Aria tried to act like someone who had just received enlightenment, so she immediately said, "Mr. Jenson, please don't worry. I didn't think this through enough. "I'll contact Fergus right away to gather the funds, then go to the Land Planning Department." Aria was actually taking her time as she poked at the ice cubes in her chocolate drink. Since coming to Ludwiten, she had fallen in love with iced chocolate, the unsweetened kind. It kept her from running low on energy at random times. On the other end of the phone, Apollo heard her words and finally released the Billionaire Vodka box on his desk. His anger subsided a little. "I'm glad you understand my intentions. Go ahead then. The land contracts are already prepared." He had made thorough preparations to make sure that once she fell into the trap, she could never escape. Aria smiled, a hint of mischief in her expression. "You're so efficient, Mr. Jenson. I'm looking forward to the upcoming development." Apollo thought
After that, Aria left the Land Planning Department with the documents stamped with an official seal. Orion received this news while he was in a private room. As everyone was eating, drinking, and having fun, Arlo ran to Orion's side with a face full of joy. He whispered, "Mr. Draycott, Aria has signed the paperwork for that piece of land in Westridge."Orion immediately stood up. Holding his wine glass, he cackled loudly. "Great! This is excellent!"In the private room, the other members of the Chamber of Commerce were still chatting away happily. They became curious when they saw him act this way. "Mr. Draycott, what's the good news? Is there a hot stock we should know about?""Stocks would definitely be a guaranteed profit, but I bet it's something else!"Hearing this, Orion raised his glass with a beaming face. "I shouldn't brag. Arlo, tell everyone what happened."Arlo, who had brought the news, told everyone everything that had happened at the Land Planning Department today
This incident also gave the Fitzroy family an excuse to visit the Grishams. And it was rare to see Magdalene speak with Eamon personally. "Eamon, I don't have anything against Aria, but investments always come with risks." Magdalene sighed deeply. "Spending 50 million dollars is a small matter. What's most important is how people in the investment circles view us. Whether it's the Grisham family or the Fitzroy family, we're all established businesses in Ludwiten. "Jett's following her around in these reckless ventures might raise questions about his abilities, which could cause problems with future funding." Magdalene's reasoning was sound. "I know family members should support each other, but Jett's position is different. He needs to consider more factors. The Fitzroy family business will eventually be handed over to Jett. "Starting today, Jett should stop getting involved. He should focus on his own ventures first." Eamon merely listened quietly. As he gripped his teacup ti
"I can't do that," Aria said while glancing at Landon beside her, her eyes still calm. "Mr. Katz, I have my own reasons for some of my decisions. Just focus on running the factory. If anything happens, the Grisham family is still there for me." Isaiah couldn't understand her thinking, but since she put it that way, he didn't interfere further. He just let out a long sigh. After hanging up, he asked Clyde to transfer five million dollars to Aria. This time Aria did not reject Mr. Katz's goodwill. She sent him a text. "Mr. Katz, I've accepted the money. Consider it your investment stake." Isaiah did not want to invest at all. He just wanted to help Aria in case everyone else turned against her. After all, he knew better than anyone how the cannery had survived. While everyone outside was buzzing about the land deal, life at the Grisham residence continued as usual. Now, everyone working there had been replaced with their own people. Fiona was brewing tea. Her eyes were clear
After learning everything from Aria, Clyde finally understood something. Even though some things remained unresolved, Fiona had never been at fault in this marriage. He said, "From now on, do whatever you want. You can only move forward after the divorce." Clyde had always been a good father. No matter how old Fiona got, he still thought of his daughter as his little girl. "I'll make Warren apologize to you properly." The Carvers and Grishams had originally been friends who went through hardships together during special periods. When Clyde was younger, he consistently disapproved of Warren's business style. However, on major issues, the two men were like kindred spirits. Whenever Clyde needed clarity on something in the past, he would call Warren. They would argue, but by the next day, everything would be okay again. Since the two families had fallen out, Clyde had never again found such a like-minded friend. Now that she had returned, she felt both regret and guilt when she
The whispers grew louder after Jett backed out. "The Grisham family's oldest son and grandson both pulled out. Clearly, they know this project is a money pit.""It's not very nice to pull funding from his own family like that. But nobody would want to lose money!" "Exactly. We need to keep our eyes and ears open and stay far away from the Carver family. Whatever she's doing, we shouldn't get involved.""Nobody can afford to get involved! I'm scared she'll come looking for me for investment."It was only at one's lowest point that true loyalty became apparent. Some indecisive people or those with ulterior motives were now avoiding Aria; they did not even bother to hide it. Even though Aria hadn't even acknowledged them, just seeing her at the Chamber made a group of people scatter quickly as if they had seen something dirty, pretending to be busy. It was times like these when people showed their true colors. Some businesses with average profits had just eased their cash flow
Aria hadn't even made it back to her car when Warren called. "Aria, Warren actually called me up for a chat!" His laughter was so hearty that she could feel his joy even across the phone. "He's worried about you and asked me all sorts of questions. I don't know exactly what you and Fergus are up to. But as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing you can't handle." Warren was firm and confident. "Do what you need to do." Aria glanced at the car and smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Okay." She really felt the difference from before. Back then, she did business just for the money, and nobody would support her without conditions. Things were different now. She had finally seen the older generation's vision, perspective, and big dreams. Aria wanted to help make these dreams come true, just like Barron had done. Farshya's economic control needed to stay in their own people's hands. They were not stuck in the past and were open to working with anyone, but they would never grovel. After a
Magdalene pulled Jett's hand away. "What's going on with you? If your dad doesn't agree, how can we decide anything for the Fitzroy family? I know you're kindhearted, but business is complicated. "Pulling out your investment is just a wake-up call for Aria. Someone like her should be studying at home instead of playing with stocks and land deals. It's like a bottomless pit that no family fortune could ever fill. "Jett, listen to me. Don't mess around with Aria. Are you really going to do something rash that'll make me and your parents worry?" Emotional manipulation was just another Tuesday in his family. When Magdalene spoke those words, Jett stopped arguing. He looked at his mother Laura, who was also trying to persuade him. After all these years, he felt like he was seeing his family for the first time. They always told him to prioritize the family, to remember family ties, and not be like his grandfather, Mike Fitzroy. He was too stubborn and would never compromise to plea
Parents exchanged glances, and many of them were already frowning. Miguel couldn't figure out how his young mistress had shown up here. This would destroy his career! He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. "Who told you to come? Go home now!" Then he straightened up and called out loudly, "Ma'am, you've got the wrong person. Please take your child away." The artsy-looking woman started to realize there might be some misunderstanding. Normally, she wouldn't appear publicly in front of so many parents. Miguel had warned her that if she wanted a good life, she couldn't interfere with his career. But from the message she'd received today, she was clearly told that he wanted her to bring their son over. Being quick-witted, she tried to leave once she sensed something was wrong. She pulled the boy's hand.But a spoiled sixth-grader as he was, he wouldn't budge without getting what he wanted. "Dad, why are you pretending not to know me and Mom? Is it because of that old wo
Everyone turned to stare at Aria, their faces filled with disapproval. Eden caught some of the heat too; she wasn't looking so great in their eyes either. "She's so dumb to throw away such a golden opportunity." "She just doesn't get it. Her family's dirt poor, and everyone knows that." Aria heard the whispers around her. She stood her ground, eyes cool at the edges, but her expression never changed. She even let out a soft laugh. "Nice move, Mr. Sonder. A few words and everyone forgets your wrongdoings. Don't worry, though. I've brought you a special gift." As she spoke, she glanced at her watch. "It should be here any minute. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. You may call me Ms. Carver." Miguel snorted. "I couldn't care less what your name is." In his anger, he'd completely forgotten about the scandal that had been the talk of Ludwiten lately. Aria made a small sound as she hung her helmet on the bike. "I figured since you and Mr. Draycott were so tight, you'd be keep
The way Aria looked at him made Miguel feel like she could see right through him. It really got under his skin. Miguel walked over, putting on his responsible educator act. "Ms. Bohmer, I heard about your situation. It's fine if you need more time to consider, but please have your friend move her vehicle. School grounds aren't for just anyone off the street to enter whenever they please." Eden started to object. But Aria let out a soft laugh, stepping in front of her. "You're Mr. Sonder, right?" Before coming, Aria had reviewed this principal's file. His rise to this position had been swift, with an impressive résumé showing no academic fraud. But Sam wasn't just anyone—he could dig up dirt nobody else could find. This principal valued his son above all else—a son born from an affair, no less. Miguel nodded with formality. "That's me." Aria's smile didn't fade. "No wonder you looked familiar. We must have crossed paths elsewhere. Your younger son is starting middle school thi
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc