Jett continued, "You follow Grandma's every word and let her control your marriage. Why?"Laura was caught off guard. "Jett, did your grandfather say something to you? Don't listen to him. He just doesn't want you getting close to the Fitzroy family!"Jett laughed. "They don't want me getting close to the Fitzroys? That's the best joke I've heard all day, Mom."He gestured to himself. "Look at me. I have no accomplishments, and my grades are awful. Do you really think I could graduate if I weren't from a wealthy family? You, more than anyone, know how unremarkable I am.""I'm so ordinary I don't even seem like a Grisham. I don't have Dad's vision or Uncle Waymond's business acumen. Compared to Aria and my Carver cousins, I'm a complete failure! Who would want to get close to me?" Jett's eyes turned red. The sting of how the Draycott family had nearly used him against the Grishams still hadn't faded.Clyde watched him, his mouth slightly open. He hated hearing Jett tear himself d
"Jett…" Laura's eyes widened, and her body swayed a little. In contrast, Magdalene remained indifferent. Some people grew softer with age, doting on their younger generations. Others cared only for themselves.Since Jett no longer listened to her, Magdalene decided to get straight to the point. "Well done. You've even managed to turn my grandson against me. It seems the Grisham family no longer values our partnership."She shifted her gaze to Clyde. "Let's see how long the Grisham family can survive without us. My daughter will sign the divorce papers, but she must receive half of the marital assets. I trust the Grisham family won't be shameless enough to leave her with nothing."Jett's head snapped up at her words. It was clear Magdalene was after the Grisham Group's shares. After all, Eamon's company was part of the marital property."Grandpa!" Jett instinctively turned to Clyde, who looked grim. Company shares were crucial. If Laura and Eamon divorced, the Fitzroy family cou
Aria was standing downstairs in a suit. She exuded an air that was both masculine and feminine—cool yet mischievous. Her dark eyes held no warmth. When she looked at people, it felt less like she was seeing them as living beings and more like she was peering through them.Magdalene had never seen Aria up close before. Now that she had, an inexplicable dread crept over her. She instinctively took a step back as if Aria carried misfortune itself.Aria approached with polite composure. If not for the dagger in her grip, she might have passed for an ordinary young woman greeting her elders."I remember what you told my mother, Aunt Laura." Her lips curled in a nonchalant smirk before her gaze shifted to Magdalene. "It seems you're unaware of what's been happening in Ludwiten, Mrs. Fitzroy Senior."She gave a small shrug. "It doesn't matter. You'll find out soon enough. Since you're here, it saves me a trip to the Fitzroy residence."From the moment Aria appeared, Magdalene hadn't lo
Laura's marriage to Eamon had never been honorable. Naturally, she pinned her hopes on her son to redeem herself. But right now, all she wanted were the Grisham Group shares.If a mother truly loved her child, she would fight for custody in a divorce. Yet Laura had left without hesitation, her hatred for Aria outweighing any affection for Jett. She had never even considered taking him with her.Jett wasn't a fool. Although he might not have understood everything before, it was crystal clear now. His mother and grandmother were cut from the same cloth.He had always assumed Magdalene manipulated Laura, seeing how hesitant she often seemed. But now, he realized they had always been on the same side. No amount of coercion would have worked if Laura hadn't already shared Magdalene's nature.She listened to Magdalene because, at her core, she was no different.Laura's words to Aria were venomous, a curse filled with malice. Jett glanced at Aria, wanting to apologize, but he knew an apo
The sharp caw of a crow outside the car grated on Magdalene's nerves. She twirled her bracelet even faster, her expression darkening. "The Grisham family is doomed! Such ominous creatures appearing at their house in broad daylight—what a bad sign!"Laura glanced out the car window. The crow's presence unsettled her, and without hesitation, she instructed the driver to drive.Magdalene didn't waste any time. "Laura, handle this however you want. Our family has a legal team just like the Grishams. Let the lawyers take care of everything—don't say anything unnecessary."Lowering her gaze, she pondered for a moment. "You mentioned that Eamon has been staying out late for social events. We should focus on that.""He didn't betray me, though." Laura hesitated. Magdalene gave her a pointed look. "People will only take your side if he did. Use it to your advantage."Laura slowly nodded under her gaze. "I'll find some evidence.""Good. Our family is involved with the Draycotts now. Once
Aria put her phone away and glanced at Jett. "Okay. I got it."If she had not needed to consider Jett's feelings, she could have handled the Fitzroy family even faster. "Did Grandpa agree?"Jett looked up. "Don't tell him. Grandpa's always protected me. That's why he hasn't been ruthless enough. You too. I know what's going on."Clyde held too many of the Fitzroy family's secrets. If he hadn't been concerned about Jett, Magdalene wouldn't have had a chance to slander them.Aria idly twirled a pen drive between her fingers. "It's not just for you. Sometimes, the way I do things doesn't align with the Grisham family's values.""I was born from a scheme, but I'm glad I was born into the Grisham family." Jett had matured. If this had happened before, he wouldn't have been able to handle it—his head would have been filled with endless doubts and dark thoughts.But now, he seemed more resolute. "Do what you have to. Just don't tell Grandpa. He'll worry about you.""How similar." Aria
If Orion wanted to conceal his cash flow crisis, he first had to ensure Aria would keep quiet. But just as Aria issued her orders, news about the Draycott Group spread like wildfire.Headlines like "Unpaid Wages", "Mass Layoffs", and "Subsidiaries in Crisis" tore through the Draycott family like a raging storm.Despite the mounting scrutiny, the company could still weather the storm—so long as it remained profitable and continued paying taxes.However, a quick search revealed a troubling reality. Several Draycott Group subsidiaries had already shuttered. It was obvious that the company's problems ran deeper than mere rumors.The banks were the first to react. Normally, it was Orion who entertained bank officers, but now, the tables had turned. "Mr. Wrenwood, how can you believe such baseless rumors?"Naturally, Orion wouldn't admit the truth. "You know the Draycott family's assets well. It's just land holdings. Sure, I made a bad investment, but it's hardly a fatal blow."Alde
The entire company was in turmoil. Employees from every department found it both shocking and unsettling—what were they supposed to do now that the company had run out of cash flow?Within half an hour, multiple hashtags about the Draycott family dominated social media. Initially, they had threatened legal action against those spreading so-called false rumors.Then, a bombshell dropped—news broke that Orion had been using company funds to support his personal stock trading, and the stocks he invested in had plummeted.While stock trading itself wasn't illegal, misusing company funds was a different matter entirely. If the reports were true, the Draycott Group's financial situation was dire.No one in the business world was naïve. It didn't take much effort to verify the claims, and soon, the truth became apparent—the rumors were likely true."Some of his closest associates are also struggling with cash flow," someone noted."Serves him right." Those who had been stifled by Orion'
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