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
Despite Warren being concerned about the many problems in the house, he was pleased that Aria was so knowledgeable. After all, she even knew a thing or two about interior design. Aria was way more accomplished than his friends' grandchildren, whose knowledge was gained from textbooks. After surveying Warren's bedroom, she ordered all the plants to be removed. Only a chamomile plant was left behind to improve sleep quality. Her primary goal was to locate the source of the poison, but she ended up uncovering numerous design flaws in the room.Aria would have disregarded it if it had only been a few problems. After all, people nowadays wouldn't take this concept into consideration when designing their houses.However, it struck Aria as odd that issues were everywhere in the room. If she hadn't looked closely, she might have missed them.Aria's expression turned grim as she stood in the middle of the room. It was difficult for her to believe such a layout was a coincidence.Prestig
Although Keith was in his late 30s, he had been working for the Carver family for a long time. His father had been Warren's secretary before him, and Keith now served Warren. Warren was the only person he would willingly work for; otherwise, he would have left for another job.Many headhunters had offered him other job opportunities, but Keith decided he would only leave when Warren no longer needed him. With Aria's return, Keith solidified his decision even further."Ms. Carver bears a resemblance to you and Mrs. Carver Senior. Like you, she's very polite to us staffers." Keith rarely spoke his mind so openly.Warren sighed. "If only my health didn't cause such inconvenience to you all."Keith immediately replied, "It's not your fault! With Ms. Carver around, she'll definitely treat us with respect."Aria was unsure why she became the center of the conversation again.Warren beamed with pride. "Don't you think her kindness reflects mine from when I was younger?""That's for sur
A single thought consumed Laura's mind—she had to find a way to make her husband dislike Aria.She had always hesitated to play the villain, but when she heard Aria wanted Jett to trade stocks with her, she couldn't hold back anymore.Choosing her words carefully, Laura said, "Eamon, I don't know what Aria is thinking. Could this just be an impulsive decision, like her father back then? Is she dragging people along without much thought?"Of course, I don't think Aria is as calculating as Owen. But people say the stock market and real estate are part of a bubble economy. The Grisham family didn't build their fortune through these channels."She doesn't have anyone guiding her, yet she's rushing into this. It makes me worried."She lifted her gaze. "Honey, you know these markets are different. If something goes wrong, people won't come after Aria—they'll come after Jett. Whether it's financial trouble or a mistake he makes…"She clenched her teeth and pressed on. "I don't want Jett
Waymond was never one to speak carelessly. He had already ordered his subordinates to investigate the Fitzroy family's accounts.In his eyes, Laura Fitzroy's biggest mistake was her continued loyalty to her family despite everything that had happened.Still, this was Eamon's family matter, and Waymond had no intention of letting the younger generation get involved.But Aria was no ordinary junior. The moment she heard Waymond's words, she already knew where the problem lay.Jett's phone had been ringing non-stop; most calls were from his mother. Aria wasn't some naïve newcomer to society—she understood what those calls meant. Laura didn't want Jett following her, and there were plenty of reasons for that. But Aria had no interest in meddling in their family affairs. The best way to handle it? Pretend she didn't know.Meanwhile, Laura was too anxious to eat. Jett wasn't answering, and Magdalene's words left her deeply unsettled.Laura had never had an issue with Aria before. In
The higher-ups had already released the official documents, though they lacked detail.As the head of a listed company, Waymond handled things differently from Jett. "If you want to acquire land, you must deal with the relevant government departments. Your cousin's connections won't be enough—I'll go."He worried that Aria might be taken advantage of. The industry had its own unspoken rules, after all."No need, Uncle Waymond. Don't worry. I'll ask for your help if I need it, but I'd like to try reaching out first." Aria smiled.Still, Waymond sensed that she had something else in mind. After a brief pause, he said, "Mr. Barron left behind many connections in Ludwiten—people from all walks of life."One of them is an old-timer, Cassian Merrick. His influence runs even deeper than the Grisham family's. Want me to reach out to him for you?"Aria had heard of Cassian ever since she set foot in Ludwiten. Though over a hundred years old, he hardly looked it.Back then, his name carri
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
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