As Aria pondered, the door clicked open, and in trotted Sam. He shot Landon a wary look, his eyes narrowing slightly. Landon remained composed, his gaze steady as he looked up.Sam, seeming puzzled, circled around Landon, sniffing him cautiously. Finally, he puffed up his cheeks and directed a concerned look at Aria, clearly signaling that something was wrong with Landon.Aria raised her eyebrows. "You seem particularly hostile today."Just as Sam was about to gesture to Aria, Landon slipped a credit card into his hand. "Go buy some meat to eat."Sam glared at him as if to say he wasn't someone to be swayed by money. Before he could protest, Landon tossed another item in his direction.The object glittered so brightly that Aria couldn't ignore it. However, Sam's eyes lit up as he bit into the gold bar.Confirming it was real, Sam rolled on the floor with delight as if he had just discovered his favorite toy.Meanwhile, Landon sat gracefully before him. Anyone not privy to thei
Aria's gaze shifted abruptly to Verona. "Ms. Ander, could you provide the specifics of Toto's birth?"Since Verona had become aware of Aria's exceptional capabilities, she had ceased to withhold information from her. She promptly detailed Toto's birth and even handed over Toto's hospital records to Aria, concerned that she might not have covered everything.Aria carefully reviewed the records and remarked, "He is quite fortunate."Yet, she didn't discern anything particularly notable about his complexion. Of course, she wasn't expecting everyone to be cloaked in purple energy like Landon.However, a person usually exhibits some sign of good fortune on their facial features, but Toto displayed none. If Toto hadn't seemed fearful of Sam, Aria might never have uncovered his fortune.It appeared the culprit had chosen Toto not by chance but because of his fortune.As per the lore, Toto would first suffer from illness and slowly lose his life, and his family would likely never suspect
Verona grasped Aria's intent and assured her, "Don't worry, Aria. I won't mention today's events to anyone, including Toto's father.""Thank you. And please ensure Toto doesn't come across such dolls again."Verona nodded quickly, having had more than enough of this experience. She was determined to prevent it from happening again. As Aria prepared to leave, Toto grabbed her hand. "Aria, what's wrong with Starry? Why did you ask Mom to stop me from playing with her?"Children often become attached to toys, especially those who are single-parented like Toto. This gift, given by his father, was particularly cherished.Aria knew she needed to be clear with Toto. She looked him in the eye and said, "Toto, do you remember what happened in the dream?""I do." There was no way Toto could forget about the events in his dreams. Aria gently patted his head. "The wooden doll caused everything that happened in the dream. It came from Krowo, and—"Before she could finish, Toto's anger fla
"However, if they have to choose to bow to you, they won't be happy about it," Verona said, looking at Aria. "There's also Mindy. The biggest mistake I've ever made in my life is introducing her to people I know."Yet she deserves recognition for her accomplishments. She's highly regarded in the antiques world and has deep knowledge of artifact restoration. If you plan to take action against her, be sure to weigh your decision carefully."Verona was worried, especially after learning that the doll was made by a company whose shares Owen held a controlling number of. The more she thought about it, the more afraid she was that something was going on behind the scenes. Aria laughed, casual and alluring. "After Grandpa passed the company down to me, I was at a loss on where to start from. If someone insists on presenting themselves to me on a silver platter, I'm not going to let them go unscathed."I also know some things about antiques and artifacts. They aren't as powerful as fortun
The Carver family had finally secured a successor. With Aria now leading the company, the family’s businesses were safeguarded. Warren had always been discontent with Owen, not only due to his selfishness but also because of his ineptitude. Warren feared that Owen might trade away their shops for personal gain.The Carver family was now heading in a new direction. The shareholders and capitalists could sense that; thus, the number of people on Owen's side had significantly decreased.…Owen had never lost his temper so badly. In the lobby, he smashed everything he could get his hands on. "Why did no one tell me that Fiona has recovered?"He glared vehemently at the family doctors. "Didn't I tell you to report everything about Fiona to me? Or have you all become blind and incapable of treating your patient?"The doctors panicked. "Mrs. Carver's sickness wasn't one she could recover from. We checked her thoroughly.""Are you telling me that everything which happened at the banquet
The old man had taken on different identities throughout the years, so no one would figure out who he was, and this was why he must be careful to make sure nothing went wrong. He returned to the study with his lamp and looked at his butler standing outside. "What's going on?" he asked hoarsely. His hands were so thin and wrinkled that they were hard to look at.Judging from the cold sweat beading on his forehead, the butler feared him. "The young master is outside. He's worried about you, so he insisted on visiting you. I was afraid that he'd see things he shouldn't, so I made noise on purpose."The man surveyed his butler carefully before pushing the inkwell back into place. This also made him look at himself in the mirror—skin hanging loosely from his bones, an ugly figure, eyes filled with geriatric tiredness.The mirror shattered after he struck it with his walking stick. He said, "Find out from the Laynes when the item I need will be ready."The old man's shadow, hidden in t
Georgina's first encounter with her blood granddaughter Lily was fraught with tension. Though she had considered shutting the door on Lily, the girl's tearful pleas—her eyes swollen and red—halted her."I just wanted to see you, Grandma. Why do you dislike me so—is it because of my mother? My mother and I are different people, Grandma!"Lily was great at acting. As someone who had lived another life, she knew how to make Georgina's heart soften. "Am I no longer your granddaughter in your heart, Grandma? Weren't you and Grandpa excited when I was born?"The elderly residents of the neighborhood pitied her, and they advised Georgina to let her in first despite the misunderstandings between them. After a brief hesitation, Georgina decided not to think so poorly of Lily.Lily didn't ask Georgina for anything. She gave Georgina some supplements and helped her tidy up the herbs at the clinic before massaging her legs.Before leaving, she said, "I'll visit you again, Grandma. You sho
A company would change drastically whenever someone new took office. No one could say for sure where the new CEO's first strike would be aimed at. Every department was discussing Aria, but none of the employees had seen her face before. Aside from the Carvers, the media was more wary of Landon. Without Landon's permission, no reporter dared release a front-facing photo of Aria. It was known that the washrooms in a large-scale company was where the gossip was at, and that was true for Carver Group as well.Aria had overheard two employees putting lipstick on say to each other, "Do you think the new CEO will be adept in managing the company?""Who knows. I heard that she's pretty young. You know as well as I about the situation of our company. There are so many shareholders; who would listen to her?""None of them, probably. She came out of nowhere after all. It's none of our business anyway; we're just ordinary employees. If things don't work out, we can just leave."Aria walked
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe