A lone candle jar on the east side of Daemon Grimlock's study exploded.His face contorted in shock, a stark contrast to his previous composure while studying the fortune. He stared at the shattered glass in disbelief. A violent cough erupted from his lungs, expelling blood as his blood pressure spiked.The commotion alerted the secretary outside, who attempted to enter. "Mr. Grimlock?""It's nothing!" Grasping his cane for support, Daemon clutched another candle jar tightly. His voice, aged by a decade in a mere moment, rasped, "Send someone to check on Owen. I need to know what he's doing right now.""Yes, sir!" The secretary promptly complied.A sinister glint flickered in Daemon's eyes.He struggled to understand what was happening. The Carver family's fortune, which he had painstakingly amassed, was inexplicably slipping away, trickling back to its rightful owners."Wait," he croaked, halting the secretary. "Ask Blake if Owen still trusts him implicitly, like before."Daem
The manager nodded."I've read about it in martial arts novels. It's pretty impressive!"Aria said calmly, "That man's robes are from Mount Dracotigris."Upon hearing this, the manager froze. "What do you mean?"She raised her chin and stated, "He's a real cultivator. Whoever kicks him out will be unlucky."The manager's jaw dropped. "No way, Ms. Carver…""Bring him back quickly. Cultivators aren't just in novels," Aria said casually. "Haven't you seen the videos online? There was even a recent cultivator conference.""What conference?" The manager jerked his head up, unsure if such fantastical things existed in reality."It's true," she said, showing him a page on her phone. "It was an academic conference. Judging by his attire, he likely holds a high position among cultivators."The manager immediately rushed to stop Homer from being ejected."Sir, I apologize for the misunderstanding!" the manager exclaimed hurriedly. "You're here for the cultivator conference, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Homer's eyes lit up. "Take me there quickly!"He was confident that this Mr. York was the apprentice he'd been searching for. However… "It's you?"Disappointment creased Homer's face as he stared at Landon in the posh hotel suite. "Why are you staying here instead of York Residence?"Aria watched the scene with amusement. When it came to York family gossip, most of it was true. For instance, Landon was blessed with such good fortune that even the esteemed wise sages of Mount Dracotigris were envious.Landon coughed awkwardly a few times, maintaining his composure. "Mr. Bond, it's been a while. You seem to be as vigorous as ever."Homer rolled his eyes and turned to Aria. "So this is the Mr. York who supposedly borrowed the fortune from the heavens?"She nodded. "He's practically Heaven's favored child. He has no need to borrow fortune at all," Homer said. "Mr. Bond, you exaggerated," Landon said with a chuckle, pouring Homer a cup of coffee.Then he glan
The ease of online exposure these days kept Homer, a recluse, hesitant to leave his mountain sanctuary.Even the Carver Group's PR department was caught off guard by the sudden publicity. Their hotel had skyrocketed to the top of trending topics, an unexpected stroke of good fortune that left them bewildered. Three of the top trending topics were all about their establishment!The most popular one read, "Shocking! I won the lottery! The wise sage's words are true! Hurry up and get a room!"Prior to this, the hotel's rating had dipped to a mediocre 4.3 stars. Worse, business conferences had dwindled at the ageing five-star establishment. Comments were rife with complaints about guests frequently falling ill during their stays, encountering rude and passive-aggressive staff, and experiencing inexplicable bad luck after their visits. Some even dismissed any chance of good fortune and accused Homer of being a fraud hired by the hotel for a publicity stunt.Learning of this, the hot
Mindy, ever understanding, offered, "Aria's drastic measures were likely intended to boost hotel business. Don't be too hard on her."Owen shook his head repeatedly, looking defeated. "She just returned, and Dad has already let her take over the hotel? It's too soon. I won't hold it against her as her father, but the hotel has many other shareholders to consider. "If things go south, I'm worried there will be trouble. Even though our family owns the biggest share, we can't ignore the other owners' opinions." His phone rang, interrupting him. "See, another stockholder calling, pressuring me to take back control."Mindy noticed the call and interjected, "Dad, other issues can wait, but public perception is crucial. If we don't address it, things will only spiral out of control and become even harder to manage."He acknowledged her point. "I just worry that if we hold Aria responsible, she'll become defensive.""Then you should apologize on her behalf," she replied instantly. "Not o
"Let's discuss this later, after we've resolved the issue. Get the press release ready quickly," Owen said before hanging up the phone.Mindy's eyes flashed with anger as she glared down the hallway from her room.When a nurse arrived, Mindy laid back down and reached for her phone.The social circle's group chat wasn't as lively as when Moses and Philip were around, but news about the hotel was still being discussed. Someone tagged her."Mindy, is this your family's hotel?""Why use such a bad marketing strategy? If I hadn't already been at your hotel, I would've believed it.""Who is the new person in charge? Tell Uncle Owen to fire them now. This is so humiliating!"Mindy couldn't contain her grin, but the answer she typed out was more modest. "Don't be so harsh. My sister just came back and isn't familiar with the market yet. It's understandable that she might make some mistakes."The group chat lit up with responses."Sister? You mean the one who just returned to the Carv
"You can't say that! Leon's stage performances are excellent. If you take a picture with him and upload it, it will become viral in minutes.""Well, the Carver family is viral now. Leon only cares about his biological sister and never cares about Mindy. Sooner or later, that bumpkin will take him down as well."Mindy, seeing this, said, "Kylie, it's no surprise Leon doesn't care about me. After all, I'm just someone the Carver family sponsored.""What do you mean just a sponsee? You were there for the Carvers when Mrs. Carver lost her mind. Who knows where they'd be now if it weren't for you? Now that this bumpkin has returned, the Carvers want to disown you, and she's even making the hotel ratings drop.""Kylie, Dad has always been kind to me. He's trying to mend things now. Let's not discuss Aria's situation anymore."Kylie Wagner was Philip's cousin. She had been close to Mindy since they were little. They were also schoolmates. Despite different courses, they were well-known o
Philip understood what Landon meant. However, he'd already explained himself.Aria skimmed the chat history. She had no intention of throwing Philip under the bus. "It's not a good look for you to defend me while still hanging out with them. Put your phone away."With that, she tossed his phone back.Philip, eager to prove his loyalty, said, "I was immature before, thinking that kind of circle was cool. Now I understand gossiping and ostracizing others is wrong. Aria, I'm not just on your side because you're powerful, but because I learned a lot today."Having lost his mother young, Philip always cherished companionship and a lively atmosphere. This led him to constantly surround himself with friends, even if it meant doing things he disliked because his friends did them.But true friends wouldn't hold him back or pressure him into danger. Just because they had more money, they disrespected others. This was something Philip couldn't tolerate."If you need me to, I'll speak up. Wo
Derek ended the call with a sharp click, the sound of the disconnection echoing like a slap to Celestia's face.For the first time, Celestia felt a deep, paralyzing fear. If she couldn't clear the air, her entire career would be destroyed. Years of hard work, of carefully cultivating her popularity, could all vanish in an instant.Not only was Derek actively searching for her, but even the loyal followers she once called "simps" were beginning to question her. Her phone buzzed incessantly with messages.Simp 1 was still in disbelief. "Celestia, the screenshots online are fake, right? That old hag is just trying to ruin you. I know you're not materialistic. You've never even accepted the gifts I sent you."Celestia knew she needed someone to vouch for her. She changed his nickname and sent him a screenshot. Then, with a pleading tone, she recorded a voice message. "I don’t understand why these rumors are spreading. This is what my actual screen looks like."As expected, Messiah sto
At that moment, Celestia reveled in her own brilliance. A smug smile spread across her face as she watched her followers soar. Everything was unfolding exactly as she had planned.Sitting in the car, she felt a surge of satisfaction. She knew that an old hag like Lettie wouldn't stand a chance against her.Just as Celestia was about to reply to some online comments, a few screenshots suddenly appeared in her feed.Her smile faltered, and her face drained of color. Her hands shook so violently that she nearly dropped her phone.The screenshots revealed her private conversations with Derek and several other men, including male classmates who had been pursuing her.Celestia had intended to explain things to Derek once the situation died down, but she never anticipated that such a personal exchange would be exposed to the public.Her eyes widened as she stared at her phone, frantically deleting the comment. But more and more identical comments appeared, and soon, even her fans had no
Landon looked out the window. "You'll be immune to ghosts once you see more of them. Have you ever seen a fortune teller dispelling a manifestation in the mountains? They were as afraid as you when they first started."With more experiences and encounters, they would come to realize that the world is a strange place—and eventually, they would get used to it."Aria thought the same way as Landon did. She didn't want Lettie to be trapped in self-doubt after the incident ended. Aria had encountered many patients who wrestled with the same question. "What kind of person would do such a thing? They were the ones in the wrong, not me. So why was I the one being scolded?"The world was unfair, and one had to understand this to retaliate against the unjust. Aria could have left the incident as it was, but she used this tactic to get Lettie to move on. When Lettie saw the first comment, her hand shook and she struggled to breathe. She trembled violently when she saw the photo. Some of th
Marrying into the Hendricks family would have been perfect. Too bad Paxton's hesitation led to this mess. Celestia would have to lay low for now. Social media reactions were just like Celestia expected. The online community jumped on the marketing accounts' narrative. "Exposé—The Truth Behind the Viral Story!" "We Worried for Nothing—She's Back with the Cheater!" "See? Why should we sympathize with housewives? Not only was she love-blind, but she also played the victim for attention and used us for views. She's running back to her husband's arms!" While the workers at the comment-farming company posted these messages, they had no idea that the cybercrime officers were at their door. There was no chance to escape at all; it was an immediate shutdown. They still could not figure out how their "secure" operation was exposed! Meanwhile, Celestia sat in her car as she scrolled through the comments. Delighted, her eyes lit up as she replied, "If you meet a cheater in real life, g
Cold sweat broke out on Paxton's back as realization hit. Percy was here. Judging from Aria's attitude now, could Percy be handling the divorce case? Panicking, his earlier confidence crumbled. Paxton hurried toward the parking garage. Daisy yelled at him from behind. She was crying so hard she lost a shoe. "Dad! Dad!" Paxton suddenly exploded and said, "Stop following me, you useless waste! You can't even repeat simple instructions! All that money on your education, and this is what I get? Where's your brain?" Daisy froze, her face draining of color. She had never seen her father like this. Though rarely home, he always brought her dolls and chocolates from abroad. Her classmates envied her, and Amara called her Daddy's princess. As she uncertainly reached for his shirt, he shoved her away. "Go find your grandmother! Idiot!" Daisy stood stunned. Paxton had not even noticed her scraped foot bleeding. Her eyes widened in recognition. This was just like how things were with Ama
"I... I..." Daisy faltered as she was unprepared for Aria's words. Paxton and Daisy had come hoping to manipulate Lettie as they always had. In marriages, visible violence might draw outside sympathy. But such psychological torture of exploiting Lettie's maternal love, pushing her boundaries, and destroying her self-worth was far more terrifying. As a doctor, Aria's expertise went beyond healing bodies. She specialized in psychology. Lettie's condition wasn't just trauma; it was long-term emotional abuse. Aria had seen Lettie's sleeping pills. With her pregnancy affecting hormones, they needed to address her emotional pain. If not, Aria worried Lettie might break. Aria touched her amethyst pendant. Sometimes, abandoning all illusions was the only way to start over. For mothers, children were their deepest attachment. It was better to see clearly now than suffer endless emotional manipulation. "I'm not going back with you two. I want a divorce, and I will get one." Lettie's ha
Indeed, Lettie hesitated. She looked at her daughter instinctively. After all, blood ties could not be easily broken. Paxton seized this moment to step forward and hug her. "Lettie, I knew you couldn't give up on our family. I've really learned my lesson. We'll move out and keep Mom from interfering. Please?" His movements were too quick for Lettie to react. Aria sat there with a smirk, her gaze drifting to the window. It was a great photo spot indeed. It would be a perfect picture of an adorable daughter, a caring husband, and a forgiving wife. This would become a narrative of quick reconciliation that would betray the public's support. Aria had even thought of headlines for Celestia's post. Too bad she hadn't come inside. If she had, seeing Aria's face might have shaken her confidence. Lettie didn't let Paxton's embrace last. Once she recovered, she shoved him away. Then, came the slap. "You're absolutely shameless!" Lettie could not believe his act, even now. Glancing a
As Amara stood there trembling, it drew stares from onlookers. She could not believe her son would speak to her this way. It was Paxton who had begged her to help, saying Celestia wanted to meet Daisy. He even asked her to arrange it so the girl would accept them when the divorce happened. That way, Don would not interfere too much. As a mother, how could she ignore her son's troubles? He had gone on about Celestia's background—how cultured she was and how her parents were prestigious lawyers in Ludwiten. Amara had been impressed. A simple housewife like Lettie could not possibly compare to a Ludwiten socialite. Through Amara's investigation, she found out that the Norwoods were renowned in legal circles. Daisy's grandfather was even a senior judge. That was the kind of woman worthy of her son. She had done everything to help him seize this opportunity, but how had she become the villain? Amara clenched her fists. She understood what Paxton meant now. He was making her the sc
"Now more people would hate mothers-in-laws like us." "My daughter says this isn't over. Just wait; she'll get what's coming to her." Amara had planned to go to the supermarket but ended up hiding at home, afraid to go downstairs. Don was still at the university studying his latest archaeological finds, unaware of everything. She trembled thinking about what he would do to her when he found out. Panicking, she grabbed her coat and followed them. "Paxton, let me come with you. I'll make sure you don't get taken advantage of." "Mom!" Paxton's tone became impatient. "Look how many people are outside waiting to mock us! If you come, our whole family will end up all over social media. I could take Daisy to the café unnoticed, but not you. People can't stand the sight of you right now." Amara gritted her teeth. "They can't stand me? These people have nothing better to do than meddle in our family affairs! What's wrong with our family not wanting Lettie anymore?" "Mom! How can you