"Something else? I want to watch you do consultations!"Aria smiled. "We're not doing that today. Pay attention, everyone. I'm holding an anti-trafficking session today.""W-What?""Did I hear it wrong? Trafficking?""Damn! When did things get this exciting?""Hello? Hello? Why aren't you talking?"Aria didn't say anything more. She turned off her earpiece, leaving only the mic on. Olivia was still quite vigilant. Noticing that Aria hadn't come out, she called to her outside the door, "Are you done changing, Aria? We have guests. They've just arrived, and they want to meet you!""Wait. What?""Is this a drama?"Aria pushed the door open and left the room. Her camera was currently directly aimed at Olivia's face. However, Olivia seemed to have not realized that at all. She was satisfied with Aria's outfit. "Aria, your aunt heard that you're back, and she insisted on playing matchmaker. Let's see what the guy she matched you with looks like. It's fine if you don't agree on p
Rainie's eyes, which had lost their shine a long time ago, were rimmed with tears. She dared not cry out loud, so she could only push her emotions down. Aria had written "all of you" instead of just referring to Rainie alone, which meant that she'd caught on to what Rainie had hinted to her—she'd noticed the basement. Rainie stood beside the bed, her heart thumping fast. Liam entered, frowning. "Aria just told you to grab her bag for her. Why did you take so long in there? What are you looking at?"Rainie's scalp numbed. She suddenly grabbed his hand. "Take me out of here. Save me—""Bah! You're throwing another crazy fit." Liam didn't pay her any heed. He yanked the bag away from her and rummaged in it. Aside from a box of silver needles and a scrap of paper, there was nothing in the bag. Liam curled his lip. "She looks like someone quite well off, but she's actually quite poor."Upon hearing that, Rainie felt relieved. At the same time, she admired Aria for her attention to
Under the lights, Aria suddenly laughed. "I heard that you work for the town government.""That's right," Ollie replied, his eyes scanning Aria up and down. He wasn't really listening to Aria's question. Unexpectedly, Aria continued, "How would you handle it if I told you that I was kidnapped?""What are you going on about, you insolent girl?" Olivia exploded. She made to grab Aria, but Sue Barter, Ollie's aunt, stopped her. She was clearly unhappy with the unfolding events. "Did you not convince her to be Ollie's wife?""She wasn't like this before!" Olivia fumed, realizing Aria had been faking it their entire journey. What a good actor she was! Olivia feared the Barter family's anger, which would spell disaster for the Renner family. Luckily for her, Ollie was satisfied with Aria. His lecherous gaze never left Aria as he said, "It's fine if you aren't convinced now. We can marry first and develope our relationship later. Isn't this a trend in the city these days?"He steppe
Everyone reacted differently to Aria's words. Before Ollie could fly into a rage, Olivia's face turned red in anger—Aria was obviously doing this to ruin the Renner family's chances of getting wealthy!"Shut up!" Olivia barked, stepping forward to grab Aria by the hair. Sue didn't stop her this time. No one in Uludon would ever dare talk about the Barters in this manner—this young woman from the city needed a lesson. However, before Olivia could move, she felt dizzy, and her legs seemed to weaken. Thankfully, Liam was beside her. He caught her before she fell. "Mom, what's wrong?""She made me so angry that I'm feeling dizzy." Olivia shook her head. Ollie didn't throw a tantrum, but his gaze darkened. "She's hard to tame, but I like it—the more feisty she is, the better."He then turned to Olivia. "Olivia, perhaps I can consummate my marriage with Aria here tonight. We'll hold the wedding tomorrow."Ollie had never encountered a woman like Aria. She was cold and sharp, and he
Before everyone could register who Aria was talking to, the comments started flooding in. "111!""1! Don't worry! We'll complete our mission!"Aria was still smiling, but there was no hint of warmth in her gaze. "I'm going to commit an act of legitimate self-defense soon. This isn't something suitable for broadcast, so I'll end the stream here.""What?""Holy shit! Don't act so rashly! You'll be in danger!""@UludonTravels, why are you still keeping quiet? What are you doing?"Aria yanked off the button camera. Ollie didn't know what was happening. Confused, he said, "Is something wrong with your brain? Were you talking to yourself?"Olivia seemed to remember something. "You damn girl! She was livestreaming!""Yep." Aria bit on her candy. "Thanks to all of you, a lot of viewers flocked in."Ollie frowned. "What livestream?"Grant also didn't know much about it, so he turned to ask Olivia. A pale-faced Olivia was about to say something when she spat out a massive glob of blo
Geoff warned, "Give us the antidote now, or you'll never get to leave Perry Town!""Who said I wanted to leave?" Aria smiled. "I'm planning to take him to the town later."The dismissive tone in her voice was directed at Ollie, even though no one in Perry Town would dare to get on his bad side. Rainie was dumbfounded from the beginning. She hadn't managed to react to what was happening. Aria had moved so fast and had incapacitated Ollie with just a kick to his knee.Ollie, who usually exuded brutality, couldn't even stand. When Aria fought, she didn't just do so with skill—she also took note to aim at the other person's acupoints. Ollie glared at her viciously. "Do you really think you'll emerge unscathed? I'm a government official! Do you think you won't be arrested after doing this to me?""Oh, I adore police stations," Aria said, her gaze fleeting over him as if he were something repulsive. She smiled. "I wonder how much you're worth. Though, I don't think they pay well fo
"After faking it the whole day, I'm tired now." Aria stood in front of the door, blocking everyone's exit. As nonchalantly as always, she said, "Okay, quit the act. Who will tell me where the keys to the basement are?"Olivia, who had taken Aria here, was barely hanging in there. One could see from her gaze the amount of regret she was feeling. Garrett cursed at Aria in the local dialect, which Aria couldn't understand. She wasn't dumb, so she grabbed Garrett and yanked him toward her. "You know where they are, I think."Liam threw a fit. "You dare touch my grandpa? I'll kill you!"Aria didn't bother looking at him. She'd hit anyone who came at her. "You'll never die in peace after beating up an old man!" Liam said, trying to catch his breath.Aria said slowly, "He's not an old man. He's more like a despicable creature. Your family's rotten from the older generations to the younger—your parents abduct other people, and your grandpa rears dogs that bite humans, so I'm dealing wi
Jenny turned back. She was still smiling when she collapsed into Aria's arms. Rainie was shocked. "Did you drug her too?""Her morals and outlook are already skewed, even though she's only six." Aria eyed her. "Some children are capable of greater evils than adults."While Rainie hesitated, Aria was already moving. Having studied criminology, she knew the importance of psychology.There had been cases where villagers had surrounded police cars in order to hinder officers from apprehending suspects. Despite identifying themselves, the villagers feigned ignorance and continued throwing bricks.These villages, despite pockets of kindness, harbored darkness. In one particularly egregious example, women were openly bought and sold. There, the concept of community was a cruel mockery, replaced by a living hell. Aria had assessed Rainie before deciding to trust her. Everyone else, including the children, remained off-limits for now. …The basement was vast and deep, noticeably cold
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
Now that Miguel, who was an expert in covering up, was gone, the long-standing issues in the school were exposed.The group stood frozen as they watched a cafeteria worker pour something into a large pot. A closer look revealed it was leftover mushroom soup. But that wasn't the worst of it. The soup reeked, clearly spoiled, yet it was still being reheated for the students.Things only got worse when they entered the kitchen. Hygiene standards were appalling. Not a single chef wore a mask, and some were even smoking while cooking.Amos' expression darkened immediately, even before Lucas could react.One of the chefs noticed them and slammed his ladle onto the counter. "What are you doing in here? Outsiders aren't allowed in the school—don't you know that?"Unlike other schools, Oakvale Academy had somehow always slipped through the cracks during routine inspections. When required to present something, they staged it well enough to fool a camera.So, the staff never expected a surp
Aria understood that this was all the person could offer. The real mastermind would never reveal himself so easily—not even to his most trusted subordinates.Those in power never needed to explain themselves. Those who understood them would earn their favor; those who didn't were destined to remain at the bottom.Her thoughts raced. She needed hard evidence to capture whoever was behind Amos. Baseless accusations would only alert the enemy and push them deeper into hiding.Allowing herself to be arrested had been part of Aria's plan. She needed the mastermind to lower his guard. After all, she had been too visible in Ludwiten lately. With eyes constantly watching her, she couldn't make any real moves. But she couldn't let the incident at Oakvale Academy go unresolved. Her instincts told her it was the key to everything.Before Philip found his family, she had to act—and that meant changing her identity to save Even.Just then, the person's phone buzzed. He turned the screen towa
"Boss!" Weston rushed over the moment he finished dealing with the other officers. Aria arched an eyebrow, flexing her wrists. "He's the mole?""Yes." Weston nodded. The Securities Regulatory Bureau, dispatched by the Securities Regulatory Commission, was tasked with auditing listed companies—particularly sniffing out insider trading and market manipulation.While not everyone in the bureau could be corrupt, it was common for a few to be compromised.The officer who had been interrogating Aria was of a minor rank, but the one Weston had just exposed held real power.Aria looked over at the trembling man. His legs had given out, sending him to the floor. His phone lay discarded beside him as he shook uncontrollably.They had met before—at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. To him, Aria had just been a clever heiress with some market luck, thanks to Landon's influence. No one would have expected her to single-handedly bring down the Draycott family.No one would logically believe