"I only realized today that you're not worthy of marrying into the Grisham family!" Fiona stood up, her patience completely spent. "See her out!"Laura was stunned. She hadn't expected Fiona to actually say that. Fury made her hands tremble as she pointed at Fiona. "You're saying I'm not worthy? And whose fault is it that the Grisham family is in such a miserable state?"Their decline is all thanks to your husband! And now, after divorcing him, you dare to come back? I only wanted harmony in this family, yet you accuse me like this? Fine! I'll go ask Eamon myself if he thinks the same way—that I don't deserve to be here."Fiona, if I end up divorcing Eamon, it's because of you! How dare a divorced woman like you meddle in your family's affairs!"Snatching up her bag, Laura stormed toward the door, her high heels clicking sharply against the floor.Since both Aria and Fiona refused to listen, Laura would let everyone in Ludwiten decide who was right. Fiona had no right to stay
"You want to teach the Fitzroy family a lesson?" The only one who sensed the danger around Aria stood beside her, exuding his usual refined demeanor. "Do you need my men to go with you?"Aria glanced at Landon before replying, "No need. I can handle it myself."She hadn't intended to go that far, but Magdalene was practically digging her own grave.Landon studied her thoughtfully. "You're still the same as ever. You only care about your family."It had been the same back when Aria was part of the sect—anyone who harmed her seniors would suffer tenfold, even if that person was Landon himself.Landon's tone felt oddly sulky, and Aria frowned. "Who else would I care about apart from my family?"Landon said nothing, offering only a half-smile.Something clicked in Aria's mind. Without hesitation, she reached out and took his hand. "You're my family too. Don't be so stingy. You're about to be the Carver family's live-in son-in-law soon, after all."Landon stilled, his gaze shifting
"I've devoted my entire life to the Grisham family since marrying into it, yet Fiona still treats me like an outsider. I never expected her to say such a thing." Laura felt indignant.Eamon sat on the couch, his expression impassive. "So?""So?" Laura could hardly believe his reaction. She had expected anger, or at the very least, some sign of support. After all, he was her husband."Are you going to let me suffer because of your sister? Didn't you hear what I just told you?"Eamon lit a cigarette and glanced at her. "I heard you. You wanted Aria's land, but she refused. So you went to Fiona, thinking she'd take your side. You didn't expect her to shut you down."Laura faltered. It was the truth, but the way he said it carried an undertone she didn't like.Before she could respond, Eamon continued, "I won't get involved. That land belongs to Aria. She can do whatever she wants with it. It has nothing to do with Jett."Laura's anger flared. "Nothing to do with Jett? Didn't he pul
Laura had always been a devoted wife, tending to her husband's every need. To outsiders, she was the epitome of a responsible wife and mother.When she brought up divorce, she had expected Eamon to reassure her and refuse. But he agreed.Tears streamed down Laura's face as unease settled deep in her chest. She couldn't understand—why?Meanwhile, Magdalene bolted out the door the moment she heard the news, leaving her bag behind. When she arrived and saw her daughter in tears, she demanded, "What happened? Why did Eamon agree to the divorce?"To Magdalene, Eamon had always followed along with whatever Laura wanted. The Grisham family hadn't pursued their family over what happened with Robert, which only reinforced her belief that Eamon valued Laura's side of the family enough to protect them from Clyde's wrath.So, why would he agree?Magdalene was baffled.Laura wiped at her tears, her distress evident. "Maybe he found out what we did… or maybe he's just grown tired of all the t
Juno explained, "Mrs. Grisham, I'm from the company's legal department. Mr. Grisham has appointed me to handle your divorce proceedings on his behalf. Let me know if you have any questions."Laura's eyes reddened. "We're the ones getting divorced. Why should I ask you? Get him on the phone. I'm telling you—" Before she could finish, Magdalene snatched her phone and ended the call. Pressing a firm hand on Laura's shoulder, she said, "You're from the Fitzroy family. Stop acting like this!"Laura's hands trembled. "Mom, didn't you hear that? He got a legal representative to handle this. He really wants a divorce!"Magdalene's gaze darkened. "I heard it all. He had everything prepared the moment you brought up divorce. He must have been planning this all along."No wonder he didn't ask about the Grisham family's incident. He played the part so well just to deceive me! If this is how he wants to treat you, then fine—divorce him!"I'd like to see if the Grisham family dares to go ag
Magdalene called Orion as usual. A mutually beneficial relationship required constant maintenance, after all. Orion, however, felt nothing but frustration every time his phone rang. He sat unshaven in front of his computer, staring at the stock market website long after trading had closed.Even the bank officers he knew well had only approved a few million in loans, citing difficult times. It was nowhere near what he needed.Investors who had followed Orion's lead now begged for help, but he believed they should take responsibility for their own decisions. He had bigger concerns—Harlan was missing.Irritated, Orion nearly declined the call. But when he saw Magdalene's name on the screen, he hesitated, an idea forming in his mind. He then decided to accept the call.Magdalene wasted no time getting to the point. The moment Orion heard about the Grisham family's stocks, his eyes gleamed with interest.Of course, he wouldn't let the Fitzroy family know about his financial troubl
"Mr. Grisham ordered his legal team to contact them." The person notifying Aria about this was an HR employee from the Grisham Group. Aria had subordinates stationed in HR, but whether she chose to use them was entirely up to her.From the beginning, she had known what Eamon intended. He had been preparing ever since he realized the Fitzroy family had betrayed them—when Robert stopped Fiona from visiting and even attempted to harm Clyde.Eamon had given his wife a chance. Aria understood that he wanted to settle things smoothly; after all, they had been together for years.But the Fitzroy family never acknowledged their mistakes. They neither apologized for Robert's actions nor showed any sign of remorse, behaving as if nothing had happened.On top of that, they had spoiled Jett far too much. When Laura instructed Jett to withdraw his investments, Eamon had likely made up his mind then and there."Mrs. Fitzroy Senior wants my Uncle Eamon's shares." A sinister smile played on A
However, Aria declined the call as she wasn't planning on taking any orders for the time being.Landon glanced at her and asked, "Did you come up with the nickname Richie Carver yourself?""Yes. Don't you think it suits me?" Aria replied proudly.After all, she was indeed rich—nothing about that was a lie.Landon had never quite understood her smugness before, but now, as realization dawned, he arched an eyebrow. "As long as you're happy, Aria."Today had been a great day. Not only had Aria made a fortune, but Eamon had also severed ties with his wife without hesitation, saving her a lot of trouble. She hated owing personal favors the most.Ever since arriving in Ludwiten, Aria had been searching for clues. She strongly suspected that someone had orchestrated the misunderstanding between the Carver and Grisham families. That suspicion had led her to the Fitzroy family.Aria didn't believe the Fitzroys were innocent—especially not with Magdalene involved. The woman was old and ex
Miguel said, "How are we rushing things at all? The list came out ages ago, so you're already behind schedule. "We need to handle your paperwork, clear things with your family, and get you seen by the scholarship committee before you miss this opportunity." Miguel made it sound like the spot was incredibly rare. "They picked you because of your top grades and all-around excellence. Once you're there, whether you impress them enough to get the scholarship is all on you." After hearing this explanation, Eden felt a little less worried. Her grades were definitely impressive since she was in the top one hundred of her year. Oakvale Academy was known for getting kids into good colleges and had solid connections with schools abroad. With Eden's academic record, being selected wasn't that surprising. What she did not realize was that Miguel said all this just to ease her suspicions. He needed her to let her guard down and follow him. Security cameras lined every school hallway. If
Laura believed that once she and Jett met face-to-face, he would surely give in at the sight of her condition. After all, no child in the world would abandon their mother, especially not Jett! As his mother, Laura understood Jett well. But after hearing her words, Nisa shook her head. "Laura, if you asked me to arrange a meeting with Mr. Grisham, I might try to help. But if you drag Jett into this, the Grisham family will hold me responsible. "I won't do anything that foolish. You should forget about any thoughts of using your son too. You'll only make the Grishams think keeping you in Ludwiten is simply troublesome." Nisa was a clever woman, though somewhat blunt. She really wanted no further contact with Laura. She couldn't even handle her own husband, let alone manage someone else's problems. The socialites had kicked Laura out of their circle, and there was just no way they would let her back in. Today, Laura finally had a taste of how cruel people could be. She had nothi
The person next to Durand widened his eyes. "Mr. Guetta, are you hiding something from us?" "Not at all." Durand kept his words guarded. "As businessmen, we need to understand what we should and shouldn't touch. The Fitzroy family's situation makes that pretty clear. "Let's see if Aria will be so lucky when facing similar circumstances." Lucky? Everyone knew the entire Fitzroy family had been arrested. Magdalene faced multiple charges with no hope of getting out. She had tried to send messages to that mysterious, powerful man; she believed her past connection with him might help. After all, that person had climbed so high due to many factors. Magdalene couldn't believe he would just watch as both the Draycott and Fitzroy families fell. Because if they did, he might not be able to retain his position too. Yet no one responded to her, and she finally experienced what it meant to have no peace. Every day, she heard Dorian cursing her for doing such terrible things. In just two
Whether in traditional business or more speculative industries, Aria had her own plans and strategies. She was truly a genius among geniuses. Today, Philip finally learned that this brilliant woman had dedicated herself to serving her country long ago. None of the people here would have ever guessed she had this kind of background. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to go after her or the Grishams the way they did. Even when Yonah was alive, he spoke of her with contempt. Kenny thought she was nothing but a joke. Looking back now, Philip thought that it was really ironic. They had all lived in their arrogance and were too used to looking down on others. After all, they grew up privileged. Philip thought he understood everything about Aria, but in reality, he probably didn't even know a fraction of who she really was. Just like any other young man, he had dreams of being a hero and to become someone special who could serve their country with their life. The excitement dulled
"Good," Aria said while looking at Philip with approval. "I'll remove all protection from you and leave only Nyx by your side. I'll know immediately if anything happens." Philip nodded. He understood that for all this time, he'd stayed safe only because of Aria's careful protection. That was why the Wagner family hadn't found any trace of him until now. Aria had used arcane on him and borrowed items from the Dracotigris Order to hide the negative energy coming from his body, keeping spirits away. In the past, Philip would often be followed by spirits. This hadn't happened lately because of the chain he wore on his wrist. Once all these protections were removed, he would be easily tracked down again. It might not happen right away, but with time, they would find him. With his birth signs in the Wagner family's possession, it would be even easier for that person to locate him. And if Aria stayed by his side, he wouldn't make effective bait. Philip wasn't like Leon. If something
With a smile full of pain, Philip clenched his fists. "Aria, this is unbelievable. I've spent my time in nightclubs and driving fast cars, but I never once thought my great-grandfather betrayed our country." Aria knew Philip for his honesty and passion. He was someone who would collect miniatures of their national heroes and hang their flag in his race car—he clearly loved his country more deeply than most people. She wasn't good at comforting others. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your special constitution protects you from all this. What your ancestors did doesn't change the fact that you're a good person." Philip felt a mix of emotions. Knowing these things brought nothing but pain. Without this knowledge, he would have lived forever in what he thought was truth. He had never told anyone about the Wagners. Each time he returned to their home, he felt the sad decline of what was once a great family. "I'm making slow progress right now." Aria looked up. "So I need t
Aria continued, "My senior is coming to investigate economic crimes and corruption. We don't have to worry about the state authorities causing us troubles too—he might become the governor of Ludwiten." This was Aria's speculation, but she had good reasons backing her guesses. The Chamber of Commerce was important yet heavily corrupted. Those in power wouldn't ignore this, especially with the lieutenant governor involved. The personnel changes happening now were surely related to these matters. Everyone in the Special Missions Unit knew Aria had been assigned a senior colleague. Those authorities might not know Aria's true identity, but the Murray family had enough influence to handle things here. If all else failed, there was always Landon, who was the head of the York family. Simon had caught a glimpse of him from a distance once and found him even more mysterious than rumors suggested. Simon thought he'd stay hidden well, but Landon spotted him anyway. It was eerie—he seeme
The driver had been taking his time to drive before he got the call. But as soon as the student stepped out, she watched in amazement as he suddenly floored it, showing off driving skills smoother than a professional racer's. The car moved so fast that it kicked up wind, leaving her no time to process what had just happened. The cab driver was Stormhowl, the tracking specialist from the Special Missions Unit. His codename sounded like something from a video game and didn't match him at all. Nobody would have thought this ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a goofy smile and thick accent was someone feared by international spies. "Boss, what do you need me to dig up?" Stormhowl walked in with a cigarette between his lips, his smile growing even warmer when he saw Aria. Everyone knew that while the Special Missions Unit members didn't always see eye to eye, 001 was someone they all looked up to. This included Stormhowl, regardless of the age gap. "I'll cut to the chase. An
Suddenly, Aria looked up at the bas-reliefs. Some sources did mention that The Serpent's Succession ritual required a specific manifestation. Many thought soul transfer was easy, but that was not true. The human body had three internal flames; as long as these burned, spirits would find it nearly impossible to possess someone. Random possession wasn't possible unless there was a blood connection or, in Philip's rare case, an unusually receptive negative constitution suited for arcane practice. Based on the person's methods from the manifestation, they definitely found a compatible body and used The Serpent's Succession ritual to transfer themselves. This blood was the key. Aria's eyes darkened. This wasn't ordinary blood. Blood from the living differed completely from blood of the dead—and this was from the living. The source was impossible to trace now. After all, this place had been abandoned. Whoever did this wasn't here anymore, and the low temperature would cause profess