"Did they move in just because the rent's cheap?""What other reason would there be? They'll regret this!""You can't be sure, not when so many years have passed since that incident."A group of elderly residents gossiped under the trees. They didn't expect the topic of their conversation, Aria, to appear with Sam, laden with fruits and herbs."Hello," Aria greeted. "We just moved in. I'm Aria, and this is my brother, Sam."Sam, sporting a colorful outfit and a baseball cap, offered a shy nod to the elders. Their fondness for children, coupled with Sam's adorable demeanor, fostered an instant connection."Oh my! You brought gifts too!" an old woman exclaimed, her impression of Aria instantly improving. While the gifts were a kind gesture, it was Aria's demeanor that truly won them over."Is the woman in the yard your grandmother?" asked Doria Quezos.Aria nodded with a chuckle. "She's a traditional healer. We've set up a makeshift kitchen outside. You're all welcome to join us
"I'm so scared, Philip! I'm really scared!" said Moses Layne, one of the young scions who'd been racing that night. Dark circles hung beneath his eyes. He huddled alone in a corner, refusing to allow his family to enter the room.The moment he spotted Philip, Moses sprang up and grabbed his arm. "I dreamed of Mouse. He kept asking why we were still alive. He said he was cold down there and wanted us with him."Initially dismissing Moses' fears as grief-induced, Philip's skepticism wavered when Lamond Whit and Ignatius Furler also shared similar haunting visions, albeit less intense due to their distance from the crash site."Do you think Mouse blames us for his death?" Lamond and Ignatius cautiously asked Philip. "Is that why he's appearing in our dreams?"Ignatius explained, "We didn't mean to graze our cars against the pregnant woman's."Lamond chimed in, "Mouse mentioned finding her familiar. You know how he was with pretty women—he'd always want to linger a little longer."Ig
Philip knew he couldn't keep this a secret. If the Layne family wanted answers, they'd find them. Witnessing his friends' torment, he confided in Samuel about the fortune teller's warning on Panne Street.Samuel frowned. "Someone predicted something bad would happen if you raced?"Philip nodded, still reeling from the shock. "She just told me not to go. I had no idea things would turn out this way."Samuel patted his shoulder. "You've lucked out. Regardless of whether she is a swindler, she saved your life."The Layne family would bear the brunt of the bad publicity if word of the crash got out. A car crash involving their wealthy son, racing, and a pregnant woman nearly killed wouldn't be good press.So what if Howard Jepson died? The Laynes had to contain the damage. "Do you know where the woman is?" Lucky was easy to handle. The Laynes had already spoken to the entertainment company, who just wanted money.Samuel worried someone else might expose the incident. An unknown
"Has Philip told you anything, Grandpa? Why didn't he go?" Moses asked, his voice dripping with bitterness. Friends were meant to share both joy and suffering, yet Philip had skipped the race despite Moses' invitation.If Philip had been there, the car crash might not have happened. Samuel said in a low voice, "He claimed someone predicted that something would happen to him if he went to the race. I'll ask Kenny for more information when he comes by later."He added, "I've told you to spend more time with Kenny. You could learn a lot from him. Philip, on the other hand, is a bad influence."Moses' head snapped up. "Someone predicted harm if Philip went? Can this person handle my situation now? Grandpa, whenever I close my eyes, all I see is a horrifying vision of a laughing fetus. I can't take it anymore!"Moses clutched his shirt as cold sweat ran down his back. "Why did it only come for me, Grandpa?""Calm down," Samuel soothed. "That's all superstitious nonsense. The problem
"It was you who called for an ambulance, wasn't it? Moses must have called you that day to leave a record." Ignatius looked at Philip. "Here's what I think—if he said on the phone that Mouse was the one who hit the other car and there's a record of this on your phone, it could clear his name. "Moses wanted to drag you into this too, but you called for an ambulance instead."Ignatius' hands trembled as he smoked. "I don't want to believe Moses could be so cruel, but people can do terrible things to save themselves. You're a Wagner, so you're safe. Lamond and I have no way out of this."Philip knew this was true. No one would talk about the accident publicly. It happened on a foggy mountain road, and both cars' dashcams were broken. The Whits and Furlers wouldn't let Lamond and Ignatius testify.The key to clearing Moses' name was that phone call. Moses had lied, and that phone call had indirectly turned Philip into an alibi Moses desperately needed to salvage the Layne family's nam
Aria had no idea that Fiona had been asleep since returning to the hotel. Her phone had been taken from her, and it had been set to silent mode.While Owen wouldn't lower himself to check Fiona's phone, the constant barrage of messages from a certain scammer irritated him. He tossed Fiona's phone onto the table. Owen sighed as he watched Fiona sleep. "Your problem is that your heart is simply too kind."Concerned about a potential overdose, Owen called their family doctor.The doctor reassured him, "Mrs. Carver is having a normal reaction to the medication. Due to her recent episode, she hasn't slept much in the past two days. She's just exhausted."Relief washed over Owen. "I'm glad she's okay."The doctor envied their relationship. "You're such a good husband to Mrs. Carver. I'll hook her to an IV so that she can get her nutrients in."Owen nodded. Before leaving, he turned on the aromatherapy diffuser in the room. He decided to wait until tomorrow to have Dr. Kent examine
Mindy cast her gaze down; sadness etched on her face. Her cousin, Marty Carver, said, "Don't worry, Mindy. We won't become friends with that country bumpkin. She can't hold a candle to you. Kenny and Moses said that no one in our circle would accept her. She's just a joke to us."Mindy snapped her head up. "You shouldn't talk like that in front of Grandpa, Marty." "Grandpa Warren's favoritism is so obvious." Marty curled his lip. "Why can't I? If my grandpa were head of the family, that country girl wouldn't be back." Looking at the two men standing behind Marty, Mindy chided, "You shouldn't call her that, Marty! She's your cousin! Anyone else can, but not you!"Marty was perplexed. "Why are you still defending her at such a crucial time? Why is Grandpa Warren so insistent on kicking you out before she returns? Moses analyzed the situation and suspected she poisoned Grandpa Warren's mind against you. She's jealous of you, even before stepping foot back in the family!"Owen's fro
A gnawing worry settled in Owen's gut as he left Ian's. What could have happened to the Laynes? Owen thought he ought to have Troy look into it. However, upon returning, Troy was nowhere to be found. When Owen called, Troy's voice cracked with sobs as he spoke, "My nephew Howard... he's gone."Howard Jepson was the young man Philip and his friends called Mouse.After learning of everything that had happened, that feeling of unease lingered. Owen's head felt like it was close to bursting, and he thought of his wife, who acted unusually from time to time. Abruptly, he instructed his driver, "Turn around. We're going to Mr. Windsor's place.""Yes, sir."…Blake was swamped that day as every noble family in the city sought his services except for the Wagners. Philip was looking for the young woman he'd met. "Are you telling me you knew nothing about this, Mr. Weller?" Philip demanded, disbelief lacing his voice. "Look at Ignatius' eyebags! Please, tell us, where is your niece?"W
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe