Aria, who had just finished her exams, had no idea that she was the hottest topic of conversation between the socialites in Janovin. Her way of thinking differed from theirs, making it natural that she wouldn't be too chummy with them. Aria prioritized her career and preferred earning more money over thinking about men.Aria exited the examination hall and entered an SUV, where Harry awaited. He showed her the acquisition proposal he'd prepared. "The price can be lower," Aria said while circling something with a pen, "Shonda Jenner, the business manager of Kent Group, can stay, but fire everyone else."Harry nodded. "I'll arrange for that right away.""We're not in a hurry." Aria propped her chin on her palm as she fiddled with her amethyst pendant. "Wait till Marshall is on his last legs before heading over there."Soon, as if her words had come true, Kent Group came to be in a serious crisis. Both their business partners and the four largest banks in Southbury were no longer
"What?" Marshall was so angry he laughed out loud. "Are you offering only 50,000 dollars for a company as large as mine, Mr. Ingerton?"Harry seemed unperturbed. "You don't want it? Fine."He ended the call so fast that Marshall hadn't even managed to react to it. He remained confused for some time.He called all the noble families he was on good terms with the following day, but no one talked to him.This was Marshall's first time experiencing what it meant to be at the lowest point of his life. When he'd initially driven Georgina away with such delight, he hadn't expected to feel such anguish at this moment. Marshall, who was used to getting deference and respect from other people, was now bankrupt. He couldn't handle the immense pressure that came with it. After thinking of the external debts and the more than 100 employees demanding their salaries, he decided to call Harry. "Mr. Ingerton! I'm willing to sell the company for 50,000 dollars! On one condition—I want to sign the
Abraham did not sleep well that night. He called Malcolm over for a chat. "Do you think Aria will pass the exams?"Malcolm was tortured for so long his eyes had glazed over. "This is the tenth time you've asked me this, Grandpa. Yes, she will!"Abraham was still worried. "Did I set the threshold too high? 590 points is impossible even for Cameron."Malcolm yawned. "You can't compare that useless lump who's my brother to Aria, Grandpa."Cameron was speechless after being insulted out of nowhere. He was still indignant as he said coldly, "I don't understand why you insist on helping her, Grandpa. She and Lily come from the same family, but look at Lily, then at Aria! "Not only did she get horrible grades, but she'd also cheated! The questions were so difficult, and yet she'd copied the right answers down on the answer sheets as if she wasn't afraid of being exposed for cheating at all!""Quiet, Cameron!" Abraham said crossly, "The next time I hear you say those insulting words, I'
Lily felt much more relieved after hearing about Aria's situation from Cameron. She'd seen Marshall's calls, but she'd blocked him—she didn't want to return any of his calls.Heartbound Hall's stream was performing so well that she couldn't just ignore it. However, it so happened that her family in the countryside had called to ask for more money. They were even more adept at exploiting her for their own gain than Marshall. It didn't hurt that they were privy to a secret concerning her, either. This meant that Lily couldn't just ignore them all the time. Olivia was audibly anxious as she asked, "So when can you meet us, Lily? Someone came here to ask about Aria again, and your dad and I really don't want to live in constant anxiety like this all the time. Maybe you can come over to the countryside and take us with you to the city."Lily had an idea. "Mom, I recall that the town chief's son has yet to get married."Olivia felt awkward bringing this up. "It's because you didn't wa
"Why haven't they announced her grades yet?""Did she do so badly that they couldn't grade her papers properly?""She wanted you to apologize to her on your knees, didn't she? That was hilarious.""She's from the countryside. That's why she's boasting all the time. Look! She came with her grandma and the old lady stinks."Georgina heard that, obviously, seeing from how she looked crestfallen. Aria turned her gaze at the clique of students laughing and jeering at her, and the air around her seemed to have become frigid. Meanwhile, someone shouted, "Ms. Warsaw is here!"Deanie was in charge of sticking the results on the bulletin board. In order to quell dissent, she didn't dally, and she also pasted the answer sheets on the board along with the results.Everyone suddenly went quiet as they read the results, their eyes wide in disbelief. Aria scored 150 in Math and 150 in Angladian. Everything was the same as the previous time—she had scored full marks in everything aside from
Aria didn't gaze at that clique who'd just run away. Many of her classmates flocked toward her, some envious, some just here to offer their congratulations. Some students also came to offer their apologies for having misconceptions about Aria. Aria didn't care much about that, so she smiled in return. The other students were more willing to talk to Aria after that. They asked her about her studying methods and how she managed to memorize the Angladian vocabulary for the exam. Besides that, they also praised her for being able to solve such difficult questions. Aria didn't withhold any information. She wrote the process behind solving these questions on the bulletin board. The classmates, who finally understood the questions, started greeting Aria with respect. Less than half an hour had passed, but Aria had already garnered herself a legion of fans. Cameron was present throughout, and he was completely dumbfounded. He took his phone out, wanting to send Lily a message, but
Aria looked up, only to see a humble-looking couple outside the door, shouldering heavy bags and looking worn from a long trip.Aria retracted her arm. "Yes, it is."Olivia was pleasantly surprised. "Do you know Dr. Carver, then?""It'll be me. Who are you—"Before Aria could finish her sentence, Olivia covered her mouth and broke out in sobs. "Oh, Aria! My poor child! We've finally found you!"She sobbed with so much grief that she'd almost cried herself hoarse. Aria's neighbors gathered around her. "What's happening?" they asked. "Are they Aria's biological parents?"Aria stopped in the middle of her actions once again and turned her gaze to the couple. Grant Renner had dark skin from being exposed to sunlight for too long. He looked humble with the airs of an impoverished man. "Olivia missed you badly. We were afraid that she wouldn't get to see you, so we took an overnight bus here.""You shouldn't have told Aria that!" Olivia said. She pulled on Grant's sleeve, her ey
Grant pushed Olivia, stopping her from going on. However, Olivia's eyes reddened even more, which made it clear that things were difficult in her family.Georgina was sad upon hearing that. She turned to the side and looked at Aria, whose knuckles rapped on the table repeatedly, following a rhythm as she mulled over something in silence.Georgina wanted Olivia and Grant to stay after dinner, but they shook their heads and said they'd booked a hotel nearby. They left the bag to Aria before they departed for their hotel. Georgina considered the matter for a long time. She was so focused on it that she couldn't concentrate on the drama she was watching. "Your younger brother is suffering from a serious illness.""Apparently." Aria spun a teacup with her fingers. This was what she'd do when she had something on her mind. Georgina sat up straight. "Let's go to Uludon, Aria. You should meet your brother.""Sure." Aria smiled. "You're right. I should meet him."Olivia and Grant had