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
The person who spoke wore a hood that covered his features. "Yes. I followed your instructions and set the traps. They're so subtle that nobody would notice. Besides, Warren is arrogant and scoffs at fortune tellers. The Carver family will crumble within two years, tops."The old man seated on the chair began slowly, "I've told you repeatedly, our goal isn't to eradicate the entire Carver family."The old man rose to his feet. "There are many of them in the Carver family, so let's deal with them one by one. It won't take long till the old one dies. Those who don't usually come home will be hard to deal with, but I have my eyes on the youngest son. The entertainment industry is ruthless, after all."The hooded man slowly smiled. "You're right. I almost forgot about him. He's much easier to deal with than the others."The old man fiddled with his beads. "Don't make it too obvious. Go on.""Yes, sir."It took them more than a decade to set up a trap in the Carver residence's layout.
"What happened?" Aria raised an eyebrow at Sam as she set down her black bag. Sam pointed at Landon, trying to shift the blame onto him.Landon glanced at the aquarium and smiled meaningfully. "I don't think we can go to the aquarium tomorrow with Sam's special ability."Aria also noticed the dead fish and knew she couldn't hide Sam's condition any longer. Thus, she popped a piece of candy in her mouth and smiled. "Let's go downstairs and talk."Georgina was just peeling an apple for her. "Why can't you talk here?""It's about the Carver family, which Landon is more familiar with. Plus, it's confidential," Aria explained. Upon hearing that, Georgina didn't object further. Landon approached Aria and casually said, "Okay. We can also discuss meeting my parents while we're down there."Sam's eyes widened in horror, and Aria stopped chewing her candy.Georgina was the only one who smiled. "That's quite thoughtful of you, Landon. There's no rush, though. You guys haven't been da
Landon slid the plate of steak he had cut to Aria. "Mindy really wants to get married to me, but I rejected her."Aria was quite taken aback."I wanted to tell you early to avoid any misunderstanding," he explained wearily. "As my supposed girlfriend, you seem unfazed by all the gossip."Aria took a bite of the steak he had cut up for her. "I do care. It's just that I haven't caught wind of it yet. Stay away from her, though.""Okay," Landon replied, amused. He wondered if Aria was jealous of Mindy.The answer, however, was far from it. "She has an unusual scent that might be harmful to your health," Aria said."That's it?" Landon asked with a low voice.As the saxophonist was just nearby, Aria couldn't hear Landon clearly. "What did you say?""Nothing important. Did you suspect Mindy of having bad intentions towards the Carvers? What have you discovered now?" Landon's smile was pleasant.Aria couldn't help but think that he was way too smart for his own good. He always saw th
"What an honor." Landon's smile widened upon hearing Aria's compliment. For some reason, the gold-rimmed glasses he wore made him look even more playful. The York family's bodyguards had never seen Landon like this before, and they were quite surprised.They were impressed that Aria dared to tease Landon. After all, the socialities couldn't even get close to him at parties, let alone tease him.However, Aria didn't seem to fear him at all. Her carefree attitude made it seem like she had Landon wrapped around her finger, though the bodyguards wouldn't dare to say it out loud.By how Aria teased and complimented him so naturally, it seemed that she often did something similar."That's settled then. You're mine now." After Aria made up her mind, she didn't like sharing what was hers.Landon twirled her long hair. "Yes, I'm yours.""Find out everything you can about the young woman the Carvers are sponsoring," Aria requested, yawning. Exhaustion was evident in her voice. "I can't p
Landon frowned but answered the call anyway. The person on the other end of the line seemed to be worried he would get angry. He explained frantically, "Boss, we're still working on getting a higher profit margin from our side. It's around 10% now, and I know you're not satisfied with it. As for Barry…"The phone call had attracted Aria's attention. When she looked over, she widened her eyes. Landon gently turned her head. "Don't move. I don't want to burn you with the dryer.""Go on and take the call. I can finish drying my hair." Aria felt it was inappropriate for him to blow-dry her hair while in a meeting.Landon chuckled. "I'm blow-drying my fiancée's hair right now. Can you hold off the report for a minute?"On the other end of the line, Edward Sarris was speechless. Collecting himself, he stuttered, "Go ahead, Boss! I'm sorry for disturbing you."Edward wondered why he had chosen to call five minutes before the official meeting. This awkward moment could have been avoid
Landon's body tensed as he stared at her with dark, inscrutable eyes. Their noses almost touched when he leaned closer. His touch made his Adam's apple bob slightly.Janovin was usually windy after fall began. Yet, the room was eerily quiet as the wind howled outside.Aria furrowed her eyebrows slightly, perhaps disliking the coolness of his rosary beads. When Landon looked at her, his side profile seemed to give off a sense of danger.His handsome face appeared different, unreadable.Landon leaned down and caressed her face. Then, he muttered, "You have no idea the things I could do to you."He wasn't even sure what he was capable of. Yet, Aria seemed blissfully unaware.His gaze flickered between her eyes and lips. His hand beside her tightened, betraying the struggle for control within him. The strain reddened his eyes.Landon coughed and inadvertently dispersed dust from his rosary beads, revealing a faint glow as his gaze deepened further.Finally, he lifted her from the b
Aria couldn't care less about the marriage, and Landon seemed equally disinterested. So, Aria told his grandfather to call it off. When people later compared her to Mindy, Landon replied, "The Carver family values blood relations, and the person I was engaged to is Ms. Carver. It's not that I don't want her or anything. She's the one who didn't like me. Stop spreading nonsense."By then, Landon was already suffering from severe coughing fits, yet he stood up for Aria in a circle where everyone seemed to despise her. This happened after Warren had passed away.Everything after that was a blur for Aria. When she finally intended to visit and check on him, news came of his car accident. Aria couldn't understand why he had suddenly ended up in such a situation.Aria abruptly woke up, instinctively shielding her eyes from the sunlight. For a moment, she couldn't discern whether she was dreaming or awake. It was only when she turned her head and touched Landon's pajamas that she breathe
Back then, a rumor circulated that everyone desired the Grisham family's daughter. Audriana had thought it was an exaggeration. After all, no matter how beautiful a woman was, she would inevitably age. Fiona, no matter how stunning, would eventually face the same fate.However, Audriana had come to realize that some people could indeed look like fairies. Yet, she couldn't show her envy, as Priscilla was still watching her."Why do I think she looks so average? She's not nearly as ladylike as you, Priscilla," Audriana flattered her.Priscilla merely gave her a passing glance. "You don't have to try to flatter me. I don't care about that. With plastic surgery so common these days, I can have any appearance I want."What's important is for a woman to have her own career. But I have to admit, her face is quite stunning."Otherwise, Fiona wouldn't have remained relevant for so many years. But it didn't matter now. Fiona was already married, with so many children. Once a woman became a
"Who doesn't have a career in this day and age? She's the only one with no achievements to speak of, and she even went crazy. How does she have the nerve to reconcile with the Grisham family? I don't know whether to call her naïve or just plain dumb," Priscilla remarked, her voice dripping with disdain as she spoke to the person behind her. As she spoke, the woman slowly rose, revealing her identity—none other than Audriana."Perhaps she doesn't realize that the Draycott family is almost as influential as the Grisham family in Ludwiten. Especially you, Priscilla. Everyone knows the medispa you operate. "Fiona hasn't kept up with the times. I once thought she was capable, with her title as Ludwiten's Red Rose. But now, it seems she's all show, no substance." Audriana chuckled, clearly taking pleasure in belittling Fiona while subtly praising Priscilla. Priscilla, clearly pleased, took a sip of her coffee. "It's a shame she didn't listen to me and meet Ms. Kent."Audriana raised
Priscilla twirled her long hair and took a sip of her coffee. "I didn't have much confidence back then. I always followed you, never daring to try things on my own. It's only now, after trying for myself, that I've realized some things."She added, "Opening a medispa has always been my dream, and that's how it all started. Now, all the wealthy women in Ludwiten come to me for fillers and anti-aging treatments. If you're interested, you should come by. I can even fix your nose a little."Priscilla smiled. However, her smile was a little off, perhaps from a recent treatment. She pressed her fingers to her eyes. "I can't smile too much, or I'll get wrinkles. I envy your flawless, youthful face, Fiona. What's your secret?""Probably just staying indoors and avoiding the sun," Fiona replied, carefully omitting the fact that her soul had entered a manifestation.Priscilla's expression darkened, her voice tinged with frustration. "It's all Owen's fault! How could he be so cruel? You're no
Leon typed so quickly that Aria suspected it was a result of his experience arguing with his online haters. Aria couldn't get a word in as Leon flooded the entire group chat. She was speechless—his typing was even faster than a hacker like her. Celebrity Carver: "I'm worried about Aria. I should have gone on the train too!"Aria freed one hand to reply, "No need to worry. Fergus is with me."Celebrity Carver: "Fergus has never been in a relationship himself. What does he know?"Boss Carver: "Leon, aren't you getting too full of yourself lately?"Leon kept his head down, continuing to type. He was filled with worry for Aria.Unbeknownst to anyone, a mysterious person watched Leon with intense focus. The gaze was unsettling as if the person were ready to explode with hatred at any moment.The person only looked away when Leon entered the VIP lounge. Then, they went to the washroom, and standing before the mirror, revealed an eerie smile. There was no rush. After all, there wo
Their positions were reversed in an instant.Landon was pinned down, a few stray strands of hair falling over his face. His long, dark eyelashes gave him a somewhat coy expression. Aria, on the other hand, appeared dominant, with one hand pressing down on his wrist and the other on his shoulder. This was the scene the attendant walked in on. She cleared her throat slightly before speaking, "Sir, here are your fruits."The attendant's voice caught the attention of Fergus, who was seated in the last row. He put down his tablet and glanced over. What he saw was Aria playfully pressing down on Landon's wrist. Fergus couldn't help but rub his temples, unsure how to express his current feelings.When Leon mentioned that Aria was pursuing Landon, Fergus hadn't thought much of it. However, seeing for himself, he could only think of ways to keep Landon around for Aria.But Aria couldn't be too forward as they weren't married yet. At the thought of that, Fergus deliberately coughed.
It was the first time Aria had ever felt this way. The sensation made her dizzy, yet she couldn't get enough of it. Every inch of her mouth was filled with Landon's scent, and his fingers felt astonishingly hot. The sounds around them faded, leaving only the rumble of the train as it passed through the tunnel. There was an undeniable closeness between them. His soft kisses and teasing bites on her lips made her feel a little lightheaded. With her eyes covered, Aria instinctively sought something to steady herself. The rhythmic thump of his heartbeat echoed in her ears, its force making escape seem impossible. His kiss, commanding and intense, contrasted sharply with his calm demeanor. It seemed as though he was determined to pull her deeper into his embrace. Yet, despite the overwhelming sensation, Aria couldn't bring herself to resent it. Instead, she found herself surrendering to it. The sounds around them slowly returned as they emerged from the long tunnel, light creepi
Landon raised his hand and spoke calmly before ending the call. "Go and tell your boss that only Farshyans can manage the Chamber of Commerce."When Westin tried calling back, no one answered. For years, foreigners had enjoyed preferential treatment in Farshya. As Westin mentioned, some universities favored foreign students, offering them special care. Foreigners received priority access to events, complimentary ice cream, and exclusive show tickets at car exhibitions. Many Farshyans were thrilled just to exchange a few words with them.Westin's best friend even had a Farshyan girlfriend who was utterly devoted to him. She tolerated their insults with a smile as long as he promised to take her abroad and secure her permanent residency.This sense of entitlement made foreigners like Westin feel superior to the locals. Westin, in particular, had been flattered by Farshyan businessmen for so long that he'd never experienced such outright rejection.Other suppliers and port officia
Despite the shifting tides, some stubborn members of the Chamber of Commerce clung to their cunning ways, refusing to yield.Previously, Westin had assumed that his target, known for being money-obsessed, would agree without much resistance. But upon arriving, he found himself drinking far more than discussing business.Two days and a relentless hangover later, Westin realized he'd been played. That wily old man! Refocusing his attention on the task at hand, Westin addressed the screen with renewed determination. "Mr. York, it's not just Ludwiten's companies interested in partnering with us. Even the Wagner family from Janovin is eager to collaborate. "If there's something holding you back, let me know. But remember, opportunities don't wait. I urge you to reconsider—going solo carries significant risks."As Westin spoke, Landon listened calmly, his expression unchanging. He even shifted slightly to make Aria more comfortable in her seat. Nearby, an attendant whispered with a
Aria lay on her side, with Landon seated on her right. She wondered if the York family would grow uneasy about his prolonged absence from home. Landon was clearly in the middle of a meeting. His deep, pleasant voice carried a hypnotic quality, occasionally interspersed with authentic Nobeetan phrases. He spoke so softly that those further away would struggle to hear him, yet his tone was laced with an understated menace that no one could ignore.The person on the other end of the meeting dared not contradict him. Landon's calm demeanor masked a chilling authority. He wasn't the kind of superior who exploded with anger—those were predictable. The truly terrifying ones were those whose moods were inscrutable and whose actions were ruthlessly decisive."We won't pursue a joint venture then. The York Group will proceed independently." Landon chuckled before continuing politely, "Let me remind you, this is Farshya—not the early days when we were inexperienced and desperate for capital.