Aria had combed through guest reviews, uncovering a history of incidents. The customer relations department seemed apathetic toward customer complaints, and because of this callous neglect, grievances had continued to accumulate unchecked until this very day.The negative energy, Aria believed, was potent enough to permeate the upper floors within a month, affecting guests' emotions and potentially leading to tragic incidents—in a worst-case scenario—suicides by leaping off the building."Hire experienced construction workers and pay them a premium," Aria instructed, kicking the piece of paper aside. "Demolish that wall and erect a sanctum for Gaia."The manager nodded dutifully, yielding to Aria's every decree.Aria placed a topaz stone and a candle on the designated spot. "Until the sanctum stands, let that stone remain undisturbed.""Consider it done, Ms. Aria," the manager assured her, completely under her sway.In the aftermath of the controversy, some staff members who were
Aria bided her time, waiting for the opportune moment to strike decisively. Clutching the damning records in her grasp, she was impervious to any attempts at manipulation or guilt-tripping.The veteran staff, disdainful of Aria's humble origins, sought to assert their dominance over her. They doubted that a country girl like her could possess any real capability.They hadn't anticipated being outsmarted by a young woman, let alone witnessing their downfall unfold with no time for remorse.Once again, a witness to Aria's capabilities, Conrad broke out in a cold sweat. As instructed, he had observed her conduct the meeting, a fate he found worse than outright dismissal."Mr. Morris," Aria called out after the meeting, "Please stay behind."Conrad felt a chill run down his spine. Aria wasted no time. She thrust photos of the basement parking lot toward him. "Look at them. Recognize these?"Conrad examined them closely, his face turning pale. "Ms. Carver, please believe me! I had n
"Remember what you told me to do? I found Thomas Weller, the antique seller in Southbury," Malcolm said excitedly. The old fox is keeping a low profile; he is probably afraid of being investigated."He doesn't even have the guts to travel by air, preferring the safety of a ferry. Rumor has it he's returning from overseas with a trove of treasures and will be attending an antique auction in a few days."Aria's gaze shifted to Conrad upon hearing this. Conrad was still pondering her ringtone and the caller's identity when he caught her staring at him. Instantly, he felt a jolt of fear and hurriedly said, "I'll ask my family about Aunt Dorothy." Then, he rushed out the door and shut it firmly behind him. Aria retracted her gaze and placed the pen down. "Where is he?" she asked directly."Panne Street," Malcolm lowered his voice. "I wouldn't recommend confronting him now. He's more cunning than you think and is heavily guarded. He's attending as a professional guest at the Antiques
Fiona waited until Aria left before reopening the website, and seeing everything Owen had done solidified her resolve to end certain matters once and for all."Mind taking a walk with me outside, Sam?" Fiona looked at him.Sam was wearing a new bell and the Charm Coin around his neck. He nodded and began tidying his backpack."I want some rock candy, Aunt Fiona. I won't get cavities, so don't tell Aria about it," he bargained with a mischievous grin.Fiona laughed. "Aria told you to 'take care of Mom' just now, didn't she? So you should just call me Mom."Confused, Sam scratched the back of his head.Despite her age, Fiona could easily pass for someone in her 30s. After dressing up herself, she had Sam wear a cool outfit, and they looked like mother and son when they stood side by side.Their first stop was the barbershop. Fiona had always been told she looked demure with her long hair, but after her recent outbursts, whispers of "ghost" followed her.She'd met Owen during thei
Re-entering the job market was a challenge, especially for a long-term homemaker like Fiona.Fiona sat surrounded by fresh university graduates, some even high-performing students returning from overseas.Operations Management, particularly Network Operations Management, was a booming field. Even top celebrities had to be marketed, and advertisements about them were published everywhere to amass support further and attract attention. One of the candidates gave Fiona a dismissive look before turning to chat with another candidate. Fiona overheard snippets of their conversation."Seriously? She's practically ancient! Why is she even here competing with us?""They won't hire her. I peeked at her résumé—she was just a housewife."The term "housewife" had somehow become a derogatory term despite the immense contributions these women made to their families. It was disheartening that these young women themselves disregarded Fiona. After all, everyone would grow old eventually, and no o
Clary interrupted the interview. "Are you willing to start working as an assistant?" she asked Fiona decisively. "If that's fine with you, you can stay."From what she had read about Fiona, it was clear that her marriage had devastated her life. Clary's decision to offer Fiona a position wasn't solely based on empathy for a woman in a similar age group. She saw a spark in Fiona, a potential that transcended the limitations of an ordinary housewife. If she proved inadequate for the job later on, Clary would handle it."Yes, please." Fiona smiled. "I'll prove to you that I'm not just a housewife."Fiona had asserted her position without being overly arrogant or humble, which was an extra point in Clary's book.They had made an exception for Fiona, so instead of sending her home to wait, they told her to report to the office the next day.Meanwhile, Evelyn Charters, the elite student who'd mocked Fiona earlier, emerged from another room. She was on her phone, grumbling, "Mom, I don
Abraham was worried sick. "It's almost time for everyone to choose their schools. We must first transfer her formally so that she can enroll as soon as possible."As a medical professional who devoted his life to saving people and helping the injured, it was rare that he'd come across someone like Aria. She'd given him hope that the younger generation could take up the reins of traditional medicine.No matter what Aria was doing right now, she must continue her studies, and Abraham was worried that she'd fall behind.This was what Aria heard the moment she walked in. She knew that Abraham was truly worried about her. "Mr. Lowe Senior, I can just study by myself at home. I'll still be a student in your vocational high school and take the SATs there.""This won't do, Aria. With how excellent you are, you should find a better school to prepare for SATs," Abraham insisted. He didn't want his school to hold Aria back. "How about this?" Abraham proposed. "I'm meeting someone at Janovin
Dorothy and Mindy remained unaware that the hotel's manifestation had been dismantled. Aria considered interrogating them, but after some thought, she decided it wouldn't be productive. She opted to let the suspects act freely. This would make it easier for her to discover the full extent of the truth.Aria handed Philip a blackened hair clip. "Help me return this to its owner—leave it in the unit."Philip had no clue where the hair clip originated until he reached the neighborhood and met a property agent. A chill ran down his spine as he ascended the stairs. Even the agent found the coldness strange. "Perhaps you could take a look around the unit yourself, sir? Just lock the door behind you when you leave."Philip stood in the corridor, keys in hand when the door of the adjacent unit opened. He heard the sounds of a couple fighting. Argus Ratcher, clearly intoxicated, screamed at his wife, Polly Wells, "Why did I hit you? If you can keep working, do it! If not, just fucking resi