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
As soon as Aria said those words, a deafening silence fell.Landon fixed his eyes on her. The light reflected in his clear, aloof gaze.The other doctors present didn't know who Landon was. But as medical professionals, they were all aware of one thing—doctors wouldn't deliver such bad news unless it was indeed a hopeless situation.Aria had been smiling all along, but now, her expression was serious. It didn't look like she was joking.Could it be true? Was he really dying soon? He was a little pale, but it didn't seem like he was on the verge of death.All the doctors looked at Landon.Abraham and Harold exchanged a glance before hastily shooing the other doctors away.Frank's heart missed a beat when he heard Aria's comment. He instinctively tried to pull her away.Landon's health was a constant concern for almost the entire York family.In fact, Landon was only here in a small city like Southbury because it was said that the Whiz Doctor had once shown up here.Even though
"There's no guarantee that I can treat him," Aria said as she leaned against the wall and yawned. "I don't know his medical history, so I can't make a diagnosis. Also…"Landon chuckled and continued her sentence for her, saying, "Also, you're tired now, so you don't want to check on any more patients today.""It's always so easy to communicate with smart people," Aria remarked as she raised her brows and looked at Landon with a smile. She checked his pulse before adding, "Considering your condition, your treatment can't be rushed."It felt as though even God seemed reluctant to let Landon's life end, thus allowing him to continue living.Aria figured Landon wasn't the type to give up easily. He trusted and relied on himself more than anything or anyone else.He was wearing a rosary bracelet, which seemingly proved he sought protection from God. However, it was simply used as an essential oil carrier—something to help him stay calm and alleviate stress.Aria caught the scent of th
"That man?" Aria repeated, focusing on the way Frank addressed Landon. "He's not a member of the Carver family?"Frank dared not expose Landon's identity, of course, so he said stiffly, "You could say he's a distant relative. His last name isn't Carver."Chewing on a piece of candy, Aria said with a faint smile, "I thought you'd insist that the old patient wasn't named Carver, Mr. Levin.""That's because I now consider you a friend," Frank said glibly. "Furthermore, you seem like a principled and ethical person, so I have nothing to worry about. You're right. My boss is indeed one of the Carvers of Janovin, the wealthiest family there.""Uh-huh," Aria said, still sucking on her candy.Realizing that she didn't seem to care at all, Frank chuckled and remarked, "I should've known to expect as much from you. You're able to take this news without making a big deal out of it. I was worried about nothing earlier. Do accept my apologies.""It's only right for you to protect your employe
Frank didn't put it to heart and glanced at Aria. "What a funny joke. It's fine as long as you know what you're doing. Let me know if anything happens. Although I'm just a general manager, I can help you pull in some connections."Aria was quite surprised that Frank was a general manager.After all, Frank seemed like an errand runner from his appearance. Well, it appeared that she'd misunderstood.Frank added, "There's something else I need your help with."Aria raised her eyebrows. "Go ahead."Frank looked around before lowering his voice. "Mr. Carver Senior came to Southbury because his granddaughter was abducted here. There were some leads before, but we lost them. Since you'll come across many people in your field of work, can you help me keep an eye out?"Aria was reminded of the job she had turned down.It seemed she was quite fated with the Carver family's daughter."Okay." Aria didn't question further.Frank didn't want to tire her out. "Let me take you home. The road'
It was Georgina's favorite cooking book, filled with recipes for healthy meals. She'd often sit in the reclining chair of the inner courtyard, engrossed in its pages. "This one looks promising," she'd say to Aria. "How about steamed fish with mushroom soup tonight?" Now, the book lay in ruins.A cold fury settled over Aria. She marched toward the inner courtyard.Upon spotting Aria, a young boy dressed as a masseur quickly set down his bucket and gestured toward her.Aria placed her hand on his shoulder. The former's eyes were filled with concern despite her aloof voice. "Sam, calm down. Slowly tell me what happened."Georgina had adopted Sam from the streets out of kindness. Born mute, he had only recently learned to produce some sounds, though he still primarily communicated through sign language.Despite his petite frame and neat appearance, Sam looked around 11 years old. As he gestured to Aria, his eyes conveyed a mix of liveliness and seriousness."You're saying that the
Aria wheeled Georgina forward. "You needn't worry about my studies. You should focus on getting better. Listen to Sam, and stop eating so much sweet food."Georgina mumbled, "How could you not continue your studies? I heard their daughter is at the top of her class.""Isn't that great? She's as smart as you." Aria smiled lightly.Georgina lifted her head. "What are you going to do, then?"Aria removed Georgina's shoes and socks. "I'll earn money. I won't starve myself to death. Sam, get the bucket."Sam mumbled an answer.He exerted considerable effort to lift the bucket, ran to fill it with water, and hurried back.It seemed that he had plenty of energy.Aria was already used to seeing that.Georgina couldn't help but laugh. "He seems to be bursting with energy. Our neighbor bought a pair of stone statues yesterday, but they couldn't unload it. Yet, Sam lifted it effortlessly. It's like he isn't afraid of breaking his hand."Aria raised her eyebrows upon hearing that.Sam p
Magdalene said, "In the past, our family had helped the Grishams to survive. But now..." She took a sip of her tea. "They're digging their own grave, and we can't help them anymore." Just as she finished speaking, a middle-aged man walked in. When Magdalene saw him, her brows immediately furrowed. Her eldest son, Neval Fitzroy, was her least favorite child. He had brought nothing but shame to the Fitzroys. If he hadn't developed a gambling addiction, the Fitzroy family wouldn't have fallen this far. She asked, "What are you doing here?" Neval rubbed his hands together and snickered. "Mom, I'm a little short on cash lately. I mainly came because I missed you, but I'm also here to ask for a little money." Before Magdalene could respond, Laura stood up. "Neval, Mom just gave you 20 million last month. You shouldn't have spent it so quickly." Magdalene had been in a good mood, but now her face darkened. "Did I raise you to leech off me? How could 20 million dollars be gone so
Orion slammed his fist hard on the table. He'd been played by someone who looked like nothing more than a trust fund kid. Yet he had no choice but to let Aria manipulate him. Because no matter what he said, someone would show up to "take care of" him. At this point, he could only make everything look like a simple financial crime in order to protect himself. Aria had calculated this perfectly and planned accordingly. Even now, most people saw Aria as just some young hotshot who made money but didn't understand the bigger picture. They thought because she came from a small town, she was naïve enough to believe taking down the Draycott family would solve everything. In reality, she would be dragging herself down as well. Unless she didn't plan to stay in Ludwiten at all! Most people who thought this way were driven by pride and jealousy. They wouldn't admit they wished they were in Aria's shoes. The Carvers had raked in so much money from the stock market this time around. The
"Yes, I'm sure," Gabe said, having checked everything carefully. The old man thought for a moment. "Find a way and get someone else to tell Orion what he should and shouldn't say. If he's smart enough, he should understand." "Alright." Gabe pushed up his glasses. "Don't worry; everything will be handled." The old man's eyes were deep and calculating. "To achieve great things, some people must be sacrificed. If necessary, offer the Draycott family some benefits. Go take care of the Bellebrook situation." Gabe chuckled. "They're just some greedy, low-class people. They only succeeded because of you, yet they always think they made it on their own." "Gabe, mind your words." The old man had a kind face. Looking at him, one would think he cared for all people. Judging from his simple lifestyle, he did not seem like someone who would do bad things at all. Even the cup he used was bought from the supermarket for just over ten dollars. "Go now. As I've always said, anyone can l
Aria's question made Orion freeze right away. The scholarship program was his secret lifeline. He simply couldn't figure out how she knew so many details about everything! "You've been setting me up in the stock market all this time. How did you also find out about the scholarship program?" Orion felt genuinely scared now—everyone had really underestimated Aria. When had she done all this research? She'd dug deeper than he ever imagined. The scariest part was that neither he nor that person had noticed anything. They all thought she was just helping the Carver family restore their former glory. Keeping the Chamber of Commerce out of the Carver family's hands was that person's strict order. That was why the Draycotts had climbed so quickly within the organization over the years. They all assumed Aria had come to Ludwiten to target the Chamber. But now... Orion looked up again. "The scholarship program is weird business. I only handled recruitment. I don't know where those peop
Orion said, "I don't know much, honestly." He looked at Aria with hesitation, as if he was afraid to name that person. He made a gesture instead. "That person is the lieutenant governor of Ludwiten, who has many achievements to his name. "If you're brave enough to investigate, I can tell you about the deals I handled. But I don't know about the rest." Aria raised an eyebrow. Her expression said everything—she had already kidnapped him, so did he seriously think she would be afraid to investigate this further? Orion took a deep breath. "I just handle the money. That person wants something bigger—he wants to make history, but he's been in poor health lately. He needs me to keep certain people in line, but I can't give you details since I really don't have proof." "Which people does he control? And how does he do it?" Aria asked casually. Orion glanced upward, his eyes slowly losing focus. "I have no idea which people." "Mr. Draycott, I thought you would have learned by now.
"Who the hell are you?" Orion shouted as he couldn't hold back anymore. He gripped the armrests hard, almost jumping out of his chair. But Aria barely glanced his way. "I brought you here, didn't I? Who do you think I am?""Y-You're..." Orion remembered a rumor from a business dinner about a Special Missions Unit that operated outside normal chains of command. They could investigate anyone without going through regular channels.Their authority even topped the Regular Missions Unit. Orion had laughed it off back then. Every group had to answer to someone higher up, so there couldn't be a unit with that kind of freedom. In Ludwiten, everyone answered to that one big shot. But now he realized such a thing actually existed!Orion's face turned ghostly pale. "Are you… a part of the Special Missions Unit?"Only that could explain everything! With all her digging and investigating, that person would have noticed what she had been doing. But Orion did not understand something. "
Usually, in this situation, Orion would have a lawyer present. But things were different today! He did not even know which department was holding him. All his usual connections seemed blocked, which made Orion start to panic from deep inside. He sat there, fidgeting nervously. No one else was in the room. "I want a lawyer! I'm innocent!" he shouted, trying to move, but his hands were cuffed to the chair. Just then, a familiar cool voice spoke up, carrying its usual casual tone, "Whether you're guilty or not, the law will decide." It was Aria. Her presence was completely different from earlier in the office. When Orion saw her, he wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. There wasn't a trace of the spoiled, rebellious, rich kid in her now. Instead, she looked at him calmly as if she were the highest authority in this place. Orion's heart sank. He wasn't stupid and knew how things worked. That was why his eyes widened as he stared at Aria. "Who are you really?" "D
Magdalene told Laura, "Now you're the partner everyone wants to work with." She laughed out loud. "This divorce couldn't have come at a better time." Laura's eyes widened as Magdalene spoke, her excitement growing by the second. "Mom, does that mean I'll be..." Laura could hardly imagine how amazing her future would be. Magdalene stroked her hair. "They won't call you Mrs. Grisham anymore. They'll call you the CEO of the Fitzroy Group." Laura's face trembled with barely contained excitement. She never considered that the shares they wanted weren't rightfully theirs but something they were taking through dirty tricks. "I was worried these families might side with Aria." Laura had genuinely been concerned about this. After all, families like the Katz family and those families working in traditional industries had started treating Aria with the same respect they once had for Barron. This was exactly what drove Laura crazy. Why should Aria get to live carefree after ruining her
Magdalene felt better than she had in a long time. She even ordered someone to open a bottle of wine to celebrate. This was the most relaxed day Magdalene had experienced in weeks. News about the Draycott family kept pouring in, and she had been feeling not just anxiety but a deep uneasiness. Over the years, the Fitzroy and Draycott families had become deeply entangled. Even without obvious business interests like others had, they shared information regularly. Even in that incident years ago, the Fitzroy family had been involved. Previously, she had worried more than anyone about the Draycott family's collapse. Now, she felt differently. First, there were the Grisham shares they would soon acquire. Second, she had learned that the Draycott family was not the only one that had lost money in the stock market because of Aria. Many prominent Ludwiten families had suffered losses thanks to her market manipulations. Magdalene understood clearly that to establish themselves in this