"You should be familiar with these accounts, Mr. West." Aria's smile widened. "The other shareholders should take a look too."None of the shareholders dared say anything.Hugo wanted to explain. "The accountants are in charge of these accounts. Also, some of the investments here were made after we all agreed on them. I'll call over those involved now.""You don't need to go to all that trouble," Aria added blandly. "You seem to forget that Mr. Watson has already told the police to investigate this matter."Hugo shot up from his seat. He was too anxious to remain seated. He'd thought that Aria was humiliated after his joke, but now he was at risk of losing his position as a shareholder. He might also be sent to jail if the police investigation uncovered anything incriminating. "Mr. Carver, say something! Mr. Carver!" Hugo called out to Owen, whom he'd been helping the past few years, even if it meant that he couldn't support some of Warren's decisions.Owen wouldn't leave him al
Owen had never been looked down like this before. The shareholders were just short of saying outright that Owen was incapable, as he'd let this happen under his supervision and was unfit to lead this company. Owen's rage and embarrassment could be seen on his face. He wanted to lose his temper, but he knew he'd be adding fuel to the fire no matter what he said. He'd rather acknowledge his incapability than admit that he was involved in whatever Hugo had done, especially because Hugo had broken the law. Those outside the conference room had no idea what they were fighting about, but they knew something—things would be completely different in the company starting today. Keith stood behind Aria, pushing his glasses up. His gaze held excitement as he realized why Aria had told him not to do anything. It was because Aria had this card up her sleeve. Warren was worried that Aria, with her young age and ruthless methods, might risk angering some shareholders. They might also be wa
Before they could speculate further, Aria made her stance clear. "Carver Group will never work with Krowonian companies. This rule has been in place since a century ago, and it's effective even now. I want everyone to remember that Carver Group is different from other companies. Even in times of peace, we'll always have the history of our country in mind."Aria turned to Hugo again. "I'll provide information to the police that will aid their investigation. I have reason to suspect that you're a corporate spy working for Krowonian companies."Carver Group was known to be patriotic, so things would go out of control if Aria reported the existence of a Krowonian corporate spy. Hugo paled. "I'm not a spy! Really! I just wanted to make some money. I'm really not a corporate spy!"If he was accused of such a crime, his family would be done for! The other shareholders hadn't thought of this too, evidently. Sweat beaded on their foreheads upon hearing Aria's words. They'd forgotten that
Owen couldn't even deny it if he wanted to, because Hugo had helped him with too much. The more Hugo had helped him with, the more secrets he knew. Owen's gaze sharpened. "I know that you don't respect me now that you have Dad's support.""Yes, I had Mr. West reach out to some Krowonian companies," Owen admitted readily. At this point, further denial would tarnish his reputation. "I've never had him commit all those wrongdoings, though.""The Krowonian companies gave us huge discounts, and I've discussed this during a meeting before." Owen looked at the shareholders. "Everyone agreed to my suggestion except for Dad."Aria propped her chin on her hand lazily. "He's the CEO of the company. He has the right to veto your proposal in the first place regardless of how many people agree with you. What are you trying to say here, Mr. Carver? Are you trying to say that Mr. West was the only one behind everything? I'd like to ask Mr. West if he agrees.""No, certainly not!" Hugo hugged the
Hugo said immediately, "There's a fortune teller living in a church in Goldtown. I haven't met him before, but Mr. Carver reached out to the Krowonians because he told him—""What are you trying to achieve here, Aria Carver?" Owen was so perturbed that he called Aria by her full name. Aria was trying to sever every retreat route he had; she wanted to force him into a dead end. Aria looked at him evenly as he said, "Mr. West, we're still in the conference room. All businesses take into account the layout of their office spaces." He pitched his voice lower. "I want my company to do well. Am I in the wrong for that?"He could put it that way because he wasn't involved when Hugo had done all those things and signed all those contracts. He had already planned to admit to his relying on fortune telling; that would be his retreat route.Hugo had already lost in this argument, and he had no choice but to yell angrily, "That wasn't what he said, Ms. Carver!""What did I say, then? Do yo
No shareholder in their right mind would take his side if he tried to usurp Aria's position. Owen slumped in his seat. The image he had so painstakingly maintained for years was now ruined. Warren hadn't had the heart to be merciless to Owen because he hadn't expected Owen, who seemed to not have any ideas of his own, to give those Krowonian companies the right to earn money while using Carver Group as a stepping stone.When Warren heard the news, his grip on his walking stick tightened, and he immediately took his medicine. Aria had told him to remain calm no matter what happened and to prioritize his health. If he hadn't appointed Aria as his successor, Carver Group would be in shambles the next few months, and he wouldn't be able to unabashedly meet his ancestors in the afterlife. Not only would the family's reputation be destroyed, but Carver Group would eventually be usurped by the Krowonians. Whenever Warren thought about that, he'd wish that he'd never given birth to Ow
Owen tried to guilt-trip Aria by invoking their relationship as father and daughter, and she cut him off with a sharp look, saying, "Since you're bringing up our relationship, let me ask you something. You insisted on adopting Mindy, even if it meant giving me up. That was because a fortune teller told you to, wasn't it?"Owen paused, his fists clenching tightly.Keith was still standing beside them. Owen, prone to overthinking, immediately assumed that Warren had already uncovered the truth. His mind raced—Warren must have given Aria all those documents because he knew everything.This shareholder meeting was a trap directed at him, set by Warren. Owen didn't even consider the possibility that Aria could be the mastermind. Smirking, Aria ordered the CEO's office to divest Owen of all his positions within the company. Carver Group's suppliers also learned that Owen would no longer represent the Carver family. Aria was conveying a clear message—the deals with Krowonian companie
"Elijah?" Aria frowned. Elijah hadn't appeared in her dreams, nor had she seen him during the banquet. As a fortune teller, she couldn't read her own future, and the closer someone was to her, the harder it became to read their faces and tell their fortunes. Landon was the only exception—his fate was obvious without needing a reading.Seeing Frank's anxious expression, Aria didn't waste time. "Let's walk and talk, Frank."In a rushed tone, Frank explained, "An actress filming a movie with Elijah has died. She had an argument with him before her death. The news hasn't hit the Internet yet because Mr. York has managed to keep it quiet."But since it involves a death, it won't stay hidden for long. Besides, the director and the rest of the cast are all big names."A reporter has some photos at hand, and he's adamant that the man he saw tussling with the actress was Elijah." Frank's worry was evident as he said, "He has been taken in for an interrogation, and Mr. Carver Senior do