Kenny had gone all out, wearing a million-dollar watch and the latest high-end suit, hoping to outshine everyone around him. He thought his flashy appearance would make heads turn.But when he entered the room, no one glanced at him. All eyes were fixed elsewhere.It was Leon again!"Leon, you're taking this too far," Kenny said as he approached and placed a hand on Kylie's shoulder. "Kylie's still young. She saw something she liked and just wanted to ask about it."Plus, she's a fan of Lamar. Naturally, she took it to heart when she noticed something off with the outfit. If you think she made a mistake, you could've simply explained where the clothes came from instead of embarrassing her in front of everyone."Kenny spoke with grandeur before lifting his head, eager to see just who this country bumpkin was that the Carver family had brought back. Even Leon and Jeffrey had rushed back for her.However, the moment he saw that all-too-familiar face, he was stunned.Aria's carefree
Kylie played off her attack flawlessly and retreated with grace. While the older generation might not have cared, the incident would undoubtedly have repercussions.Kylie persistently claimed that Aria had purchased counterfeit clothing, implying she was either a cheapskate or just plain dumb. Regardless, Aria's demeanor didn't align with that of someone from a prestigious family. The ladies from various affluent backgrounds would inevitably gossip about the matter."Who told you I bought these clothes?" Aria spoke calmly amidst the discussion.Kylie replied nonchalantly, "Did you perhaps make it yourself, then?""Indeed," Aria replied, her gaze fixed on Kylie. "Leon was too kind earlier. It seems your mind is filled with nothing but stupidity."Kylie's anger flared. No one had dared to treat her so disrespectfully before."Oh, right. I forgot to mention I tend to be blunt with my words as well," Aria said with a polite smile. "Please don't take it personally, Ms. Wagner."Kyl
The crowd erupted at Kylie's words.Plagiarism? Stealing? If that were true, the Carver family's stocks would plummet!There was only one way out—disown Aria. The banquet had to end early, or the shareholders would revolt if the news spread.This wasn't the first time. Stocks once worth over 20 dollars had dropped to mere cents overnight. With the market in turmoil, no one dared gamble on a company's fate.Everyone, including the major shareholders, turned their eyes to Aria, voices rising in heated discussion. Kylie barely hid her glee.Leon's expression darkened, but before he could speak, Aria smiled and calmly said, "I did design the clothes. But what evidence do you have of plagiarism?""It's way too similar—it has to be plagiarism!" Kylie nearly lost her composure.Mindy, feigning pity, stepped in. "Kylie, enough. Aria just got back. She probably didn't mean to copy. It's just a habit she hasn't shaken yet.""Mindy, after how she'd humiliated you earlier, you're still def
"She's so young. Plus, I heard Lamar is a noble in Nobeeta."It seemed that nobody believed in Aria.Kylie laughed dismissively. "Ms. Carver, if you want to get out of this, you should come up with something more believable."Though Lamar remains elusive, her Nobeetan origins are widely recognized. Her designs are consistently exotic. To convincingly pose as her, you must closely mimic her style."Aria replied calmly, "Have you ever met Lamar, or heard her claim to be from Nobeeta?""Well…" Kylie couldn't retort.Aria grinned. "You haven't seen or heard Lamar make such a claim. The guests mentioned it was all just rumors. I used to design outfits with an exotic flair to attract overseas orders."I didn't anticipate such strong demand from Farshya. The less I produced, the higher the prices I commanded. I only intended to cover some tuition fees, but it seems I have considerable support from all of you."Her demeanor stunned the ladies and made them reconsider. After all, they c
Verona paused, studying Aria's face. "Your eyes are like Fiona's. Rainbow, I'm Verona Ander. I even held you as a child.""You did misunderstand Mindy, but it's not your fault. After all, you've been away from home for many years. I understand that accepting your biological parents will be difficult."As Verona spoke, she reached out to pat Aria's head. "You were quite the troublemaker when you were younger. Mistakes happen, and you can always apologize. But I won't let anyone slander you. I promise. Why don't you let me see your gown?"Verona was trying to earn Aria's trust. Since Aria's return, Jeffrey and Leon acted differently. They should consider Fiona's feelings. After all, Fiona was someone who couldn't bear to see Mindy or Aria get hurt.Verona glanced around the room. "You should believe my words. During my time in Nobeeta, I had contact with Lamar's brand. I know things that most people do not.""Ms. Ander, we all believe in you," one of the socialites said smilingly.
Luke always supported doing anything beneficial to the company."Should I post it now or wait until the start of the month? Larmir Fashion Week will be happening then. We could capitalize on that to boost our visibility. It's your debut using Farshyan elements in gown design. I'm sure it will cause an uproar, especially in Farshya. They're our main—"Luke was a whirlwind of words, his speech punctuated with exclamations. Rarely contacted by Lamar, his excitement had clearly gotten the better of him.Aria, however, cut him off. "Post it now. I want to see it on the company's official website in two minutes. If I don't, you can turn in your resignation."In other words, Aria also owned the company.Few at the banquet were familiar with Nobeetan, and those who were stood across the room. The socialites closer to Aria had no training in Nobeetan. Meanwhile, some of the ladies who had studied in Nobeeta couldn't discern the details of the conversation but noticed Aria directing someone
What else could Kylie say? She was already dumbfounded. She wouldn't be in such an awkward position if she had reined in her arrogance. But she had been harsh with Aria and offended the Carver family in public.Kylie thought she had hit Aria's sore point as the latter kept silent. She never expected Aria to be Lamar! Why didn't she reveal it earlier?Was Aria deliberately waiting for Kylie to make a scene before addressing the issue?The thought terrified Kylie. For the first time, she scrutinized Aria closely. Was she really just a bumpkin?There was no time to ponder further; the room was abuzz with exclamations and discussions.As Kylie had wished, she was now the center of attention at the banquet. But she would have preferred to remain unnoticed. Nervously gripping her sleeves, she wished she could vanish.Kylie glanced at Mindy, hinting at the latter to help her.Mindy avoided her gaze at first, but she soon remembered the Wagner family was backing her. Thus, Mindy held
It was Percy. He shrugged off his plain-looking coat and walked out of the corner.Compared to Jeffrey and Leon, Percy seemed more like a typical corporate elite. He wore a diamond wristwatch and had a stylish backcombed hairstyle. His well-defined face was adorned with a gentle smile."Percy!" Leon's eyes lit up.At this moment, even the company owners made way for him.After all, Percy wasn't merely the Carver family's son. He was extremely famous among the Hemingway Legal Elites in Ludwiten. No business owner dared to offend a lawyer of his stature.Percy glanced briefly at Leon before locking eyes on Aria. He couldn't resist reaching out to brush a strand of Aria's long hair. "With your talent, you should be celebrated. I can't believe anyone would slander you like this."Aria stiffened, feeling uneasy under Percy's touch—the words she had prepared to say suddenly caught in her throat.Seeing her like this, Percy thought it was the Aria he knew best. His smile grew. "This is
"But he does look familiar." This was the first time Morwenna had such a feeling. It was as if the man from the York family was even more noble than her. Before him, she felt like a nobody. The idea of that provoked Morwenna. She was a deity from Krowo, so who was he to make her feel this way? "I think you should find a chance for me to meet that guy from the York family sometime." Morwenna met the old man's eyes. "The Yorks are the true noble family when it comes to protecting the nation. They've just been focused on commerce for the past century, which made us overlook them. The Yorks might be helpful to us." "I'll look into it." The old man glanced aside. "But why haven't you completed the tasks I assigned?" William stepped forward and said, "Sir, I came to bring good news. We've located the celestial essence you sensed earlier. Rest assured, we'll present it to you soon." "Good." This was the first time the old man showed satisfaction in days. "Before you bring it, inve
The child's fate was not merely at odds with his own—it actively threatened it. On that fateful day, the old man had been plagued by dreams from a distant past, visions long buried in the sands of time. It became clear that his unnatural existence, suspended between life and death as a half-human, half-ghost, was tethered to the very essence of that unborn child.A shadow crossed his eyes as he clenched his fists. "Perhaps I should have altered my perspective earlier. It's time to take a proper look at that child... the one I couldn't read, no matter how hard I tried."Morwenna's voice, filled with venom, cut through the silence. "The Carvers have always been a thorn in our side. They were a problem then, and they remain one now. We should've eliminated that woman before she could interfere."The old man shot her a sidelong glance. "You need to keep your presence hidden in Farshya. Stop drawing attention by appearing in their churches. I've told you before not to provoke the Farshya
Something had fallen to the ground, and a small shadow began to stir behind the curtains."She's not only hindering you but me as well," came a voice that sounded like that of a little girl. Yet, it carried an unsettling, unnatural tone, more akin to the mechanical chatter of those dolls."How could she return?" Behind the curtain, the shadow's long hair seemed to extend at an unnatural speed, growing longer by the second.The entire mansion was cloaked in an eerie atmosphere. The butler at the door stood trembling, yet William appeared almost euphoric as he bowed low and said reverently, "Morwenna, you've finally regained yourself!"The wooden doll named Morwenna let out a mocking laugh. "Regained myself? Is this what you call recovery?"The shadow behind the curtain trembled, and the lights overhead flickered ominously."We anticipated years ago that she would disrupt everything, that the Carver family's plans would crumble," Morwenna hissed. "And yet, you let her return!"A l
Furrowing his eyebrows, the old man moved his fingers as if counting something. "That's weird, then."It was the same issue as before—he couldn't predict anything about Aria. If she had some ties to Homer, he should at least catch a glimpse of it. At best, she would only be Homer's apprentice. Yet, she remained an enigma beyond his foresight, shielded from even his most refined techniques.If someone was backing her, how did they conceal her from his visions? And why?The recent downfall of the Daley family was equally perplexing. It had been executed so seamlessly that no one even noticed until it was too late. The Daleys had served the country well, earning enough merit to secure the higher-ups' protection. But despite this, they were wiped out overnight.This incident triggered a memory—the old man recalled an organization he had encountered in passing—the Special Missions Unit.The unit was not affiliated with any government, yet it was always a step ahead in hunting down spie
The old man glanced at William and spoke sharply. "What went wrong with the seal?"William bowed his head, unable to provide a clear answer. "The rumors about the Daley family emerged from nowhere. We tried to suppress the information while investigating the source, but all efforts were futile."Nobody knew who the Daley family had provoked, only knowing the higher-ups were the ones giving orders. Plus, the entire case was executed quickly and privately. It was as if someone was targeting the Daley family. "The case wasn't investigated using normal procedures at all. I can't reach out to the Daley family without risking exposure. I'm afraid someone might recognize me. "If I'm identified, all our hard work over the years will unravel. And now, the matter has already been brought to light online, putting us in a precarious position."They had used a lot of energy and time to ensure their plan was executed perfectly. Their actions had gone unnoticed for the past few years. Howeve
Sam had always been by Aria's side during her bouts of self-doubt. That was why she had always prayed that Tobias' ominous prediction would never come true.Before he vanished, Tobias had warned her that if Chaos reemerged, it would wreak havoc across the world. And when that moment arrived, Aria would need to steel herself and eliminate it.But Aria disagreed. To her, Sam was like family. He would happily carry out her every request as long as he was rewarded with a bit of food. How could such an earnest and loyal companion be a threat?Sam was undoubtedly righteous, just somewhat slow to react. How could he possibly bring chaos to the world?Aria could only dismiss the grim rumors as baseless. Either that or Sam had been misled by someone else.Pahana had once told her that Sam had a previous master. He was still young then and couldn't yet distinguish right from wrong. It must have been that previous master who failed to teach him properly.The notion that Sam could be a dange
It was a rare, honorable opportunity. If Pahana's worthless father could witness him now, he'd surely regret abandoning him and his mother.Pahana understood Aria could have chosen not to give him the merits. She could have chosen to continue enslaving him like the other fortune tellers. Yet, she chose to honor her promise, compensating him for his efforts.If all humans kept their promises like Aria, creatures like Pahana wouldn't harbor such deep hatred that they'd want to devour them.Approaching Aria, Pahana was ready to repay her generosity by renewing the blood pact. However, Aria stopped him. She wasn't interested in complicating things further. Who knew where she'd be a century from now? There was no point in binding herself to a lizard—especially when the river was so polluted.Her eyes darkened. "No need. Just stop eating humans and keep an eye on the river. You saw how I handled things. If you don't want to end up as grilled lizard meat, behave.""Ms. Carver, don't worr
With a thud, Pahana fell flat on the ground. He was utterly speechless. Why did Aria suddenly lash out at him?Aria regarded him with a calm yet piercing gaze. "You had a sly look on your face just now. What were you scheming?"Pahana was still far from being fully obedient. Since she had taken him in, it fell upon Aria to teach him the proper order.Pahana blinked, bewildered. This was simply how he looked—Aria couldn't blame him for appearing sly just because of his natural features."I'm merely admiring your skill," he ventured carefully, trying to appease her. "Your mastery of the Decatorian way is impressive." He was referring to how she used Landon's heavenly fortune to sever the binding contract.Aria could sense the subtle disloyalty within Pahana. Cunning was second nature to lizards like him, but with a contract binding them, it was of little concern to her. She glanced down at Pahana, who was sprawled at her feet and spoke coolly, "That's not all I'm good at. I'm also
Back then, those fortune tellers were blind to Landon's true identity and insisted on sealing him away underground. Landon must be seeking revenge for what happened back then.That explained his pursuit of Aria.To Pahana, Aria was an enigma. Her skills were average, yet she possessed undeniable talent and a unique approach that defied the traditional Decatorian methods he knew.Fortune tellers were rarely bound by the conventional, their minds trained to think in ways others could not fathom. Pahana could also feel the hidden strength within Aria, a power she kept buried deep.Landon must have noticed that and sought to consume her soul.Yet Pahana found no trace of a binding contract between Landon and Aria.There were rumors, however, that Landon had once made a pact with a woman who was as infamous as she was beautiful. She was a woman of no redeeming qualities, a heartless temptress who reveled in tormenting others. Her disrespect for people was unmatched, yet Landon had