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
"I picked it up from watching TV shows," Aria lied calmly. "Go and open the door for Sam. He'll have a million questions for me otherwise."Landon ran his hands through her hair and stood up. He didn't believe her for a second, though. When Landon opened the door, he saw the caution etched on Sam's face. Sam worried Aria would do something reckless because she was smitten with Landon's face. He noticed the deepening darkness in Landon's eyes. Sam glanced down at his wrist, wondering if the rosary beads were losing their effect.Landon raised an eyebrow. "Is it just you?"Sam pointed downstairs. As smart as Landon was, he caught on quickly, "Your grandmother is eating breakfast downstairs, so she asked you to come look for us?"Sam nodded in confirmation. Landon smiled slightly. "You came at a bad time today, so I won't give you any money." Sam was bemused by his statement. Landon ushered him inside. "I'll pay you if you don't visit mornings and nights."Sam made a gestur
Aria needed to gather her thoughts before explaining to Landon. However, Landon was sensitive and caught on to the key points quickly. "Do you think I'm in danger on the highway?""Yes," Aria said, meeting his gaze.Landon smiled at her. "I believe in everything you say."His words made Aria blink slightly. "Be careful of the people around you.""Okay." Landon tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "If you need anything from me about the Carvers, let me know. I've been in Janovin longer than you and might be more helpful."Aria decided to be direct. "I need you to schedule an appointment with an interior designer for me.""Who?" he asked.Aria handed him a name card. "It's a foreign interior designer named Augustus Babel."Landon's gaze darkened. "The Babel family again?""You know them? That would be helpful. He designed the Carver residence, and I think he did a fantastic job. I'd like to understand his inspiration," Aria replied absentmindedly. Landon took the card,
The man's thick Janovin accent was unmistakable as he introduced himself. "Ms. Carver, this must be your first time here. You can just call me Will."As soon as he finished speaking, a shout came from the side. "Mr. Weller, you're here! I got some good stuff today!"Will gave a firm nod, his voice exuding authority. "I'll check it out later.""Alright, I'll hold it for you then!"Aria asked with a smile, "Mr. Weller?"Will fanned himself with his hand. "Just a local courtesy. My full name is Will Weller. By the way, Mr. Carver Senior mentioned you were looking for topaz for your house. Any specific requirements?""No." Aria glanced at Sam, who was scanning the street with pursed lips. It was clear Sam was familiar with Panne Street. Aria had brought him to use his skills; he excelled at finding things quickly."Honestly, Ms. Carver, you came a little early," Will said as they walked. "But it's understandable. You probably don't know Panne Street's history."Aria offered a playf
Will initially thought Aria, coming from the countryside, would be naïve. However, her composed demeanor made him doubt himself.Will reminded himself that Warren had the ultimate authority on who was recognized. It was pointless to heed anyone else's opinion.Meanwhile, Aria maintained a distinguished smile, not bothering to discuss Owen further with Will."We're here," Will said, glancing around. "We need to line up."Indeed, a large crowd filled the shop. Those with appointments formed a line that snaked from inside to outside. The shop displayed various antiques.A man excitedly exited the shop clutching a piece of paper. "Mr. Windsor said this prescription guarantees a son if I consume it!""He even knew you wanted to have a son?" The crowd was stunned."That's right! I'm so impressed by him!"The people in line got more anxious when they heard him. Just then, two young men emerged and announced, "The fortune-telling slots are full today. The unfortunate ones, please ret
Will gasped when he heard Blake say it was better for Aria to leave Janovin. He wondered if Blake had figured out that Aria was the missing daughter of the Carver family.Just as Will was about to speak, Aria beat him to it. "If that's the case, may I know if there's a way around it?""It'll be difficult for you to break the curse," Blake said. "Some hardships aren't your fault. You lacked love as a child, and people often misunderstand you. This builds resentment."Aria swirled her coffee cup, a playful smile on her lips. "Resentment?"Blake narrowed his eyes. "Yes, resentment fuels your pain. You unconsciously struggle against it. It makes you wonder why others have what you don't."Sam shifted in his seat, his eyes hardening dangerously.Unfazed, Aria let out a long sigh. "A fortune teller once told me I'd live a blessed life and that any swindlers who crossed my path would be unlucky.""I didn't believe it before." Aria let out a smile. "However, I believe it now after meeti
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