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
Sam's features, deemed wicked by some, mirrored the harshness of his abandonment. Forsaken at a tender age by his parents, he never learned the clear lines between right and wrong.Instead of saying that Georgina had adopted him, it was more so that Sam was impressed by Aria and chose to stay at the clinic.Over the course of three years, exposure to the herbs had somewhat softened Sam's appearance, but his nature remained unchanged. Those he targeted continued to suffer. Meanwhile, Aria sat serenely in the courtyard, twirling locust flowers between her fingertips with a tranquil smile.That night, Salome was confined to her bed at home due to shock.Many medical students were gathered downstairs, all of them her apprentices. They were there to express their loyalty in this crucial moment.Among them, Jimmy and Joseph stood out the most. Notably absent was Lily, summoned upstairs by Salome along with Karen upon her awakening.Tears welled in Lily's eyes at the sight of Salome,
Parents exchanged glances, and many of them were already frowning. Miguel couldn't figure out how his young mistress had shown up here. This would destroy his career! He lowered his voice so that only she could hear. "Who told you to come? Go home now!" Then he straightened up and called out loudly, "Ma'am, you've got the wrong person. Please take your child away." The artsy-looking woman started to realize there might be some misunderstanding. Normally, she wouldn't appear publicly in front of so many parents. Miguel had warned her that if she wanted a good life, she couldn't interfere with his career. But from the message she'd received today, she was clearly told that he wanted her to bring their son over. Being quick-witted, she tried to leave once she sensed something was wrong. She pulled the boy's hand.But a spoiled sixth-grader as he was, he wouldn't budge without getting what he wanted. "Dad, why are you pretending not to know me and Mom? Is it because of that old wo
Everyone turned to stare at Aria, their faces filled with disapproval. Eden caught some of the heat too; she wasn't looking so great in their eyes either. "She's so dumb to throw away such a golden opportunity." "She just doesn't get it. Her family's dirt poor, and everyone knows that." Aria heard the whispers around her. She stood her ground, eyes cool at the edges, but her expression never changed. She even let out a soft laugh. "Nice move, Mr. Sonder. A few words and everyone forgets your wrongdoings. Don't worry, though. I've brought you a special gift." As she spoke, she glanced at her watch. "It should be here any minute. Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. You may call me Ms. Carver." Miguel snorted. "I couldn't care less what your name is." In his anger, he'd completely forgotten about the scandal that had been the talk of Ludwiten lately. Aria made a small sound as she hung her helmet on the bike. "I figured since you and Mr. Draycott were so tight, you'd be keep
The way Aria looked at him made Miguel feel like she could see right through him. It really got under his skin. Miguel walked over, putting on his responsible educator act. "Ms. Bohmer, I heard about your situation. It's fine if you need more time to consider, but please have your friend move her vehicle. School grounds aren't for just anyone off the street to enter whenever they please." Eden started to object. But Aria let out a soft laugh, stepping in front of her. "You're Mr. Sonder, right?" Before coming, Aria had reviewed this principal's file. His rise to this position had been swift, with an impressive résumé showing no academic fraud. But Sam wasn't just anyone—he could dig up dirt nobody else could find. This principal valued his son above all else—a son born from an affair, no less. Miguel nodded with formality. "That's me." Aria's smile didn't fade. "No wonder you looked familiar. We must have crossed paths elsewhere. Your younger son is starting middle school thi
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc