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
As soon as Percy spoke, everyone in the banquet thought there was something wrong with Kylie.Aria couldn't help but raise her head and look at Percy. His words had been sharp, leaving no room for the Wagner family to retreat without humiliation. They would openly admit their lack of decorum if they refused to apologize. The tension only deepened.Sure enough, Agnes became anxious. "Percy, it's just a misunderstanding."She turned to Kylie with a steely tone. "If you don't apologize today, don't bother coming back home!"Kylie, now realizing the gravity of the situation, felt a wave of fear. Agnes wasn't bluffing."I-I'm sorry." Tears welled up in Kylie's eyes. Though she harbored resentment toward Aria, she had no choice but to bury it. With trembling hands, she bowed slightly, head lowered in submission. "I shouldn't have assumed things without knowing the full story. Please forgive my ignorance and foolishness."Aria, unmoved, glanced at Kylie and spoke coldly. "From what I've
Unexpectedly, as soon as the young Aria opened her eyes, she spat at Agnes, leaving her utterly disgusted. The grown-up Aria was even more insufferable than before. The Carver family should never have brought her back.Though her thoughts were venomous, Agnes maintained a look of regret.She knew she had to say something today. Otherwise, the Wagner family's reputation would be damaged. So, she turned to Owen with calculated concern. "Owen, please speak on behalf of the Wagner family. We truly mean no harm. Mr. Wagner Senior has always reminded us of the Carver family's kindness.""I know that," Owen responded, trying to be benevolent. "Do we even need to clarify how close our families are? Aria just returned, so she's just overthinking things. But Kylie should still learn to control herself." Although Owen appeared to scold Kylie, he subtly downplayed the situation."Kylie, you speak without thinking about the consequences. You're lucky I'm here to smooth things over. I'm sure Ari
Everyone froze at the sound of the familiar voice. No one had expected Fiona to make an appearance at such a grand event. Memories of the last banquet were still fresh in their minds.Most of the women, especially Agnes, assumed Owen had already admitted Fiona to a hospital. They had wholly dismissed her, not even considering the possibility of her presence.But now, she stood there, wearing a burgundy fishtail evening gown that drew every eye in the hall.Fiona had fair skin and a pair of deep, clear eyes. There were practically no traces of age on her face. She was still as elegant and indifferent as ever. People used to call her Ludwiten's Red Rose, as she was delicate yet fiery.By comparison, Aria seemed worlds apart. At first glance, no one would suspect they were mother and daughter.As Fiona approached, however, the striking resemblance in their gestures and expressions was obvious. It was then that everyone realized they were truly mother-daughter.Before Fiona arrived,
"The Carver family has always been shrouded in mystery. Something feels off, especially since Mr. Carver failed to mention that Mrs. Carver has recovered."It was a strange phenomenon indeed. Owen had always portrayed himself as a doting and loving husband to Fiona. Yet, he appeared clueless about his wife's recovery.Everyone present at the banquet was sharp-minded. Plus, all the ladies shared a common hatred—absent husbands who appeared loving in public."Why do I sense something fishy about Owen's obsession with adopting Mindy?"Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Owen moved to intervene, eager to control the narrative as he had before. But his sons didn't give him the chance."I'm your father!" Owen roared, losing his usual composure.Percy chuckled. "You don't have to be. If Mom is unhappy, I can be her lawyer."With that statement, they revealed their hand. The three brothers had held back, fearful of upsetting Fiona. But now, with her on their side, restraint was no long
"Our sister is, and will always be, Rainbow. I've told you that more than once. We held back before because you were a girl, and we didn't want to publicly humiliate you. We worried about your pride."But you've gone too far, slandering my sister just to boost your ego and meddle in things that don't concern you. Dad may be lenient, but we are not him."If I can't protect my sister, then I don't deserve to be part of the Carver family!" Leon declared.The entire banquet erupted in chaos.The three Carver brothers had always fiercely protected their younger sister.Fiona quickly took Aria's hand. She remained as poised and formidable as ever, silently sending a message—anyone who dared to bully Aria would have to face the Grisham family first.After all, Fiona wasn't just Mrs. Carver; she was also the beloved daughter of the Grishams.With that unspoken warning, the room fell into a hush. Meanwhile, Verona's convictions were shattered. For years, she believed she was helping Fion
Unexpectedly, Fiona held her hand affectionately. "You're right, Mrs. Furler. As mothers, we shouldn't condone our children harming others. However, when others try to harm our children, we won't stand by. They better not test us!"Elizabeth was a bit nervous being held by such a beautiful lady. "Oh, yes. You're right."Fiona's eyes rested on Owen for the first time with sharp clarity. "Everyone believed my condition was stable because of the child my husband brought home."She continued, addressing the room, "Like everyone else, I trusted him. All of you have witnessed the love I've shared with my husband, especially Mrs. Wagner."Fiona wasn't one to let things slide when they concerned her daughter. She would have overlooked it if someone had been against her. But they hadn't hesitated to target her daughter, using her illness as an excuse. They were no different from the faceless critics online who had gone after Leon.Her illness had given them the chance to attack her child.
Divorce?The room fell silent, even Owen frozen in shock."Divorce?" Owen stared at Fiona, disbelief etched on his face. "You want to divorce me?"Owen knew the Grisham family well. They were known for their adherence to traditional values, so hearing Fiona suggest divorce so casually was shocking. Why hadn't she discussed this with him privately? Why humiliate him in front of everyone?It was as if Owen no longer recognized Fiona, his gaze filled with evident fury."You're having an episode again!" Owen reached for Fiona. "Come with me to the hospital!"An episode? How could Fiona's mention of divorce considered an episode?As most looked on in confusion, Aria tightly gripped Owen's wrist. "Mom kept the documents private to avoid affecting the Carver Group's stock. Be sensible and leave now."Owen gritted his teeth, glaring angrily at Aria. The fortune-teller was right. Aria was indeed a threat to the Carver family! He needed to find a way to handle this situation. Though he
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