"Of course we'd do it after you asked, Kylie. The Carvers may be rich, but our families aren't lacking either. They want us to suck up to a country bumpkin they randomly took home, like, are they serious? As if she's worthy of that.""Okay, stop there. Just mentioning her ruins my mood. I don't know if my grandpa has gone senile. He's repeatedly told me that we should show the Carvers some respect regarding this matter because her six brothers back her up.""Everyone knows those brothers don't care about their family matters. Except for Leon, they all dote on Mindy too. They won't just stand by while a country bumpkin is brought into their family."This was what Mindy heard when she walked over. She paused in her tracks for a moment so the person behind her wouldn't hear the conversation inside. She took a step back deliberately, seemingly to accommodate the owner of the gallery. She said with a smile, "Thank you, Verona, for connecting me with the other party. I would've been at
"I know. I'm happy that my sister's back too." There were no flaws in Mindy's smile. "The banquet will be held tomorrow. Grandpa doesn't know that you're back yet, I think, or he'd surely send you an invitation."Verona's hand flew to her head, her emerald ring catching the light. "The Carvers sent me a letter, but I haven't gotten the time to open it… I thought it was from Owen. Ahem… I'll check later.""You still don't think much of Dad, Verona." Mindy shook her head. "He's having a hard time, to be honest, all because of me. No one understands him."It was obvious that Verona didn't want to talk about Owen. She merely said, "I'm jealous of everyone who took Fiona from me."Mindy couldn't help but laugh. However, she then cast her gaze down, seemingly worried. "There's something I'm unsure I should mention, Verona.""What can't you tell me?" Verona gently fixed Mindy's hair.Mindy bit her lip. "I'm afraid saying this might seem like I'm stirring trouble, but I'm worried my sist
Verona loved the scent. "Thanks for the aromatherapy pendant. You're always thinking of me, Mindy."She'd been doubtful of Mindy, but that was already a thing of the past. "Mr. Carver Senior is a bit too cruel. Why didn't he invite you? Rainbow is his biological granddaughter, but you've also done a lot for the family over the years.""It's nothing, Verona." Mindy smiled. She cast her gaze down, concealing the calculating glint in her eyes. "Let me put it around your neck."Verona nodded with a smile. "I don't know why, but none of the many fragrances I've used overseas can compare to this one. They all fall short in some way.""You're always busy with work and don't get enough good-quality sleep. This aromatherapy pendant helps with relieving stress." As Mindy spoke, the sinister intent behind her smile grew. Verona didn't notice she was inhaling the scent like an addict.Mindy hadn't wanted to infuse the pendant with too much of the addictive herbs because extended exposure to
Mindy held Kylie's hand. "Let's not talk about this, Kylie.""Why not? I've never seen anything like this," Kylie snapped. "Don't worry. We'll take you in with us even if you aren't invited. Mr. Carver won't just stand by as someone else does this to you. If you aren't there, how will you watch that country bumpkin embarrass herself?""She's right, Mindy," someone else said. "You should go so that the country bumpkin knows how inadequate she is compared to you!""We still don't know how ugly she may be. Now that she doesn't have a gown made, she might have no choice but to wear some random dress she got from Temu. Now that'd be embarrassing."The young ladies laughed unanimously. Mindy did the same thing as always—she'd say it wasn't appropriate, but she'd do nothing to stop them. She needed to let some emotions fester, and they'd serve as nutrients for those herbs. Mindy looked at the hair accessories they were wearing and finally felt more at peace.Kylie said, "I asked Phil
Aria was still thinking about how she'd catch those people in the act during the banquet. Procuring a gown and jewelry paled in comparison to that.She had someone install a sewing machine in the mansion. The jewelry was easy to deal with—she hadn't unboxed the dozens of gifts a certain person had given her, and she was sure there were priceless jewelry pieces in them. Aria mulled over what style to choose for her gown. She hadn't sketched anything new in a while. The one she'd hastily put together recently was praised to no end, but she personally thought it was overly detailed.Warren was still fuming. "Those ladies are simply too underhanded. How could they do that?"As Georgina worked on ascertaining his condition, she said, "Hasn't Aria said that she'd deal with it? Stop getting worked up over it. You can't lose your temper if only for the sake of your health."Despite what she told Warren, Georgina was concerned about Aria's situation. Thanks to her past experiences working
Georgina resolved to never let Marshall know about Aria's wealthy family. She didn't know what Marshall would do otherwise. He'd probably latch onto Aria and insist that the Carvers repaid them for their efforts in bringing Aria up for the past decades. Georgina knew very well that Marshall wasn't a good man and didn't want him to negatively impact Aria's life again. However, someone else had planned to make that happen. The first thing Mindy did after leaving the art gallery was to contact the Kents. Thanks to Dorothy's past connections, it wasn't difficult for her to reach Marshall. She couldn't expose who she was, so she went through a few hoops just to inform Marshall about the banquet the next day. Marshall hadn't paid the messages he'd received any heed until they came the second time. "I heard you've been looking for your ex-foster daughter, Mr. Kent. What if I tell you now, Mr. Kent, that she's doing well for herself now that she's in Janovin and planned on kicking yo
"The number of infants involved is unusually high, yet the higher-ups remain oblivious to this operation. Strangely, no directives have been issued regarding it too."Aria raised a brow. "Should we dig deeper, boss?" the agent asked.Aria thought about Nyx's words, and her gaze darkened. "No, don't. Send me the information, and I'll do it. Remember, don't involve yourself in anything related to the hospital."The conjuror who'd injured Nyx was undoubtedly skilled in the arts, and Aria was never one to let people close to her take serious risks.She constantly felt that a massive web was being spread out, and the Carvers weren't the only prey caught in it.Aside from the Carver family's fortune, the people behind the scenes also wanted something else. However, Aria still hadn't figured out what to be exact, seeing as the other party concealed themselves well. The Special Missions Unit was independent from the system. Even the HOU didn't have the right to command them because th
Fiona's brothers were conspicuously absent, leaving her feeling somewhat dejected. Whether they were deliberately avoiding her or simply unsure how to face her, Fiona couldn't shake the sadness. She recognized her own faults, but that didn't lessen the sting.Now that she was home, she was determined to resolve the misunderstandings between them. Aria had given her the courage to do so.Fiona's experience with Leon had shown her the importance of rectifying mistakes, particularly those affecting loved ones, before it was too late. Otherwise, she would forever be haunted by regret. Her sisters-in-law were all watching her. They didn't know the extent of her recovery. Would Fiona have them call a random girl their niece as she'd done previously?This was why no one dared speak at first. A barrier still existed between them and Fiona—their husbands had gone to great lengths for Fiona, but her past indiscretions had humiliated the Grishams, fostering deep-seated resentment.Fiona kne
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t