"Don't worry about me." Aria hugged Charlie gently. "You should take care of your waist injury."Charlie's usual abrasive temper was nowhere to be seen as he hugged Aria back. "If you encounter any problems, go to the Murray family. Don't worry about being rude. "You're Kenneth's student, so they'll be very eager to welcome you. Besides, they're indebted to you. Without you, Lucas would have been stuck in Southbury."Remember this, Aria. To us in Elmer, you'll always be our child. Regardless of what happens with your biological parents in Janovin, we'll never stand idly by if you're wronged, not while any of us are still alive!""Mr. Tomlinson is right. You're still one of us, even after you go to Janovin," one of the other elderly residents added feebly. "You have nothing to fear."Charlie glanced at the man. "You shouldn't say anything. Do you remember who was behind Aria's arrest last time?""I—" Aria laughed. "Mr. Emmerts is innocent in all this. That happened because some
Dorothy placed a plate of mango pudding by Mindy's bedside. "You should eat something, Ms. Carver. I asked around, and she's just a country girl who can't hold a candle to you.""She was found in Uludon," Dorothy continued disdainfully, "As if that impoverished place was capable of nurturing anyone decent! Don't you worry, Ms. Carver. You were brought up with meticulous care, and you're much better compared to her."Mindy peeked out from her blanket when she heard Dorothy's words. Her voice was muffled as she said, "This stays in the bedroom—don't bring it up anywhere else. She's the real daughter of the Carver family, not me.""She's nothing compared to you, Ms. Carver. I'm just telling the truth. She has nothing but her bloodline." Dorothy finally felt relieved now that Mindy was willing to speak. "Wait and see. Even if she returns to the family, so what? She's not destined for a life of privilege and wealth. The social circle here is ruthless—a girl from the countryside will ne
Owen wanted to argue further, but Warren was so agitated that he struggled to breathe. As Owen approached, Warren’s coughing intensified.Owen hadn't meant to upset Warren. As he reached out to pat his back to ease the coughing, Warren spat a mouthful of blood right on him! Panic seized Owen. "Dad, what's wrong?""Leave," Warren rasped.Just then, Keith strode into the room. "Mr. Carver, Ms. Carver is on the phone. She's already on the highway and will be in Janovin by afternoon. Do you want... Mr. Carver Senior!"Keith entered with a cheerful demeanor, but his words stumbled when he saw Warren's condition.It was only then that Warren caught his breath. "S-She's on the phone? Quick. Give the phone to me!""But you…" Keith hesitated.Aria could hear the commotion on the other end. Her brow furrowed. "Grandpa, what's wrong?""It's nothing, Aria. Keith is just making a huge scene out of it." Not wanting his granddaughter to worry, Warren tried his best to steady his breathing. "W
Keith didn't hold back a single detail from Aria. He named the person who came in to visit Warren and described what they brought."Ms. Mindy Carver, the one the Carver family had sponsored, wanted to send your grandfather some soup," Keith explained.Aria raised her eyebrows. "Send some soup?""Yes, she recently started bringing soup to the office," Keith added.Aria replied, "I don't think the soup is the problem. I doubt Grandpa drank any of it."Keith continued, "Mr. Carver Senior indeed didn't drink any of it. I didn't let anyone into the room, so only the chef and Mr. Carver came by."Aria's eyes flickered. "Mr. Carver?"However, Keith didn't want to elaborate on it. "Your father. He got your grandfather a little worked up."Aria seemed to be deep in thought, only talking after some time, "Mr. Watson, please help prepare a few medicinal ingredients and keep an eye on Grandpa. Don't let anyone meet with him, including Mr. Carver."Keith was smart enough to catch on. After
Inside the study, Warren listened to Aria's voice message urging him not to get worked up.Warren refused to open the door for his son, only replying, "If you didn't provoke me, my condition wouldn't have worsened. I'm warning you. You'd better leave if you still want your position in the company."Owen went closer to the door. "Dad, I'm just worried about your health."Warren gripped his walking cane and lowered his voice. "You should worry about your intelligence more. Get out."Owen clenched his hands. He didn't understand why Warren looked down on him. It seemed that he was completely worthless in Warren's eyes.Owen cast a sideway glance at the door. "Okay. I'll leave, but my doctor will be just outside the study in case anything happens."Hearing no reply from Warren, Owen turned and left. Up until now, Owen failed to tell his wife that their daughter was found.He wasn't sure how to break the news to her. Plus, he was scared that the news would worsen her condition even m
Logan nodded. "I doubt anyone could accept such sudden news so easily."However, Philip didn't share the same opinion. "Kenny, the Carver family is only sponsoring her because she's an orphan. Are they responsible for adopting every child they sponsor? Mindy should leave now that their biological daughter has returned.""Shut up," Kenny spat.Logan wanted to smooth things over. "The Carver family is quite odd, though. There's barely any news about them finding their biological daughter. Could it be a false alarm?""I doubt they'll want anyone to know they found her deep in the mountains. I even heard she's illiterate," Kenny said with disgust despite maintaining a straight face. "We don't know what she looks like, but the Carver family will probably make her go through some etiquette lessons before showing her to the world. Otherwise, she'll be a laughingstock."Logan rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If that's the case, she's completely different from Mindy.""There's no competit
Aria's striking beauty and assertive demeanor embodied the Carver spirit. The staff, intimidated, didn't question her identity. They couldn't help but be captivated by her.From the moment she strode into the courtyard toward the study, the staff couldn't help but murmur about her beauty.Aria never thought she could win over the staff members just by her looks. After all, she was more worried about Warren's condition than anything.Warren stood up when the study door was pushed open. He couldn't seem to conceal the smile on his face. "Rainbow, come here. Let me have a good look at you. Are you cold?"I wanted to send a car to pick you up, but that brat Landon insisted it would be safer if he brought you himself. By the way, where's your grandmother?""She'll visit next time," Aria replied as she checked his pulse. "Grandpa, how are you feeling now?"Warren felt fine. "Perhaps I got a little too worked up just now."Aria paused before opening her black bag. She retrieved a silve
"Grandpa, who designed this house?" Aria asked as she approached the lily pond. The miniature landscape was designed with flair, containing some greenery and water features to it.Warren thought she found the landscape pretty. Thus, he smiled and said, "Your eldest brother hired an overseas designer. If you like the design, I can ask him for the contact." A smile curled on Aria's thin lips. "Sure. The design seems to incorporate many elements from our country. The turquoise pebbles symbolize good fortune, right?" Warren's eyes lit up. "Rainbow, you even have knowledge about this?"Aria smiled. "I read some books here and there. Grandpa, the design is lovely, but I think there's a clash of elements. For example, the direction of the flowing water could signify financial loss."Then, she pointed at the corner skylight. "Additionally, the skylight creates a missing corner in the house. This can be detrimental to health and business, and its effects will worsen over time. It needs t
It was obvious how great the view at night would be. The hall had built-in wine racks and various essentials for hosting parties. The view from the hall was truly remarkable. When one looked out, one could see The Bay. Gazing down, one would feel like a king gazing imperiously over the entire bar below.However, the police could only furrow their brows as they couldn't find any clues. Just as they contemplated their next course of action, Aria arrived. "Where is my friend?" Initially, she just wanted to know Landon's actual location. After all, Landon's call didn't go through several times, which surprised her."They're in the corridor downstairs, not here." The investigator was wearing disposable shoe covers while checking the scene. As Aria was going to look for Landon, she suddenly paused. It was only then she noticed the view from where she was. She could see everyone and everything in the bar, especially as the bar stools lit up when someone sat on them. When Aria reca
Orion's primary concern was securing control of the Chamber of Commerce. "You truly understand these poor people the most," he instructed his secretary. "Go and settle this. Handle it flawlessly, or it might jeopardize the Chamber of Commerce's voting."Aria, a potential threat, was disregarded, as were the ethical protocols Orion was undoubtedly familiar with. It seemed that once wealth was acquired, human life became a mere inconvenience. Aria knew the rules. Confronting the names Haisley had mentioned would only alert their enemies. In this critical situation, she desperately needed an ally. As she reviewed her notes, a police officer began, "Ms. Carver, we're uncertain about the actions of your companion. We cautioned him against interfering with the crime scene, but he seemed intent on investigating. And there's a child with him, a surprisingly strong child."Aria smiled at the thought of Sam. "He won't contaminate the crime scene," she assured them. "I believe he's searchin
Aria signaled Adrian to go ahead. However, her gaze revealed nothing. Although Adrian felt he had been played, he didn't have any evidence, so he decided to visit Ronan. The boss dispatched Adrian to instruct Ronan on what he could and couldn't say. Ronan had already made a costly mistake, and another slip-up could easily be exploited by the police. Andrew knew he had to be cautious; these detectives were sharp. As Adrian settled into the visiting room, he couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. The surveillance cameras loomed large in his mind, and he wondered how to extract the necessary information without alerting them. Yet, Ronan seemed nonchalant and showed no signs of worry. Adrian decided to check in with him. "Mr. Belmont, how are you feeling? Did they ask you questions that you don't know the answer to? You may direct it to me and stay silent for the time being. Perhaps you may provide any clues to the police."Adrian carefully crafted his question, pausing s
When Aria exited the interrogation room, she heard someone saying, "A representative from Nocturne has arrived. It might be a bit difficult to investigate the hidden passage."Aria lifted her gaze slightly. "Get him to come and find me.""It's the bar's lawyer. He seems a bit difficult to deal with."She smiled. "I like dealing with people like him."In less than three minutes, a group of people sat down. "Let me introduce you to Ludwiten's famous lawyer, Adrian Whitmore. This is the specialist in charge of the case."Adrian smiled and shook hands with Aria. Then, he spoke professionally. "I am Mr. Belmont's lawyer. From what I know, Mr. Belmont has provided all relevant evidence Nocturne can provide. As the person in charge of Nocturne, it'll give him a bad rep if he stays detained."While I deeply sympathize with the late Ms. Hanson's death, there is no direct evidence that my client is involved in her death. We will cooperate with the questioning, but I will request his rele
Haisley continued, "If I go to jail, nobody will care for him when he's old. He'll be laughed at by all his relatives! I really hate pompous people like you who want to teach others a lesson. You're not doing a good deed. You're only making the old geezer even worse off!"Aria spaced out and started looking for the two names she had mentioned. "Are you done talking?" she asked, looking up.Haisley was stunned by her attitude.Aria tapped her temples coolly. "I don't understand people like you. I don't care whether your father is doing well. He's not my father."He spoiled you when raising you. If he chooses to ignore your crimes, he deserves to live a bad life. We're locking you up to do the world a favor. Wake up, princess. We're not obligated to spoil you like your dad."Haisley's expression was grim, while the police officers seemed pleased. Although they were professional at their work, they wished to retort when faced with people like Haisley. Youngsters nowadays would le
Aria asked calmly, "Who did you see?""A person who was on the news before." Haisley seemed uneasy and asked again, "Are you sure this is confidential?"Aria glanced at the audio recording and disrupted it with a click. "You can talk now. Who did you see?"Haisley clenched her hands. "One was Xavier Larkspur from the local trading association, and another one was from the Chamber of Commerce…"None of the police officers could hear what she was saying. One of the investigators removed his buzzing headphones and barged into the dark with a gloomy expression. "This goes against the rules!"Aria was unfazed. "According to the rules, you guys should be leading the investigation yourself. From Nocturne's business practices or the incidents that happened there, you guys should have investigated it before. Why didn't you?"The investigator was rendered speechless. Some of them argued, "This just happened! And it's never happened before!"Aria stood up. "Perhaps you guys just found out
Technically, Aria's interrogation method wasn't standard protocol. However, her method managed to expose Haisley's true colors. "It's true that I was envious of her. So what? She acts so arrogantly despite coming from a small town like me. "I don't get it. I'm prettier than her and wear all kinds of branded clothing. Why am I still inferior to her? She just looks a bit more innocent than me, but she also admitted she wanted to find a rich boyfriend."Haisley sneered. "You're interrogating me, so you might as well ask around. Most people who go to the bar are looking for a rich boyfriend. If Luna didn't have the same intention, she wouldn't have followed us."Everyone knows there's no such thing as free lunch. However, people are greedy. They'll get baited if you give them a bit of temptation. "Luna is no different. She dreamed about marrying a rich boyfriend. If she woke up and she found herself sleeping beside Sky, I bet she wouldn't take her life."Aria was looking for that
Haisley, who had just gotten exposed, became pale. She wanted to stand up from the interrogation chair. "What right do you have to investigate my privacy?"Aria said slowly, "Haisley, why don't you look around to see where you are before slamming on the table? You're a suspect. Who else are we going to investigate?"Haisley sneered. "I'm a suspect? When did I become a suspect? You guys are just useless. Otherwise, go ahead and capture those behind the scenes! Why are you arresting me for? You're just trying to shift the blame on me. "Luna likes to jump off buildings. What does it have to do with me? I'm telling you not to accuse me without evidence!""Do I need to remind you of your image of a gentle and considerate senior in college?" Aria said flatly. The police officers watching outside thought Haisley was beyond help. Haisley took a deep breath. "I'm just working as a facilitator. I doubt it's illegal. How can you slander me without evidence? Is that how you guys do your w
A continued texting, "You're right. They won't suspect us, anyway. It has nothing to do with us. Even if she reported it to the police, someone would take care of it. Cases like this are difficult to solve. "How can she prove she was forced? She even dreamed about marrying a rich guy. Anyway, we should quickly delete this conversation. Now that Luna has been chosen, we should choose another target."The conversation was also synced on the display screen, causing the police officers to feel a chill down their backs. The young women sitting behind the glass were still college students. Yet, they had been targeting people online and bringing them to bars.The police officers clenched their hands when faced with the four young faces. They weren't people who helped out their juniors but demons!Aria didn't feel surprised at the revelation. What she was doing now was proving some of her suspicions. She already felt something off when she saw them downstairs.However, she needed evide