Jenna attempted to defuse the tension. "Look at the new fund I invested in. It hasn't been performing well at all. Didn't Grand Construction Corp. mention investing in pharmaceuticals? Why haven't they yet? Is Mr. Ingerton going back on his words?""You met Mr. Ingerton? Did he disclose anything to you?" Karen perked up, getting back to the main topic at hand.Sophia laughed. "Do you think everyone has access to him? Even your husband might not get an opportunity."Karen scoffed. "We are supposed to collaborate with Grand Construction Corp. Besides, Mr. Ingerton's secretary, Reagan, is good friends with my husband. Meeting him wouldn't be difficult!"Sophia brushed off Karen's bragging, knowing she was merely trying to impress the others.Karen was about to retort when she noticed Sophia's disbelief.Suddenly, Jenna shouted after scrolling on her phone. "Heartbound Hall! Oh my! Mrs. Kent, look. Isn't this Heartbound Hall? It's located at Clearwater Alley, so it should be."Karen
Despite not contributing financially, Karen decided she should take control of the stream. This newfound determination propelled her to stand up, abruptly ending her massage.Just then, Marshall called, urging her to return home immediately.Marshall, still in disbelief, recounted his day's events to Karen. Karen clenched her jaw, a surge of hatred bubbling within her. "When Aria left, I should have disfigured her face!"Marshall frowned. "I told you this to encourage you to mend fences with Georgina. A happy Georgina is more likely to speak favorably of us to Aria."Disgust contorted Karen's face. "She has no standards, does she? Seducing old men for gifts? No wonder she receives so much. It must all be from Mr. Ingerton." This explanation seemed more plausible to Karen. Otherwise, she might have been forced to acknowledge Aria's ability to win people over with her medical skills.Marshall got impatient. "Enough. Now's not the time to talk about this. Are you going to Georgin
"Of course, I didn't say a word! Didn't you instruct me not to divulge anything about you two when you left?" The middle-aged woman scanned the hillside cautiously.Lily narrowed her eyes. "What if they gave you money to tell them?""I'll take the money, but I'll feed them false information. There are folks who paid me to keep her from being found, after all." A sly grin spread across the woman's face.Lily breathed a sigh of relief. "That's right, Mom."The middle-aged woman was Olivia Phildez, who had mistakenly taken the wrong child years ago.Tears welled up in Olivia's eyes. It had been a while since she heard Lily call her "Mom.""Lily, your father and I have followed your instructions to the letter. You said admitting the truth would land us in jail. It's your quick thinking that's kept us safe."Having secured the information she needed, Lily felt a pang of impatience. "Good. Mom, we still need to be cautious. Once everything settles, I'll bring you and Dad to the city."
Marshall turned to look behind Aria instinctively. However, Harry wasn't there.Aria smiled nonchalantly. "Are you looking for someone?"Marshall plastered a smile on his face. "Aria, we have some misunderstanding between us."Aria grinned. "What misunderstanding? Are you talking about the time when you almost killed me or when you forced me back to the countryside?"Upon hearing that, a discussion sparked around them. "How could you do that as her parents? What kind of parents are they?"Karen couldn't tolerate the nosy neighbors and shouted, "She's not my daughter! What do you want us to do? Why should we tolerate her? She's like a piece of chewing gum; we can't get rid of her no matter what we do!"Marshall anticipated Karen's impending outburst and hastily pulled her back. "Stop talking!"With a silent gesture, he reminded her of their purpose for being there.Yet, Karen couldn't resist the intrusive thought. "Not only is she flunking her studies, but now she's even luring
Aria didn't hold back on Marshall. He crumpled to the ground, convulsing and spitting blood. Karen, her face drained of color, watched in mute terror.Rage contorted Aria's features as she yanked Marshall up. "I never wanted to resort to this in front of Grandma," she growled, her voice laced with venom. "But you truly had it coming."Marshall whimpered, his gaze darting to Georgina. "Mom, do something!""So now she's your mother? You didn't seem to care when you kicked her out!" Aria's voice crackled with rage as she forced Marshall to meet her gaze.With a swift kick, she sent him sprawling once more, the force of it leaving bystanders trembling in fear.Aria had long suppressed her true nature, playing the role of the obedient granddaughter beside Georgina. But now, her wrath was unleashed, revealing a darker side that sent shivers down spines.Meanwhile, Sam, who was following Harry downstairs in the commercial building, suddenly stopped. Before Harry could question him, Sam'
Karen had plenty of ways to ruin Aria's reputation online.Landon's gaze shifted deliberately toward Solo, signaling his intent.As an elite bodyguard, Solo grasped Landon's unspoken directive. He began to move in Karen's direction. However, Aria intercepted him with a smile. "Grandma said to let them go."Solo hesitated, his head tilting in question. "Follow what she said, then." Landon's voice was calm. It was as if he was talking about something normal.Barry watched in astonishment, perplexed by Landon's unexpected compliance. He couldn't help but wonder about Aria's true identity.Aria, nonchalantly chewing gum, spoke with casual confidence. "Everyone deserves a chance to start anew. I happen to be quite forgiving.""Really?" Landon raised his eyebrows, fiddling with his rosary bracelet. It was obvious he didn't believe her words.Of course, Aria wasn't being entirely truthful. If Solo were to tail Karen, her plans would be thwarted. She knew that for someone like Karen,
"Yes, I've agreed." Aria was calm, not thinking too much of his question.Landon's brow furrowed. She'd shut him down flat when he offered his own investment. Yet, Harry's proposal garnered immediate acceptance.Landon smiled and leaned closer to her. The crisp scent mingled with the smell of medicine wafted into her nostrils. Perhaps it was because the weather was starting to turn chilly; his body temperature seemed cold. "Why didn't you choose me?"Aria looked up at him. Although her gaze seemed confused, she gave a reasonable explanation. "Grand Construction Corp. happens to want to invest in the pharmaceutical industry for their next project. After discussing, everything aligns well. Besides, most of the Carver family's businesses are located overseas, so traditional medicine isn't their forte."Though her explanation sounded plausible, Landon's smile deepened. However, it was devoid of any warmth. He fiddled with his rosary bracelet, seemingly lost in thought. "You're right.
If Landon seemed indifferent before, he now had a hint of a smile on his face."Nope." The usual aloof-looking Landon didn't seem to look that intimidating now. "Barry, pay up."Barry nodded and quickly took out his credit card."Remember to pay more." Although Landon's voice was calm, it didn't mask the fact that he seemed to be the one in control.Aria glanced at him and back to the obedient Barry. "Are you two even friends?"Landon didn't hide it from her. "He's a colleague from another branch.""Yes. We're colleagues." Barry straightened his posture.Aria didn't think much of it. "I don't take credit cards, but you can pay to my account here."Barry glanced slightly to his right. "How much should I pay?""You're going to ask for your friend's opinion on how much you should pay?" Aria grinned teasingly.Barry immediately transferred 100,000 over. To him, this shouldn't be too much or too little.He had considered this amount carefully, ensuring it fell within the range of