When Aria heard that, she stopped fiddling with her amethyst pendant.Frank's jaw dropped as he grasped the connection between Aria and the kidnapping. Aria, rarely one to frown, furrowed her brow at his implication."I was switched at birth, not kidnapped."It was indeed what the couple had said. However, their words were obviously unreliable. Yet, Aria didn't elaborate. She felt completely indifferent toward Mindy.Frank mentioned the Carvers doted on Mindy because she resembled their daughter when she was younger. This struck Aria as a cliché plot device from a novel.The heartbreaking reality of a lost child was far more common in the past. Without the widespread internet, facial recognition, or DNA testing, finding them could be a nearly impossible task.Moreover, the human traffickers often held the upper hand, leaving many parents forever searching, even when they had grown old and wrinkly. Still, Aria couldn't reconcile with the Carvers' decision. If every missing chi
Aria had an astonishing memory. It was as if she had Coral Village's layout in her mind. "That family was severely poisoned by me, so they wouldn't be in the village. They should be heading toward a place where they can get treatment. I suggest splitting into two groups and checking Beacon Hospital."Landon listened to her silently and didn't interrupt. Aria looked at him. "Bring the couple over. I have something to ask them."Landon fiddled with his beads and readily agreed. "Okay."His straightforwardness was one of the things Aria appreciated about him. He didn't waste time with unnecessary questions.Frank wanted to butt in, but he didn't know what to say. He wondered if Aria was really switched at birth. Frank remembered that he mistook Aria as the Carver family's missing daughter when he first saw her. If it weren't for Aria's denial, along with the information the couple had given him, Frank would have pushed for a DNA test. The couple said the girl was petite and skin
Aria's mind drifted to her own origins. However, she couldn't recall anything.She didn't have much memories, especially about her childhood. It was just a blank canvas for her. Regardless, she doubted something as melodramatic as her being the Carvers' missing daughter would happen. After all, she didn't look like the Carvers' adopted daughter.She decided to wait for Olivia's explanation. A distance away, Landon watched her interaction with Jeffrey, and a flicker of something unreadable crossed his features.Although it was inappropriate for him to think this way, he wished that he was the one being saved by her in the cellar. Escaping the desolate village together would have certainly created a more intimate bond.Perhaps Aria didn't notice it, but there was something indescribable in the way she treated Jeffrey. Landon swallowed hard as he stood in the wind, the chill emanating from him growing stronger.Solo didn't dare to approach him. He kept his distance as he reported
The doctor at Beacon Hospital made it clear to the Renners that there was no cure for the poison.Garrett wailed, "You're just refusing to treat him because you look down on us folks from the countryside!"He stubbornly refused to be reasoned with. With his head still bandaged, he looked like he had come to cause a scene. Many of the villagers had come to the hospital too, and they took his side.The doctor started to fear that Garrett might actually hurt someone."I don't care what you say! You're going to treat my grandson!" Garrett roared, his eyes red with anger as he lunged at a nurse who had gone pale.Thankfully, it was then that a few plainclothes police officers came in. They swiftly grabbed Garrett and pressed him on the floor.Garrett shouted, "What the hell are you doing? Let go of me!"The villagers tried to step in to help Garrett, but Gregory called out, "Don't you dare move, all of you!""Mr. Webb?" Garrett exclaimed in fright. He timidly twisted his head around
While Jeffrey questioned Olivia and Grant, Frank remained outside. Since Olivia recognized Frank, she would most likely be even more adamant about not revealing the truth if he were around.As it was, she was a cunning woman. When Jeffrey asked about the family's involvement in child trafficking, she made it sound like they were only a bunch of middlemen."Well, some families wanted a child, while others wanted to sell theirs off. All we did was connect the buyers to the sellers. We wouldn't have dared to kidnap a child, of course."Jeffrey's gaze turned cold. "I guess you don't care that much about your son's life after all."Glancing to the side, he continued, "I guess you're useless too, Mr. Webb."Gregory started sweating profusely. He grabbed Grant and snarled, "The Barters have been arrested! Why isn't your wife telling the truth? Does she want you and your entire family to be imprisoned for life?"Shuddering in fear, Grant slapped Olivia on the face and demanded, "Tell the
Doing his best to keep his emotions in check, Frank considered the reasons why Olivia and Grant would want to lie. He also observed them carefully and noticed they were clearly trying to hide something.Thus, he came to a seemingly impossible yet perfectly reasonable conclusion.He barged into the room and announced his deduction. "You and the Kents didn't get your babies switched. You didn't like the baby you kidnapped, so you exchanged her for a different one! You never had a daughter!"When Olivia spotted Frank, her expression hardened. She recognized him as being one of Aria's family members. Did he know Jeffrey?Frank got straight to the point. "You guys purposely misled me and made me ask the Kents, but how would the Kents know that you never gave birth to a child? They simply thought that one of you villagers gave birth to Aria."They were angry that she had stolen their daughter's place, so they wouldn't have told me the truth. I wouldn't have been able to get the real ans
Throughout these years, all Jeffrey and Leon wanted to do was to find their younger sister as soon as possible. However, they were worried that her safety would be compromised if it became known that the Carvers were looking for a long-lost daughter.Too many people would've wanted to claim to be her. If such people acted on their greed, their little sister's life would be in further danger.The Carvers had hired countless private detectives, but all of them said it was unlikely that their younger sister was still alive and well.Refusing to accept that, Jeffrey and Leon secretly created a base filled with photos of their younger sister. Every year, they would head over there to celebrate her birthday. They wondered what she would look like when she grew up.Well, Jeffrey finally got his answer. She was even more beautiful than what he and Leon had imagined!He leaped to his feet, his eyes sparkling with joy. "I'll go to her right away and tell her I'm her brother!""Mr. Carver!"
Jeffrey, who always kept his cool, was so emotional now that his voice had turned hoarse."Mr. Levin, do you still think we need some bloody DNA test? Who else could this be, if not my sister?" he cried out. It had to be her. It couldn't be anyone else.Everyone kept saying that Mindy looked like the sister they lost, but Jeffrey didn't think they looked alike in any way.The photo of the little girl he saw now was what he remembered of his sister. Her face was smeared with dirt. But even though she had been kidnapped, she was still able to eat her candy. She stared at the camera with bleary eyes, as though she wasn't fully awake yet.Her eyes were large and round. Her cheeks were plump. She was even wearing the tiger-themed hat Jeffrey and Leon made for her. They had done a poor job of making it themselves, so the embroidery looked very messy.Meanwhile, Frank was also agitated. It was one thing to figure it out. It was another to receive solid proof that he was right. The young
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t
Landon's warm lips brushed against Aria's. The touch was light as a feather yet utterly captivating. His kiss was so delicate it seemed to awaken every memory stored in her body. In that moment, Aria could swear she caught that same sandalwood scent from her dreams. Black mist and countless indiscernible inscriptions appeared, but he paid them no mind, gripping her waist as he whispered low in her ear. When he kissed her wrist without looking away from her face, his presence was impossible to ignore. His black leather gloves lay discarded to the side. To Aria, every place his hands touched felt like it was on fire. The sensation intensified when his fingertips traced the black mark on her neck. Something inside her screamed to take control, which made her grab his hand. He seemed to smile with his lips by her ear. "So, are you ready to pay the renewal fee?" Aria had never thought anyone could enchant her like this. But this was different. It felt just like seeing a fallen g
Landon asked, "You're getting water?" As his gaze drifted down to where Aria's hair fell, his voice turned rich and low. "Then why are your ears turning red?" Aria's hand froze mid-air. "It's hot in here." "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's only 70°F here." Aria wanted to tell him to stop talking so much. It was all because of what he had done in her dreams, making her imagination run wild now. Did he think having a handsome face meant he could do whatever he wanted? He even used all that binding stuff on her too. But she couldn't be sure it was even him. And even if it was, it must have been from a past life. As an arcane seeker, Aria knew what recurring dreams usually meant. But she had pushed those thoughts aside. A past life should not dictate their relationship in this one. At the very least, he wouldn't try anything like putting her in chains and locking her up now. That would be illegal. She would have him arrested and be done with it. Besides, her handsome fi
The atmosphere inside the room was totally different from the outside.Aria did sense the strange aura around Seraphina just now. Her beauty was otherworldly, almost supernatural. And there was something familiar about her presence—Aria felt she had encountered it before but couldn't remember where. Given how quickly Seraphina had withdrawn her hostility and turned gentle, Aria saw no point in making an issue of it. Besides, the way Landon was massaging her neck felt too good, making her mind feel hazy. As her blood flow slowed, she started to feel drowsy. The trio hiding in the copper coin did not dare show themselves; they were probably not even there. They had been especially quiet since arriving in Ludwiten, as if something here affected them. This was one of the things Aria wanted to investigate. The Wagners had used some unknown method to hide themselves after reaching Ludwiten. Even the Special Missions Unit failed to track them. All they had was that initial contact