Ethan was currently in his office, looking gleefully at the notice on his screen saying that he'd successfully lodged a complaint. He took a screenshot of it and sent it to Karen."All done. You can take a look at her stream. Her account's still there, but she can no longer start a livestream."Karen had just ended a call with her family in Janovin when she received this good news. Her family had called her to inform her that Warren Carver from the Carver family in Janovin was currently in Southbury and in need of a skilled doctor to treat him. They then asked her to recommend someone. Karen was ecstatic. Her family rarely contacted her because they looked down on her, so this would be her chance to prove herself.They wanted her to recommend a skilled doctor, and Lily and Christian would fit the bill nicely. As members of the younger generation in the medical industry, their skill was acknowledged even by the Short family, and they were very famous in Southbury. They were more th
The call was from Aria's counselor at school. She spoke imperiously, and it was evident she wasn't calling out of kindness. "Aria Carver, you are to come to school now. Immediately!" Aimee Lindbridge shouted, as if she had reached her limit. "Your parents said that you're no longer their responsibility, so your performance at school is none of their business, and they're not obligated to mind you. Is that true?"Aria said casually, "Yes.""Yes, you say? Why didn't you tell me?" Aimee sneered. "You were accepted into our school only because of your father. You wouldn't have gotten in otherwise, not with your mediocre knowledge of medicine."Aria laughed. "Mediocre?""Is there anything wrong with that? Don't forget about your embarrassing grades!" Aimee went on impatiently, "Stop trying to put on a fight. Your grandmother's here, so I'll talk to her before you come. How we will deal with you later depends on what your grandmother will say!"Aimee ended the call aggressively. The
Aria's gaze suddenly cooled and turned threatening, as if she'd regressed to her previous state. Her brows were furrowed in rage and clear hostility.However, she knew she mustn't do anything in front of Georgina again, as that would worry her. She must rein her emotions in. Aria clenched her right fist tightly and bit so hard on the piece of candy in her mouth that it shattered. No one would want to lose their dignity and to be treated this way, but Georgina was dragging her injured leg behind her as she bowed in apology to Aria's teacher just to ensure that she could still go to school and have a better future.Was this still not enough? Did she really deserve to be humiliated again and again?Aria had no words for what she was feeling at this moment. She walked over and helped Georgina stand straight. Georgina looked back instinctually, but she averted her gaze when she noticed Aria. She didn't want Aria to show up here, as her intermittent explosive disorder was different
An old man ran in, huffing and puffing. The glasses on his face were crooked, and his protruding belly jiggled up and down as he ran. The sight was quite funny.Abraham hadn't come to school in a long time, and his arrival on campus today was thanks to an impulsive decision on his part. His school would always be one of the worst in terms of grades among all schools in Southbury, but he still felt obligated to keep a lookout on his students here. He had been in quite a good mood until he'd passed by the canteen and heard his students talk about Aria's arrival on campus.It was rare that they would see each other, so Abraham thought of inviting her to speak in the school assembly that would be held later. He didn't expect the students' next sentence to be about how Aimee had called Aria's guardian and that she was sure to be expelled from the school.Abraham was alarmed. The school's director was with him, but he stopped caring about that as he quickly ran to the Administrative D
The traffic generated by her stream was mind-boggling."Wow, her stream's on the Super Hot Trending List!""She knew something was wrong with the patient's stomach just by looking at his face! That's amazing!""I didn't know she was the one who treated my senior who's preparing for the postgraduate admission exams!"These exclamations rang in Aimee's ears. Her face had turned red. Still, she retorted, "That didn't happen! She can't be so skilled in medicine! Dr. Lowe, she's faking it!""Are you implying that I'm trying to trick everyone alongside her?" Abraham was furious. What on earth was wrong with Aimee?Aimee's words took a turn. "You won't, surely, but Aria has always been crafty. She might've fooled you. Even if she does have some knowledge of traditional medicine and can treat patients online, I don't believe she's capable of scoring so well in the preliminary exams!"Aimee set the exam answer sheets she'd prepared on the desk. She said coldly, "Dr. Lowe, take a look at
The results of the preliminary exams were released a long time ago, but Aimee kept them with her and did not release them. Furthermore, the exceptional results of Aria's exam triggered a subconscious suspicion of cheating. "If nothing out of the ordinary has happened during the exam-taking process," Abraham said evenly, "I'll ask you this question again, Ms. Lindbridge. On what basis do you doubt the veracity of Aria's exam results?"Aimee said hurriedly, "Dr. Lowe, you have no idea how terrible her grades were! There's no way she could score full marks consecutively in several subjects. Maybe there was nothing wrong when she took the physics exam, but how about the Angladian test? "Not many people could understand everything in our Angladian classes, and she used to only score 30 to 40 in her exams. Why did she score so well this time? She must've learned about the exam questions and memorized all the answers beforehand!""Did you say that she'd also scored full marks in Angladi
Suggestive noises were heard throughout, together with the sounds of fabric rustling against fabric. Anyone could figure out what was happening. At that moment, Aimee paled. Subconsciously, she turned to look at Penn Angort, the school's vice principal.Penn, a portly, balding figure in the crowd, stood out with a panicked grimace. He frantically waved his arms, yelling, "Turn it off! Tell them to cut the broadcast!"The students managing the broadcast were about to turn everything off when they realized that they'd broadcasted the wrong thing, but the clip's contents were so shocking that they stood there, unable to react. They couldn't figure out how this voice clip had ended up being played. It was as if their broadcasting station had been controlled by someone else.…They were right in that someone had taken control of the station remotely. The person behind it was not present on campus, though, but in the Chamber of Commerce.Sam was attending a banquet with Harry when A
Landon had received countless praise ever since he was little about how he always played his cards well and how meticulous he was; nothing had ever gotten out of his control.The most difficult person to deal with in the York family was the man currently leading it because no one could ever figure out his feelings. Landon yearned to expose Aria to the throngs who'd lauded him. It was not he who was in control of the situation now; instead, she was in control of him. His emotions rose and fell, entirely out of his grasp. A raw desperation clawed at him, a mix of suffocation and a dull ache in his chest.It made him tightened his grip on his teacup. Once again, his glance fell on Sam, who was typing away on his keyboard, completely focused.Due to where he was seated at, he couldn't see what Sam was typing.However, Sam didn't seem like a kid who loved playing games. The way Harry treated him was worth thinking about, too. Landon retracted his gaze and looked back at his waist. H
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
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe
After finishing her sentence, Aria ended the call. She trusted her senior would take action on that end. Besides, nobody at the Public Integrity Task Force would dare ignore her message after hearing the way she spoke. Lucas had received his transfer orders. Just after arriving, people were already waiting for him at the train station before he had even attended any meetings. None of them were low-ranking, which matched his own status. The phone call came at an oddly perfect time. It rang right as he left the station, and it was from the Public Integrity Task Force. He hadn't forgotten why he was transferred here, so he glanced at his secretary. His secretary, Douglas Nixon, told the others, "Mr. Murray has some personal business to attend to." Douglas handled things smoothly. He immediately blocked a few people from approaching, though they were all prominent public officials from Ludwiten. Lucas did not want to delay the matter for too long. After hearing the problem, he
Besides, this spot was a perfect blind spot for surveillance. The school's security cameras couldn't reach here, and a tree blocked the view from across the street. If anyone reviewed the footage later, they would only see Eden exit the school gate and disappear after heading to the opposite side. This was exactly what Miguel and the scholarship committee wanted. Miguel had already walked away. He acted as if he'd just been out for a casual stroll, chatting with security while escorting a student along the way. Right then, Aria rode up on her motorcycle and caught the whole scene. Though she had planned to enter the school, she immediately spun her bike around and tailed the van as it drove off. Nobody noticed her because everyone in the van had their eyes fixed on Eden. The attention made Eden's skin crawl. The driver named Viggo Moseley chuckled. "You'll get used to it. The people you're meeting later are the ones handling your paperwork for going abroad." It was just a s
"Don't be silly, your grandmother and I can take care of each other just fine," Brent said. Despite the fact that he came from a village, he never thought of women as any less than men. Eden was an orphan, but her grandparents gave her all their love. "Once you go abroad, your grandmother and I will move back to our hometown. We'll farm a little land and do some other jobs while waiting for your return!" Brent's laughter put Eden much more at ease. As Miguel walked ahead, he felt nothing but mockery when he overheard her conversation. Indeed, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. If there were really such great opportunities to study abroad, the school would surely give them to children of investors and business people who supported the school. Who would choose to send a bunch of poor kids overseas? Not understanding how social class worked was just plain stupid. Eden was walking behind him, so she couldn't see his expression. When they reached the gate, the security g