Leon felt relieved that Landon treated Aria differently. He couldn't bear the thought of Aria being hurt by Landon or the tangled web of aristocratic intrigue.After a moment's contemplation, Leon spoke up. "Why not get engaged sooner?"His sudden proposal made Aria wonder if Leon was concerned about the jealousy and potential mistreatment she might face once the Carver family formally recognized her. He likely believed that Landon could protect her. After all, the York family had a prominent position in Janovin for decades.Aria tried to read Leon's intentions, but the closer she was to someone, the harder it was to predict. Typically, fortune tellers like her could foresee a person's future by their appearance. But with those she loved or herself, it was like a blank canvas.Despite being on the show with Leon, she hadn't detected the faintest shadow of doom around him. Leon wasn't someone destined for a short lifespan, nor was his end meant to be buried in some children's hospit
Leon was mischievous but was always fiercely protective of his family. Fiona understood the depth of his pain when Aria was kidnapped.Now that her children were reunited, tears welled up in Fiona's eyes. She'd never expected Leon to forgive her so quickly, especially after her harsh words during her illness.Fiona was never a weak person. Awakening from her prolonged "slumber" at the hotel, she realized she was a stranger to herself. She'd abandoned her career and even left Leon to bear the guilt alone.Fiona had two reasons for joining Leon's entertainment company—to make amends and to counter the online attacks against him. The public's cruelty toward Leon was unbearable, and as his mother, she wouldn't tolerate it.She wondered why Owen hadn't defended Leon, allowing his reputation to be damaged.Fiona knew Leon had left home because of Mindy, wanting nothing to do with the Carvers. Yet, he was Owen's son. How could Owen ignore it?Fiona clenched her fists, her gaze darkening
Aria hadn't investigated Fiona's family background. However, based on what Fiona said, her uncles doted on Fiona as Leon did on her. This led Aria to believe that the Grisham family was likely less dubious than the Carvers.Recently, Aria had been investigating the Carver family, particularly the Wrathborn Manifestation and Warren's death, which she had glimpsed in her dreams.She found several people of interest, including her great-uncle Ian. It was rumored he was affluent yet laid-back. He didn't get involved with the company's affairs and was content by receiving a small portion of dividends each year.Aria focused primarily on those she dreamed about. In her dreams, Ian had shown no malice toward her; in fact, he had defended her.Yet Aria was one to anticipate potential threats. She was concerned not about the overt antagonists but those whose motives were unclear.Aria found it odd that Owen was closer to Ian than his own father.However, Warren had explained this matter t
"Landon is undeniably handsome.""We all know how cunning Landon is. As long as Aria likes him, it doesn't matter.""Isn't Percy the same age as Landon? They must have interacted a lot when they were children.""Me? I'm not as close to him as Leon is. Leon cried for an entire afternoon the first time he saw him. That's why I'm surprised Leon lets Aria have her way with him."Suddenly, Percy asked, "Are you sure Aria is the one going after him?"Leon replied, "It should be."Percy felt he needed more concrete evidence, though.Leon wasn't in the group chat merely to say all that. He intended to share everything Aria had told him about Fiona, especially with his eldest brother, Fergus, engaged in the conversation.The mood shifted when Leon shared Aria's theories with all his brothers, excluding Jeffrey, who was absent. The expressions of the four elder brothers quickly became impassive after reading Leon's message."So Aria is suggesting someone is behind her abduction and Mom'
Percy declared, "Aria doesn't need to worry about this. No one in this group chat cares about Dad except Fergus."Seeing the conversation take this turn, Fergus responded, "Percy, he's still our father. Let's not jump to conclusions without solid evidence. Mom will be upset if she finds out we suspect Dad."Percy took off his glasses, a glint of malice in his eyes. "If Dad really did something to hurt Mom and Aria for his own benefit, he doesn't deserve to be our father."Fergus replied, "It's all just our assumption. Aria didn't actually say that."Percy, never one to mince words, retorted, "She knows we'll take sides if she does. No wonder she hasn't looked for her brothers despite being home for so long."We always say we'll protect Aria, but have we really? That's probably what Grandpa was worried about, which is why he didn't tell us everything."Mindy has treated us like brothers ever since Dad insisted on bringing her back. If I were Aria, I wouldn't bother looking for my
Fergus said, "We need to figure out why Dad is acting so irrationally."Percy raised an eyebrow. "It sounds like Dad confided in you, Fergus?"Fergus replied, "I need to talk to him since he reached out to me. If not, I'll ask him to meet with you all next time."Jeffrey immediately replied, "I'm not available."Percy grinned. "Dad gets sick whenever he talks to me. For his health's sake, I'll leave this to you, Fergus."Owen was a thorny issue to the brothers that only Fergus could handle.Fergus got straight to the point. "I've been looking into some past incidents and will have results soon. If Dad's involved, we need to keep Mom away from him."It's odd that Dad is asking Aria to be sensible with an outsider unless Mindy is truly special to him."Percy raised his eyebrows. "Fergus, are you saying Mindy might be Dad's illegitimate daughter?""Not exactly. It has to do with Aria's horoscope and detailed birth date," Fergus clarified.Jeffrey narrowed his eyes. "You think Da
As Aria's hunger grew from her intensive thinking, the food finally arrived.Despite Landon's claims of it being a modest meal, he had actually brought them to a renowned seafood restaurant in Janovin that had been serving exquisite dishes for over a century.Every dish, from the appetizers to the decadent desserts, was a culinary masterpiece. The freshly sliced meat burst with flavor in every bite.Clearly, Landon knew Sam's appetite well, as he'd ordered a perfectly seasoned tomahawk steak. Its tenderness and flavor were evident in every mouthful. Sam's eyes lit up, and he graciously shared with Fiona.Aria had no cause for concern; Landon was attentive, assisting her with food and napkins. His usual obsession with germs seemed to be forgotten as his coat lay loosely nearby.As Landon brushed Aria's hair back, he asked with a smile, "Are you that hungry?""Yup," Aria replied, her physically demanding job requiring ample energy for her plans. Landon tied her hair back, his eyes
The seafood restaurant was a reservation-only establishment with traditional décor, offering little soundproofing.Soon, a manager approached Christian and his group, who were a bit too loud. "Sir, please lower your voice to avoid disturbing the other patrons."Timmy turned beet red from embarrassment. "They have many rules here, don't they?""Of course. It's a public place, after all. If it weren't for Christian, we wouldn't even be here. Let's show some respect," someone retorted.Humiliated, Timmy was about to retaliate, but Christian intervened to calm things down. "Let's drop it, guys. We can continue this over drinks. Don't worry about the bill. It's my treat."He added, "Lily will be here soon. Take the opportunity to find yourselves a girlfriend. Her roommates are coming too. Don't say I didn't give you a heads-up."His male classmates glanced around. "What chance do we have with you around? Half the school has a crush on you."They weren't exaggerating. Christian was ha
In that moment, Cormac couldn't afford to care about pride or appearances. His survival depended on severing all ties, especially with a traitor."I don't have a daughter like you!" he snapped, slapping Aliya again. "Do you even realize what you've done? Trafficking human organs—do you think that's something you can walk away from?"Aliya collapsed to the floor, stunned. A chill unlike any she'd ever felt seeped into her bones. She stared up at her father in disbelief, watching as he bowed his head respectfully toward Aria, the very woman she had just mocked.In Aliya's world, her father was the state government. She had grown up believing that their family controlled everything, that Cormac Windham's influence extended far beyond his office, even as retirement loomed.But all of it was crumbling before her eyes.Outside his office, word had already begun to spread. Though muffled, the sharp sound of a slap echoed faintly through the corridor.Everyone understood what that meant—
The group dared to be reckless as Amos was Ludwiten's lieutenant governor. They were peas in a pod and did corruption together.However, they didn't know that their support had already collapsed. Aria was not in a rush to capture Amos' lackeys as her target was in the state government. She didn't go alone either, for Aliya also went with her.Shortly after, Aria issued a new command. "Seal the premises. No one is to leave. Tell everyone to remain in their seats."A request like that, especially directed at the state level, would typically require an exhaustive process—dozens of forms, layers of red tape. Even in cases involving fatalities, senior officials were rarely detained on the spot.But Aria followed with a second message, one that sent chills down spines. "This case involves foreign infiltration. Someone has betrayed the country."Those words landed like a thunderclap. No one dared raise an objection. No one wanted to be associated with treason—not ordinary citizens, and
"Grandpa, it's not convenient for me to get in touch with all of you right now. Remember to take your medicine on time. I have to pretend that I'm locked up. Uncle Eamon and Uncle Waymond have to seem fretful so that the enemy wouldn't be alerted. I'm sorry, Grandpa."Aria didn't reveal what she had encountered in the message. This was because the Special Missions Unit was bound to a confidentiality contract when making decisions. What Aria said was almost pushing the limits.Aria only agreed to get locked up just to see how people would react when the Grisham family was in trouble.When the opponent placed their attention on this incident, they would let their guard down and give Aria a chance to secure evidence of their crimes.If the Grisham family retained its usual influence, the mastermind wouldn't show himself so easily. As Aria felt sorry for her family and worried about Clyde's health, she immediately sent a message to apologize after the auction. However, she couldn't s
There was no way Aria didn't know that the conviction was unfair. Furthermore, Percy specialized in handling economic cases. He knew there was no way Aria would be locked up so quickly. Yet, her crime had been publicly declared without prior warning. Percy was absolutely furious. He tugged his tie and declared the system was corrupted. While Fergus was also helping to find connections, Warren had just landed from Janovin.Clyde had sought out all sorts of connections, even his ex-colleagues in the education field.Fiona clenched his hands. "They promised to help Dad look into it." "They're just trying to fool Mr. Grisham Senior. Their higher-ups have already warned them about it." Nisa suddenly lowered her voice. "They're trying to make his health relapse again. If that happens, the Grisham family is done for."At this moment, a low voice sounded from the door. "So that's what happened. I was wondering why there was no progress with Aria's side after a whole day."It was Eamon.
Because Amos' arrest was part of a covert operation, the news didn't reach anyone outside the circle. That meant Durand remained completely unaware. He was still riding high on the thrill of his plan, blinded by the pleasure of watching the Grisham family fall.That night, he raised a glass of wine in early celebration, his mistress seated beside him. He didn't know that the move he'd made would become the greatest regret of his life.Elsewhere, Nisa couldn't bring herself to be as heartless. That was why, under the quiet cover of night, she made her way to the Grisham residence—not to see Clyde, but to speak with Fiona. She knew Clyde would shut her out immediately, but Fiona… Fiona might just listen.They weren't close. Not the way Fiona was with Priscilla. But they had once shared a few polite meals, floated in the same social circles. Enough to warrant a conversation—barely.When they sat down, Fiona's expression was cool, even distant. She hadn't forgotten the things Nisa had
Lucas could hear the pride in his mentor's voice for Aria. After all, his mentor had taken Aria in Southbury and even owed her his life. Lucas didn't dare to inform his mentor that Aria was being suppressed in the political world. He understood his mentor well. He was devoted to the country and couldn't stand such injustice.Therefore, Lucas didn't tell the truth to prevent his mentor from worrying. If someone with his position made a move, it would become a huge issue. That was why Lucas hid the truth from him. The former had to play along with the other politicians and endure them spouting empty promises. Before Lucas set out, his mentor stood on top of Old City and looked at the vast mountains. "Do whatever you need to, just like what you had done in Southbury. I'll be waiting for you and Aria's return at Janovin."These people didn't deserve his mercy at all!"You used your authority to disregard people's lives." It was the first time Lucas had shown his emotions so open
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno