"I want to know too!""Attention to the crew! Please let them get revenge, or I'll cancel this show!"This was pure brutality. The twins were born into a world filled with hope, only to discover a hellish reality.A long time ago, an orphaned young girl wrote, "The world's nice, but I don't want to be born here again."…Instantly, search topics related to "Survival of the Fittest" flooded the trending list. Topics like "Favoring the Sons over the Daughters" and "Our First Step to Saving Ourselves: Admitting that Our Parents Don't Love Us That Much" also appeared.The crew grew increasingly anxious as they watched the chaos unfold. They wished to steer the narrative but found themselves powerless. Would the audience believe them if they claimed spirits haunted the site?At the mention of that, Pax Darwen, the on-set director, demanded more realism from the scriptwriters. "That's not the main problem. If you tell everyone that, the show will be canceled!""You need to figure o
In the hospital, Lana seemed to have sensed something. She looked up abruptly.Abbie exclaimed, "Someone's here!"Lana's face twisted with a fierce intensity. "A being of heavenly fortune has arrived. You summoned them.""You lied to us!" Lana lost control. "You, of all people!"Fury surged through Lana, and she lunged at Aria, intending to strangle her. However, she froze as her hands neared Aria's neck. Aria remained motionless."If you truly can't recall his face, then choose between Players No. 1 and Player No. 3," Aria suggested coolly."What?" Lana paused.Aria said, "Didn't I say that I'll teach you how to play an adult's game? Your father is definitely not one of the celebrity guests, so that leaves the others.""Between Player No. 1 and Player No. 3, Player No. 3 looks more threatening," Aria analyzed calmly, "He's middle-aged, fitting a profile for a father. I wasn't confident just now, but now that a certain person is here, I don't see why you can't take revenge."L
Chandler didn't dare retort against that. Alistair viewed him with disdain. He pointed his knife toward Leon, saying, "You want to save him? Tell the crew to stop with this dumb farce now, then! I don't care about your charades. I saw the police cars outside—I'm not as blind as you think! "Do you think I'd let the police catch me just because of this scary story you're acting out? You're dreaming!" Alistair dragged Chandler to stand in front of the cameras. "I'll only make my request once—don't come in."With each person who takes a step toward this room, I'll kill a hostage!"…Outside the hospital, the crew was a panicked mass. Kian looked at Landon, who had already entered the hospital, and yelled, "Who the hell recruited this player?""I-I—" Shelby Sands, an intern in the crew, pushed his glasses up. "It's stated in his résumé that he's a doctor. I saw that he's skilled in surgery, so I thought—"Meanwhile, the HOU was already on standby nearby. "Alert—suspect is armed wit
Aria put all her strength into a swift and decisive kick. Alistair was sent flying, his back slamming into the wall before he crumpled to the ground. The impact left him barely conscious, his threats reduced to incoherent gasps as he coughed up blood.The comments section fell silent.Kian, who was close to tears, stopped. "Has he already been dealt with?"The audience was all stunned. "This is probably the quickest hostage de-escalation I've ever seen.""Is he really a serial killer?""It's true! Look, the police have posted an announcement!"The show was still broadcasting and couldn't be paused due to certain situations, so the police revealed the criminal's personal information.The comments started flooding in rapidly."Player No. 5 is an undercover cop, isn't she?""She isn't afraid of ghosts because she's extremely righteous.""The police didn't mention Player No. 5's identity. She's probably a random person who happened to pass by.""Really? She's my idol now.""S
Only then did Landon look at Cooper. His exquisitely handsome face stood out against the dilapidated hospital. "How did you escape if the criminal was as evil as you'd said?"Lysander thought that Landon had a point. "The manifestation hasn't been dismantled yet. Why is it that you can go anywhere as you please?"Could this guy be another man favored by the heavens? Were there really so many of them?Lysander, who hadn't seen much of the outside world, went with his instinct to call for Homer. Homer had no time to pay Lysander any attention. He quickly dashed toward the second floor, where the densest concentration of vengeful energy awaited.Upon noticing that, Cooper attempted to run away again. However, Landon stopped him. "Which room is the criminal in? Lead the way.""There's a murderer inside the room!" Cooper was flabbergasted. Did Landon not understand human language?Landon said, "And that's who we're looking for.""What do you mean?" Cooper paled instantly.Landon s
Your fortune." Aria put a hand on the stair rail behind Landon and kissed the corner of his lips.They looked perfect together, and Landon gladly let Aria kiss him. They were both beautiful, albeit in different ways—his regal coldness and her devilish allure made for a pleasing sight.This was what Lysander saw when he came here to apprehend Carlos. His eyes were wide open—he didn't expect the man favored by the heavens to use his fortune in this manner. Shocked, Lysander exclaimed, "Mr. Bond!""Stop yelling. Take good care of Landon." Homer was busy thinking about how he should dismantle this manifestation. "Make sure the evil spirits don't get close to him."Lysander yelled, "What if one of them is kissing him?"Kissing? Homer had found Lana and was about to perform a spell when he heard Lysander's words, which led him to doubt himself. Did he target the wrong person? Was there a more powerful evil being downstairs? Who would dare to kiss Landon, of all people?While Ho
Aria took the Charm Coin back. Purple energy swirled in her palm. "Some parents only want sons but not daughters. To them, daughters can be sold or abandoned as they please. A father would even push his daughters down the stairs because the woman they had an affair with said she wouldn't get together with him unless his two children died."If the Divine Laws are genuinely effective, the gods should see what's unfolding with their own eyes instead of incessantly dictating laws for the mortal world. The sisters only want justice. They shouldn't be called evil spirits. Who do you think has committed evil, Mr. Bond?"The white-haired Homer was rooted on the spot, seemingly deep in thought. If someone could slash open the doors to Heaven with a sword, then it was possible to thoroughly understand the Divine Laws overnight.Homer didn't go downstairs and merely sat on the floor. With that, he'd basically given Aria an answer.…At the same time, Carlos opened his eyes. When he saw two s
The emerald pendant was forged in the image of Maelis, the goddess of mercy. The pendant unleashed a blistering light that seared the twins. They felt as though they had been cast into a vast inferno, the searing heat causing them to instinctively cover their faces with their hands.Aria was faster. She seized Carlos by the scruff of his neck and yanked sharply on his pendant."You refuse to regret your wrongdoings." Aria put her hands around his neck, her gaze dark. Carlos' face turned purple as his feet lifted off the ground. It looked as though he was on the brink of death. He knew that Aria was really serious about killing him, and so he said fearfully, "I'm sorry, I—""Too late." As Aria uttered those two words, the cloud of vengefulness in the corridor became more potent.Suddenly, a young girl's voice could be heard. "Let it be, Aria."Aria loosened her grip and looked down, only to see a young girl pulling on the hem of her shirt. "If you kill him, you'll end up going to
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
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo