Samuel's grip on his phone tightened. The person reporting to him pitched his voice lower. "Dad, the project in Uludon is a bust. The HOU was in charge of apprehending those involved, and the York family had a hand in it too. "I have no other alternative but to stop the project. I'm worried that we'll be exposed if we maintain an overly high profile for any longer.""The York family, you say?" Samuel narrowed his eyes. "Since when does the York family get themselves involved in such matters?""Has the Murray family started working with the York family, Dad?"Samuel seemed to contemplate it. "No. The York family never forms any alliances.""Lucas Murray's career is going way too swimmingly so far. That young lady adopted by the Kents has meddled in way too much!" The man on the phone with Samuel seemed to hate Aria to the bone, gritting his teeth in resentment as he spoke.Samuel's gaze cooled. "Is she involved in this again?""If not for her livestream, word about the issues
Warren took a look at the tickets. Aria had booked them for a train leaving two hours later, meaning he could still stay here and have tea for an hour longer. That cheered him up, and he started chatting with Georgina again. Aria went into her room, grabbed some herbs, and wrapped them properly. Before Frank and Warren left, she reminded Frank, "I asked Mr. Watson about this. He said that no one had tampered with his prescription, but I noticed the presence of abnormal sounds in Grandpa's lungs. "After you return, please monitor Grandpa's diet. He should be having meals following the recipes while controlling intake of other foods. I'll resume treating him after I arrive in Janovin."Warren was visibly healthier recently. He'd been coughing when he'd first arrived, but now his face was ruddy. Aria had also given Warren a bag filled with herbs. Warren had wanted to start on some work on the train, but the herb bag had a calming effect. Coupled with how comfortable the first-cla
"I didn't know she was the one the Carvers had been searching for," Landon said.Titus stopped teasing Landon because he was extremely pleased with Aria. "You should do your best. If you have no idea how to gain her affections, you can read more novels for inspiration!"Novels? Landon had no plans to do something so dumb.However, when he unlocked his phone and saw that Aria had not replied to any of his messages, he clicked on a novel greatly adored by its readers—the comments were all praising the male lead, saying that he was their dream husband. Landon could finalize deals worth billions without breaking a sweat, but he couldn't help frowning as he read this novel.…Aria had no idea that Landon had gone astray. The next day, a hundred boxes of chocolate of various flavors and from multiple brands appeared in Aria's house, along with a sea of roses.The elderly residents walking around the neighborhood were stunned by the sight of Heartbound Hall's entrance.Aria doled a
Joel didn't care about what the other people present thought. He was happy after completing the mission Kenneth had assigned him. "Everyone misses you, Dr. Carver. They watch your stream often but haven't mustered up the nerve to log in to their main accounts.""I'll visit them at Elmer before I leave the city," Aria said as she walked.Joel was shocked. "Before you leave? You're leaving, Dr. Carver?"What should he do, then? As if he could rein the higher-ups in! He wasn't brave enough for that, no thank you!"I found my family, and they're in Janovin." Aria smiled. "Don't worry, Joel. I'll tell them about it."Joel was still in disbelief. He muttered, "Mr. Kane was posted to Janovin as well. He's going to leave soon. I can't believe that you're leaving too."Kenneth was posted to Janovin even though he was already retired. He was a more important figure than she had thought. However, Aria didn't dig too deeply into it because it was a private matter for Kenneth. She merely sa
Christian had been there when Lucas was formally appointed Secretary-General, so he knew who Lucas was. "Good afternoon, sir," he said, surprised. Lucas pushed down his anger and looked at Christian. "And you are?""I'm Christian Short from the Short family in Southbury. We specialize in medicine." Christian tried to ingratiate himself with Lucas. "My father and I met you once."Jude Reilly, who was with Lucas, tried to ease the tension. "Mr. Murray, the Short family was instrumental in helping us find the kids–""Do you know them?" Lucas cut him off. Jude paused for a moment before saying, "Yes. The Short family business is one of the most conscientious enterprises in Southbury. You might not know this yet, but they have access to some of the most advanced medical technology in the country.""Oh?" Lucas' face didn't belie any expression. "Is this the same Short family that enjoyed a close relationship with the Gunthers?"Jude's face paled instantly, and everyone else looked q
Jude, the head of Southbury's medical industry, directed the Short family to sit in the back. "Sit in the back?" Christian questioned. "But I have to go onstage to receive an award later."Lucas' gaze turned steely as he looked at Jude. "It was so nice of you to arrange that."Jude's face paled. No longer trying to maintain his image, he yanked on Christian's shirt. "You're going onstage for this award, you say? And who do you think you are? That award belongs to Dr. Carver!"Christian was stunned. Understanding the danger of speaking up, Norman stayed silent with a forced smile.The Short family moved from their front-row seats to a corner at the back. As Christian was driven out of the hall in front of everyone, he looked at Jude. "Didn't you arrange for me to go onstage, Mr. Reilly?""Don't call me that!" Jude snapped, flinging Christian's hand away when he saw no one was around.Christian lunged forward, but guards firmly blocked his path.Jude was disgusted by Christian's
Without the Layne family's backing, Lucas had struggled to make any headway in Southbury, let alone govern it. Lily felt somewhat gleeful. At times, she had no idea if Aria could be considered lucky. While Aria had built connections, they were with people destined for downfall."Don't worry, Christian," Lily said confidently, "Your family has built a solid reputation over decades. You don't need to curry favor with a short-sighted politician."Her words gave Christian a shock, and he quickly covered his phone. "You're bold, Lily.""That's nothing. You should know that I've ascended the higher rungs of the social ladder here in Janovin, Christian. Even if politicians have risen up the ladder, they can just as easily fall." Lily laughed. "The Short and Layne families will come together eventually. There's no point in chasing fleeting connections."Christian thought she had a point. He finally regained some of his composure after the embarrassment in the hall. "I didn't expect you t
A portable mic was attached to Rainie's shirt collar so everyone heard what she said. Everyone was touched by her words, especially those parents whose children had been kidnapped.Aria wasn't quite used to receiving such nice words, so she turned to the side and patted Rainie on the shoulder, saying softly, "Hang in there. If you ever need anything in the future, just call me."Only those parents who had desperately searched for their children understood the true significance of identifying the culprits in this case. Although Aria didn't show her face, the sight of her and Rainie standing together onstage filled the people's hearts with hope. There were still some children yet to be found, but the crowd here believed that every one of them would be reunited with their families eventually.The authorities were cracking down hard on human traffickers, and no one dared to protect them at such a critical moment. Everyone was pleased with the severe punishment Uludon had received.
The HR employee glanced over at Aria and spoke with a hint of cockiness. "Eden, I called your name twice. You should pay more attention next time. You can't act like this during the interview. Otherwise, you might not even complete the application."The cockier she sounded, the more convinced the students became that the scholarship program was legitimate. Their wariness gradually faded.Noticing the students' reactions, Aria walked over to the HR employee.The woman said nothing more. She looked Aria up and down, glanced at the red mark on the paper, then turned and led Aria to the innermost room—her heels clicking sharply on the floor.Aria knew she was their real target. Others had arrived before her, but they were ignored until she showed up.Inside, the interviewer was a middle-aged man. He gestured for Aria to sit. Without much expression, he asked, "Eden, will you be able to adjust to foreign cuisines? What are your expectations for your future school? What are your plans af
After entering the building, Aria discovered there were at least ten other students around her age. Some had been picked up from rural areas. All of them believed they were there for a language test in Angladian, and many were busy practicing their speaking skills.The leader gestured for his subordinates to push Aria forward. "Off you go. Try your best to nail it on the first shot."Aria walked inside without resistance. She noted that surveillance cameras had been installed in every corner, even at every hallway turn. It was clear all the students were under strict observation.She had to admit—the company was much more professional-looking than expected. If she hadn't disguised herself as Eden or known in advance that the company was suspicious, she might have believed this was a legitimate organization."Alright. Next student, come with me," called one of the HR staff.Everyone seemed busy. Employees sat at desks buried under piles of documents, each preoccupied with their ow
Those who dedicated their lives to protecting others didn't care about how people viewed them, because a greater purpose drove them.Just as Brent had said, no one would help people like them without expecting compensation. And if anyone did, it could only be the Farshyan soldiers.At that moment, the train to Janovin began to move.…Meanwhile, Aria, disguised as Eden, sat quietly in the car with her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. She didn't react when the man sitting next to her gently tapped her arm. He leaned closer and whispered, "Sir, doesn't she seem different from usual? Do you think she's car sick or something?"The driver frowned, holding up an ID photo and glancing back at her."Maybe she's just used to us now. Probably has everything figured out by this point. Anyway, our job's just to drop her off. What happens after that isn't our concern. Once they pick her up, we'll get our money."Unbeknownst to them, Aria was wide awake, listening to every word and memor
Ordinary people understood the harshness of reality. Brent, having lived in poverty for most of his life, had been looked down on more times than he could count.Poor people like them could die unnoticed at home, and no one would care, let alone offer help without expecting something in return.If something really happened to Eden, Brent doubted he and his wife could do anything to save her. Judy was a prime example. Her father, Alec Lanez, had even given up selling bread just to look for her.Every time Alec went to the school, he was met with the same cold response."It has nothing to do with us. Your daughter ran away and refuses to acknowledge you. So why are you coming here? Peasants like you should know your place. Without us, people like you could only dream of going overseas. How filthy!"Brent had heard the school's representative say those exact words when he accompanied Alec. Both of them could only stand there, humiliated and speechless.Alec's back was sore from how m
Eden immediately opened the windows after hearing that. "Did Ms. Carver send you here? Is she in any danger? I'm really worried about her. Should I call the police? I'd feel horrible if anything happened to her."Weston remained calm and indifferent. "Calling the police will only make them suspicious. My boss is amazing, and there's nothing she can't handle. She has a plan. Right now, my priority is to bring all of you to Heartbound Hall in Janovin so your grandfather can receive treatment."The respect in Weston's voice when he spoke of Aria was unmistakable."Pack up your things and come with me," Weston ordered.Their team had already checked the surroundings and ensured nothing would go wrong. Anyone watching would think Eden's grandparents were simply collecting bottles and preparing lunch as usual, not leaving the house until the afternoon.Without wasting time, Weston picked up the elderly couple's luggage. His most important task now was to get Eden and her grandparents to
"We followed the address, so this must be the place. Sir, isn't that the girl?" It was the same group of people as before. After failing their last mission because of Aria, they were being extra cautious this time."We can't afford any more mistakes. Treat her kindly so that she won't suspect anything.""Yes, sir."When they saw a young woman in a school uniform appear right on time, they were convinced she was the right person. After all, Aria looked exactly like Eden.They rolled down the car window and waved. "Ms. Bohmer, over here."Aria looked up and recognized several familiar faces. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the car."Ms. Bohmer, we meet again," The driver greeted Aria warmly. "Let's go."The team had prepared for a difficult encounter. They'd even been authorized to use force if necessary, as long as they avoided surveillance cameras. But to their surprise, Aria simply opened the car door and got in without resistance.Aria glanced at their puzzled expression
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