Fiona was very respectful to Ian. "You're right."Standing nearby and leaning on his cane, Warren gazed intently at Fiona. With a meaningful tone, he asked, "Fiona, I couldn't quite catch what you said from upstairs. Are you really considering divorcing my son?"Ian frowned. "This is a matter for the younger generation. You shouldn't interfere.""Ian, I'm not interfering. I'm just asking," Warren replied with a smile. "It has already come to this point, after all."Fiona felt a deep sense of guilt toward Warren. Since she had married into the Carver family, her in-laws had treated her as their own daughter, understanding that she was far from her own family and offering her unwavering support.This had been the case for many years. Even when Aria was kidnapped, Warren's worry for her had taken a toll on his health.Fiona knew that bringing up divorce on such a joyous occasion could humiliate Warren. Yet, she decided to take a chance. "Yes, Dad. I want to divorce Owen."Gasps rip
Owen's hatred simmered, but he couldn't confront them. His dignity was at stake.Mindy grew anxious. "Dad, you should make amends with Mom. I doubt she'd really go through with a divorce.""She can do whatever she wants!" Owen snapped, loosening his tie as sweat beaded on his forehead and his fists clenched.Mindy couldn't comprehend why her usually shrewd father didn't grasp the severity of the situation. If the divorce became final, Mindy dreaded what her future might hold.The information had reached Fiona at just the right moment. Without it, she might not have resolved to divorce Owen today. This move also cut off any chance for Mindy to use Owen and Fiona to forge ties with the Carver and Grisham families.Even Leon was puzzled. "Mom, what made you suddenly decide?"He and his brothers expected Fiona to take time before settling on divorcing Owen. After all, they had loved each other since their youth. They hadn't anticipated this decision would come so swiftly.Percy ca
Owen's trust in Ian had Aria thinking of him. However, Nyx and the twins quickly dispelled those musings.Aria was lost in contemplation. She had only heard Agnes' voice at the banquet in her dream, but the other voice still eluded her.Was the commotion not significant enough? Aria pressed on her Charm Coin, subtly scanning the room. Owen was still struggling, Mindy looking pitiful as she pleaded, "Dad, don't be like this.""Can you tell what's wrong with her?" Aria asked, casually picking up a wine glass.Nyx leaped onto her shoulder, bouncing twice with a flicker of impatience. "I don't sense anything out of the ordinary. But you humans are quick to fall in line with her whims. My lord, there's a secret spell whispered in the depths of Netherrealm, one that can bend thoughts to its will.""A spell?" Aria replied nonchalantly. "Are you referring to what's recorded in the Durin scriptures?"Nyx blinked, her expression thoughtful. "I haven't read them firsthand. I only know of
No one knew who was in the video. The footage only showed a marble floor, clearly filmed with the intention of obscuring the subject's identity.Immediately, all attention was drawn to the livestream."Mr. York is the one who broke off the engagement with the Carver family. How could he be pursuing her now?""How do you know she's the one spreading the rumors?"The voices of the two women were altered, making it impossible to identify them."I recorded the person spreading the rumors," one of the women said, pointing her phone at the screen.Will appeared on camera, wearing a coat and holding a birdcage. He said, "You've only heard one side. Mr. York is actually the one pursuing her.""He talks as if he witnessed it himself," the person on the screen said. "Everyone knows he is Mr. Warren Senior's subordinate. It goes without saying who spread the rumors."It's hilarious. How shameless could she be to spread rumors that Mr. York is pursuing her? Can't she see the difference bet
"Mrs. Carver, how do you explain what Will said? There's even a video!" Kylie demanded, her voice sharp with accusation.Agnes, who had been about to intervene, let Kylie continue. She was enjoying the spectacle of Fiona's daughter embarrassing herself.The pressure was squarely on the Carver family."Since Will is the source, it's difficult to refute.""Ms. Aria is probably behind the rumors," someone suggested. "She must be scared that Mr. York might break off the engagement again.""Clearly, the York family looks down on a country bumpkin like her. If they didn't, they would have shown up," another person remarked."That's right. Plus, Will has followed Mr. Carver Senior's instructions for years. It looks like Ms. Aria likes to stir up trouble.""I'm worried that even Mr. Carver Senior's reputation might be tarnished by this," someone else added.Kylie's satisfaction grew with the rising chatter. "Mrs. Carver, please clarify who taught Will to spread those rumors. Was it som
Landon, a renowned socialite and tyrannical figure in Janovin, commanded respect and fear. When healthy, he would ruthlessly punish those who dared to provoke the York family. His reputation ensured that no one would dare to cross him, as doing so would be equivalent to seeking their own demise.His imposing stance caused one of the CEOs to say, "Mr. York, your fiancée doesn't need to socialize with anyone. People should be the ones buttering up to her!"Landon acknowledged the comment with a nod. "You're right, Mr. Gagnon. I hope my fiancée remains unblemished and unexploited. That's why I arrived a bit late."Kylie couldn't help but shake her head. "No! I don't believe it. How could you like her?""She's beautiful, kind, and innocent. Why wouldn't I like her?" Landon replied, his gaze indifferent.Beautiful, kind, and innocent?Everyone turned their eyes to Aria. While she was undoubtedly beautiful, her innocence was in question.Landon paid no mind to the gazes directed at Ar
Agnes tried to pull Kylie away. "Kylie, are you crazy?"Kylie couldn't possibly be that foolish! Didn't she see how Landon acted? He came here just to support Aria!However, Kylie seemed to have lost her mind. "Mom, listen to me. There's no way he would fall in love with a country bumpkin. They have nothing to talk about. He's such a dignified person!"Agnes wished she could slap some sense into Kylie. Yet, Kylie was surprisingly strong, making it impossible for Agnes to restrain her.Seeing everyone look at her as if she were insane, Kylie felt a chill in her heart. She rushed over to Mindy, grasping her hands. "Mindy, you know him best. We've observed him for years. He's rejected you time and again. There's no way he'd be interested in an outsider. Please, say something, Mindy!"But Mindy's mind went blank when Landon arrived at the banquet. She hadn't expected him to come.The Carver family had hosted many events in the past. On her birthday, Owen had personally invited the
However, Landon had already made his move, leaving no room for Mindy to turn things around. Whether Mindy was a bitch or not didn't matter to him—it wasn't his concern. But with Aria involved, Landon wouldn't hesitate to expose Mindy."Someone once said that the most important thing for a woman is having manners."Landon's gaze shifted to a wealthy woman who typically went unnoticed. "Ms. Yallaton, both of these individuals openly express their admiration for me. Do you not see a problem with that? Yet, when it comes to my fiancée, you're quick to criticize. Why is it acceptable for these two to act this way but not for her?"Felicia Yallaton tried to respond. "That's different. For so many years, Mindy—""Yes, it is different," Landon cut her off, his tone indifferent. "Aria is my fiancée. As for those two… I've rejected them countless times in private, never showing any interest. Their actions have been affecting my life for too long."Landon's expression hardened. "If my fiancé
"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