"And you are?" Stuart asked as he turned to look at Aria. He saw a young woman with long black hair standing before him. She seemed to be sucking on a candy.Though she looked rather young, she was blindingly beautiful. There was a hint of elegance peeking through her aloof demeanor. She had a mole near the corner of her eye. For some reason, her dark eyes exuded a compelling air when she looked at others.Frank quickly said, "Stuart, I brought her here. She's the genius—""How ridiculous!" Salome screeched sharply, cutting Frank off."You again, you greedy young woman." Salome, who had finally arrived, glanced at Aria, her expression darkening. "Are you here to trick patients at the hospital because you couldn't get any money just now?"Then, Salome shouted, "Who brought her in here? Shouldn't you have checked her background first?"Upon hearing Salome's voice, Bryan ran over in a hurry. "This is all a misunderstanding, Dr. Gunther. These people here came with the patient. Right
"You're actually familiar with medicine?" Bryan exclaimed in shock.Scoffing, Salome remarked, "Are you even thinking straight, Dr. Lowe? How can a young woman like her know anything about medicine? I bet she overheard one of the nurses describing the patient's symptoms.""This young woman just arrived, Dr. Gunther. None of us had a chance to speak to her yet," one of the nurses chimed in.Salome eyed the nurse who spoke and said, "So what? How old is she? She probably hasn't even graduated yet. Does she have a license? How can she diagnose patients without one?"A loud smack rang out as Aria swiftly slammed her medical license down on the chair. To everyone's amazement, she was even licensed as an attending physician! Everyone who practiced medicine knew how hard it was to become an attending physician.No one dared to say Aria wasn't qualified anymore. It was almost as if Aria had slapped Salome in the face.The doctors and nurses were still in disbelief as they muttered among
Scoffing, Salome said, "What are you people so shocked by it? She's a country bumpkin. It's no surprise she's familiar with the symptoms of a tick bite. She's just tricking everyone into thinking she knows medicine. Go on. See if she dares to conduct surgery!"Aria didn't intend to perform surgery on Warren. Instead, she took out a set of acupuncture needles from the medical kit.Everyone who had high hopes for Aria's medical skills was sorely disappointed by this."Acupuncture needles? Is she going to administer acupuncture when the patient's condition is that serious?""She's not taking it seriously at all!""Maybe it's because she doesn't know how to perform surgery. Why did Dr. Lowe choose to have faith in a young woman like her? What a troublesome turn of events."Salome gloated, "What did I say? It was all just an act. She has no real talent at all. Maybe the license is a fake too!""Dr. Gunther's right. How can such a young woman be a licensed attending physician?""Don'
The moment Landon stepped into the elevator, the air inside seemed to grow cold. With his gaze averted, he seemed like a peaceful, harmless person, but when his gaze focused on someone, it gave that person a somewhat frightening feeling."Fill me in on the situation," Landon said.Wiping his sweat away, Abraham said, "Rest assured, Mr. York. Dr. Gunther is an expert in this field. With her treating Mr. Carver Senior, I'm sure everything will be fine!"Only Landon, who held the reins in the York family, could strike such fear in the hearts of other prominent people.Toying with the rosary bracelet he was wearing, Landon quirked an eyebrow and remarked, "That's not what I heard.""W-We're not lying, Mr. York," Harold stammered. "We would never do anything to jeopardize Mr. Carver Senior's condition. After all, he's from the Carver family!"Landon didn't say anything. He simply waited until the elevator reached the sixth floor, but that only made his commanding presence feel even mo
Neither Aria nor Landon averted their eyes. In fact, Aria blatantly stared at Landon with a clear, unwavering gaze.She was fond of looking at handsome men and had seen her fair share before, but none could compare to the man standing before her. His sickly pale complexion complemented his dark, obsidian eyes. The combination gave off an air of cold sternness when he looked at others.He had the air of a reserved gentleman, both noble yet fragile at the same time. It was uncommon among men.The hustle and bustle of the hospital didn't drown out his presence. He stood there looking like an aristocrat from ancient times.Aria watched as Frank ran over to Landon the moment he spotted Landon and rambled away in excitement.Separated by the window and the wall, Aria couldn't hear their conversation. She simply raised her eyebrow.At the very next second, Landon looked at her once more. The warm light of his surroundings added a touch of haziness to his features, but the lack of distin
Abraham widened his eyes in shock, thinking to himself, "It can't be. Does she want to use Mr. York as her test subject? How can she even think of that? Is she trying to get herself killed?"He stepped forward to draw attention to himself and said to Aria, "Why don't you…"Before he could volunteer himself as Aria's test subject, she, still in a mask, was already approaching Landon.Only then did the balding Abraham realize she was even taller than him!The slender, long-legged Aria was five feet eight inches tall. Her bewitching eyes stood out, making it obvious she was a beautiful woman. Somehow, sparks seemed to fly in the air when she stood in front of Landon, who was six feet two inches tall.The two of them gave off vastly different impressions. One was cool and aloof, while the other was fiery and striking. It was as if opposites had met.Landon's eyes took on a frostiness when Aria came close, but she stopped at a polite distance away from him before taking off her face m
Alas, Frank dared not dwell on that thought. He had brought Aria over, and furthermore, she had just saved Warren's life. He couldn't stand by and do nothing while she dug a grave for herself."I'm afraid Dr. Genius here is a little blunt. She may come across as tactless sometimes… I'm sure you won't hold it against her," Frank said pleadingly as he looked at Landon.Landon simply hummed in response.Raising an eyebrow, Aria asked in puzzlement, "Why are you so nervous, Mr. Levin? Was there something wrong with my description?""Not at all," Landon chimed in, though his sudden chuckle sent chills down others' spines. "Your description was very apt.""Good-looking people always know the right things to say," Aria remarked, her gaze clear.Then, she turned around and looked at the doctors who had just returned. They had gone off to get their notebooks and phones just now, so they didn't know what happened moments ago.Aria asked, "Is everyone here?""Yes, we're all here!" the doc
Landon felt as though something inside his body was struggling to break free, threatening to destroy everything in its wake. A heated feeling was building up inside of him.He subconsciously swallowed. The motion added an air of sexiness to him as he stood under the light. It was a rare sight.Everyone in Janovin knew that Landon lived an ascetic life. He was even a vegetarian. No one had ever been able to make him lose his air of refinement and aloofness. But now, his shirt was half-open, and his hair was ruffled.Frank was terrified, thinking that Aria had truly offended Landon this time.He had worked with Warren for many years now. The Carvers and the Yorks were well-acquainted, and Landon made frequent trips to Carver Group in order to cancel the marriage agreement between the two families.Thus, Frank had met Landon many times before, and he had never seen Landon eyeing someone with such a dangerous look in his eyes.Most of the time, Landon's gaze was calm and unruffled. H
Ordinary people understood the harshness of reality. Brent, having lived in poverty for most of his life, had been looked down on more times than he could count.Poor people like them could die unnoticed at home, and no one would care, let alone offer help without expecting something in return.If something really happened to Eden, Brent doubted he and his wife could do anything to save her. Judy was a prime example. Her father, Alec Lanez, had even given up selling bread just to look for her.Every time Alec went to the school, he was met with the same cold response."It has nothing to do with us. Your daughter ran away and refuses to acknowledge you. So why are you coming here? Peasants like you should know your place. Without us, people like you could only dream of going overseas. How filthy!"Brent had heard the school's representative say those exact words when he accompanied Alec. Both of them could only stand there, humiliated and speechless.Alec's back was sore from how m
Eden immediately opened the windows after hearing that. "Did Ms. Carver send you here? Is she in any danger? I'm really worried about her. Should I call the police? I'd feel horrible if anything happened to her."Weston remained calm and indifferent. "Calling the police will only make them suspicious. My boss is amazing, and there's nothing she can't handle. She has a plan. Right now, my priority is to bring all of you to Heartbound Hall in Janovin so your grandfather can receive treatment."The respect in Weston's voice when he spoke of Aria was unmistakable."Pack up your things and come with me," Weston ordered.Their team had already checked the surroundings and ensured nothing would go wrong. Anyone watching would think Eden's grandparents were simply collecting bottles and preparing lunch as usual, not leaving the house until the afternoon.Without wasting time, Weston picked up the elderly couple's luggage. His most important task now was to get Eden and her grandparents to
"We followed the address, so this must be the place. Sir, isn't that the girl?" It was the same group of people as before. After failing their last mission because of Aria, they were being extra cautious this time."We can't afford any more mistakes. Treat her kindly so that she won't suspect anything.""Yes, sir."When they saw a young woman in a school uniform appear right on time, they were convinced she was the right person. After all, Aria looked exactly like Eden.They rolled down the car window and waved. "Ms. Bohmer, over here."Aria looked up and recognized several familiar faces. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the car."Ms. Bohmer, we meet again," The driver greeted Aria warmly. "Let's go."The team had prepared for a difficult encounter. They'd even been authorized to use force if necessary, as long as they avoided surveillance cameras. But to their surprise, Aria simply opened the car door and got in without resistance.Aria glanced at their puzzled expression
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo