in an attempt to get an invitation from the Yorks. Even regular people were talking about how the city was especially lively that month.First, the richest man in Janovin came to look for his granddaughter. Then, the York family came to receive treatment. Some said that the Yorks came to Southbury because the legendary Whiz Doctor was in town. There were a lot of rumors about the Whiz Doctor, but some of them were qui
"That's right, young lady. We should probably call an ambulance. This boy appears to be lost. I called out for some time just now, but no one came over," an old man said. He was concerned that Aria might be blamed if anything happened to the boy. Aria quickly unbuttoned the boy's coat and brought him to some shade. "Don't worry. I'm a licensed doctor."Then, she opened her bag and took out a medical kit. It was equipped with needles and scalpels of all sizes, all arranged neatly in rows. Aria felt the boy's pulse again. "Stop it! How can you simply touch the patient?" Jimmy yelled. He couldn't allow Aria to do as she pleased. She ignored him and continued to monitor the boy's pulse and heart rate. Jimmy sneered. "I'm Jimmy Cornell, currently studying at Janovin Medical University. My mentor is Dr. Salome Gunther. I'm not just a random bystander. You say you're a licensed doctor? How old are you?"Aria continued to ignore him. Her focus was on the boy. She took out a needl
Aria stuck the first needle into the boy without any hesitation.The boy immediately frowned. It was like he was regaining his consciousness. It looked like he was struggling as his brows furrowed even deeper. Someone in the crowd yelled, "He's waking up!"Jimmy was stunned. His face grew pale. "This can't be…"How did she pull that off? Just one needle? Could a person really regain consciousness from that?Aria raised her hand again. Her gaze was focused, and she looked very composed. She stuck the second needle into the boy's fingertips to draw some blood. Right after she did that, the boy opened his eyes. His pupils were dark and round, while his eyelashes were extraordinarily long. He glanced at Aria quietly, but his face was still quite pale. Everyone in the crowd was stunned. Francine spoke up, "Young lady, you healed with a few pokes of the needle?"Aria applied some light pressure on the needle. She saw that the bloodletting was done, so she removed the needle
Jimmy had always thought that the common folk were beneath him. He didn't notice that Aria's gaze changed as she looked up. Viciousness and contempt filled her eyes. She casually toyed with a piece of candy in her palm. Then, she flicked toward Jimmy.He felt his knee give out as he fell to the ground. "Ah!" The pain caused him to frown.He tried to get up but realized that he couldn't move his body at all. He couldn't talk, and his hands wouldn't budge. It felt like his movements had been sealed with the attack.Aria walked up to him and said calmly, "As a medical student, you failed miserably at determining the patient's symptoms, and you even declared a verdict without a second thought. "Being a doctor doesn't mean you're better than anyone else. It's a job for you to help people in need. You're unskilled and unethical. Now that you're on your knees, I'll accept your apology. Consider this a lesson I'm teaching you in your mentor's stead.""You!" Jimmy's eyes were filled
People in the crowd exclaimed in surprise and started talking."Everyone in Caesar Hotel today is quite important. I heard that there are a lot of prominent medical families in there.""Then this boy…"Aria wasn't surprised at all. After all, Miles was very well-dressed. The watch he was wearing on his wrist was quite expensive as well. "Remember to bring bodyguards when you come out next time," Aria said as she packed her medical kit up. When Miles realized that she was leaving, he clung to her leg.Aria couldn't get on the bicycle, so she looked down at him.Miles didn't speak. He just held on to her sleeve. He took a step whenever she did. They were going nowhere like that. She stopped in her tracks. "I'll take you back to your parents.""Okay!" Miles got what he wanted. He nodded and said, "I'll have my parents thank you properly, miss."Aria adjusted his collar for him. "No need for that. I don't take payment for helping kids.""And…" Miles shifted his gaze. "Do you
Aria couldn't really see what the person in the car looked like. But she was a doctor. So, she was very sensitive to the scent of herbs. She smelled the faint fragrance of herbs when the window was rolled down. Aria was well-versed in the "Traditional Herbs Almanac". She was well aware that there was a high chance that someone with a chronic illness would be photophobic.Troy urged, "Mr. Miles, don't you want to go see Mr. Landon first?"Miles was distracted. He said to Aria, "Miss, please stay here and wait for me. I'll be back soon."Aria nodded.Miles dashed toward the car.Troy stayed behind and handed Aria a card. "Thanks for saving Mr. Miles, Ms. Carver. This is a gift for you. Please accept it.""You know my last name? That means you know who I am." Aria smiled meaningfully. "It doesn't feel like you're thanking me. It feels like you're trying to distance yourself from me."Troy froze for a second. "You're mistaken, Ms. Carver.""Doesn't matter." Aria glanced at Mile
Clyde's lips curved into a gratified smile, his eyes reflecting complex emotions. There was pride in Aria's courage and contemplation of years past. "Aria, you've grown up, and you now have your own thoughts and responsibilities. But courage and determination alone aren't enough. Strategy and method matter just as much." He paused, his tone deepening. "If the Draycotts dare to scheme so openly, they must have hidden plans we don't yet see. You must not only help those in need but also protect yourself from their plots." Aria nodded gently, knowing she needed to share some details to ease Clyde's concerns. "Grandpa, I understand. I've started investigating the Draycotts' activities while seeking the right timing. It's all to make sure each of my steps is solid. "As for funding, I have initial plans for multi-channel financing and will bring in professional teams for risk assessment and management. Don't worry." Clyde had a look of approval on his face. "Good, better safe than
Waymond had always been one who wore his heart on his sleeve, so he teared up. Seeing Fiona this way, his usual stern face crumbled. "If you cared so much about Dad's health, why didn't you come see him as soon as you arrived in Ludwiten?" Fiona paused, realizing something. "I did come home, more than once." "You came back? When?" Eamon could not help asking. Fiona detailed both visits to the Grisham residence. The first time happened before meeting Priscilla. She went straight to the mansion as she was worried about miscommunication. The butler stopped her, apologetically explaining that the family had business troubles. And with Owen's past schemes, her visit would only bring problems. The second time, she was still worried, especially after noticing her childhood friend Priscilla had changed. She tried again. The housekeeper accepted her gifts and promised to convey her sentiments. Fiona had suspected something was off but felt powerless. Her calls wouldn't go through, t
"Someone lit prayer candles for you in Ludwiten?" Caspian asked. As Caspian realized something, his face turned pale. "Boss, when you passed away in your last life, I cleaned up everything connected to you. No one could even approach your grave. "But things were chaotic then, so I might have missed something." During that special period, with war everywhere, even the Royal Hotel had closed. Few things remained intact, but Caspian remembered being extremely careful with anything related to Landon. Landon stood, dark mist rising behind him. "So you don't know?" Caspian quickly shook his head, distancing himself. "Then find out who it was." Landon's tone remained neutral, yet his presence felt suffocating. His emotions always seemed stable. As the crow said, Landon's emotions couldn't be unstable. If they were, Ludwiten's weather would become unpredictable. Meanwhile, Fiona thought meeting Richard was just a chance encounter. When Waymond told her she should return to th
Waymond knew Orion's methods well. Given his vengeful nature, he would surely scheme against Aria during the practical phase. Waymond worried for her. Aria needed to win the projects and revive the dying industries, which was an enormous amount of work. He supported helping farmers since the Grisham family always emphasized helping others when the family was wealthy. However, agricultural aid typically brought low returns and struggled to penetrate markets. That explained Isaiah's difficulties. They would need local resource support. "Aria, we need to talk about this." Even Clyde's expression had grown grave. "Waymond, arrange the car. We're returning home." Clyde decided firmly. "Isaiah, wait for our call." Aria realized her grandfather and uncle might have misunderstood. She considered how to explain while noticing Alaric's meaningful glance, asking her to maintain his good-guy persona. Aria muttered helplessly, "I can barely explain my situation, let alone yours." "A
When Orion heard Aria's words, he glanced at Lily, who spoke right on cue. "Though the Kents are a medical family, we stayed in Southbury and never ventured out. After my grandmother's medical incident, we stopped practicing. "Ms. Carver attended vocational school in Southbury, so perhaps she gained connections after joining the Carvers. Meeting Dr. Farrow would be a blessing for any medical practitioner. "I envy Ms. Carver. At Janovin Medical University, I only heard Dr. Farrow's lectures from afar and was never qualified to approach him." Though Lily's words seemed complimentary, her implication was clear. If she, a top student, couldn't meet Lennox, how could a vocational school graduate possibly do so? No one had heard of connections between Lennox and the Carvers. The crowd caught her meaning, so they watched Aria with speculation and disdain. Orion laughed and said, "Mr. Grisham, you see how young and prideful Aria is. She's unable to keep things to herself and likes ex
But Aria beat Waymond to it. "Uncle Waymond, let's talk privately later." She wanted to discuss financials with Waymond, which were the matters best kept from her grandfather. She had examined his condition and planned to stabilize it gradually with her medicine tonight. Waymond couldn't help but smile at her mature demeanor. "Alright, we'll talk later." Clyde remained unaware of what the two were planning. After the initial Chamber selection concluded, business partners bid farewell to Clyde. They wished him good health and looked forward to the next profit calculation. Orion approached, immediately laying his trap. "Mr. Grisham, I admire your forgiveness. Even after your love-struck daughter nearly ruined the Grishams, you forgave her. Now you trust your granddaughter too. "Aren't you worried she'll bring the same misfortune?" Clyde smiled, his emotions unreadable. "I once saved the disloyal Draycotts. Isn't it natural to be kind to my own granddaughter?" Orion seethed
"What do you mean?" someone asked for clarification as they did not understand what Aria meant. Aria glanced over, turning the black ring on her finger. "You'll understand when the time comes. Mr. Katz, I'll discuss the details with you once I've made preparations." "Does that mean you'll help us?" Isaiah's eyes welled with tears, and Aria smiled a little. "Not just help. Your business philosophy aligns with the Carvers'. So, we'll succeed together." What could bring more joy than finding a like-minded business partner? Though moved, Isaiah knew he was getting the better deal. "We can't be hasty. You must take 40 percent of my company shares." He turned to those two behind him. "Don't you agree?" "Yes! Of course!" The Draycotts had their eyes on their land. For over a year, they had used various tactics to force their orchards into bankruptcy. They understood perfectly what Aria's intervention meant. She was saving their lives. How could they not be grateful? Others w
"Please, Mr. Katz, you're too kind." Aria quickly stopped the elderly man's gesture. "You were my grandfather's old friend and worked with my grandfather. Even without my help, my grandfather wouldn't let you fall. "My uncle had already made preparations, and I merely expedited things." The elderly businessmen heard the humility in her words. It was only meant to ease their burden. Clyde watched Aria's response with approval, rising with his cane. "Securing the projects is only the first step. Reviving our existing businesses is now the most important part. "Isaiah, do you have any plans?" Clyde asked Isaiah Katz. Isaiah paused, then shook his head. "I tried the online streaming we discussed. It made no impact." "Yeah, we even hired some influencers, but sales were minimal. We still operated at a loss." The business world always changed rapidly, and they struggled to keep up. Their children showed no interest in inheriting their enterprises since they viewed their work wi
Before Aria arrived, Orion and the others had tried everything to keep the Carvers out of the Chamber. They even tried to stir trouble between the Grishams and Carvers. Now, their defenses had crumbled. The prominent families who had acted dishonestly felt especially uneasy. Barron had founded the Chamber, and over the years, they had used its reputation to secure numerous private gains. They refused to surrender such a profitable organization that concealed their schemes, let alone return it. As soon as Aria became a Chamber member, certain investors began to move. The Draycott faction harbored various schemes. They had to bring her down before she could restore the Carver family to public prominence; their survival depended on it. In today's digital age, even the biggest merchants feared reputation damage the most. If the public discovered the truth about how they had pushed out the Chamber's rightful founders while profiting from its patriotic reputation, the backlash would de