"Relationship?" Rupert was confused. "What relationship?"The officers interrogating him traded looks before saying, "We heard that Mr. Carver and the deceased were involved with each other.""That would never happen!" Rupert waved a dismissive hand. "Elijah never got close to anyone in the industry, let alone start a relationship with them. Where did you even hear that?"The officers didn't answer that question. They realized that Rupert and Poppy had told them completely different things. Either Rupert didn't know about the actors' relationship status, or Poppy had lied to them. Would Poppy lie, though? She had only graduated from university, and there was nothing wrong with her background. She didn't seem like someone who would lie about this. The officers frowned, deep in thought, and this was the scene Aria walked into. Percy was already there, accompanied by another lawyer from Carver Group representing Elijah. However, Percy couldn't take the case due to his connection wi
The best way to learn more about the case was to talk to someone who worked closely with the deceased. Usually, a celebrity's assistant would be the best informed about her schedule and recent developments, even when compared to her family.Aria was so focused on this that everything else slipped her mind. Elijah frowned. "You shouldn't have brought her here, Percy."Percy shrugged. "Elijah, be more reasonable. You're here, aren't you? It'll be fine."Elijah sighed softly. He was elegant and composed as he politely asked the officers, "Can I leave now?"Despite Elijah's popularity, the officer remained impartial. "You can't leave before you're cleared."This was standard procedure in criminal cases. However, those brought in for questioning could usually post bail unless there was solid evidence against them.Aria hadn't expected Elijah to be denied bail. This suggested the police had found something that could work against him.Percy understood this too, his usual smile fading.
Thankfully, the Special Missions Unit, or SMU, was full of talent, and one such person had just reached out to him. Drake Huntington was visibly elated, and few things made him this happy these days. Having majored in criminal psychology, Drake was usually a stoic man, and his grin shocked Holly Bush, his secretary. Aria said casually, not distantly polite at all, "I need to be reinstated to my position, Mr. Huntington. Please inform everyone below us that No. 1 is back.""I'll inform them right away!" Drake laughed heartily. "You're finally willing to come back! Where are you? I'll have Holly pick you up right now."Aria looked outside the window. "I just left Janovin, about an hour into the mountains. No need to send Holly to pick me up; I'm heading to the crime scene to investigate." "You're going to a crime scene?" Drake's first reaction was to open a report he had about a series of murders. Aria said candidly, "Someone in my family is involved, so I have to get to the bo
When Aria finally found a photo of Elara's face, one of the forum posts suddenly blew up. "I can't believe you guys are still having fun here when 'Empty Fort' won't be in cinemas anymore. Something serious happened!""What could happen? Was someone sleepwalking again?""Not something so insignificant.""Did Elara's rivals report the movie because they didn't want it to be shown in cinemas? How despicable!""Not that too. It's something way more serious. I don't know the specifics, but a lot of people were summoned for questioning. I'm really panicking here.""What sort of questioning? Be more specific, OP.""Just get ready. Someone's reputation is about to take a huge hit tonight."Aria knew what the OP said was true, while the forum members dismissed it as fake. The OP's vague posts and refusal to answer questions made them seem unreliable. Still, everyone stayed glued to the thread, eager to dig into the gossip. The more they discussed, the wilder the theories became, fue
Would it be Elara? Could she be connected to the sleepwalking incidents?Aria scrolled through her phone in the car, her thoughts racing. If it was related to Elara, her assistant was sure to know something. Aria's next course of action hinged on Percy securing the police reports and confessions. Meanwhile, Aria sent screenshots of the post to Sam. "Look into who posted this as well as their whereabouts."When Sam received the message, his eyes lit up, and he grabbed his black bag and left, biting on a piece of bread. Finding the identity of a forum member was easy for hacker L. Less than five minutes later, the requested information was sent to Aria, followed by a message saying, "I'm coming too."Aria didn't stop Sam. She read the information sent to her, and as expected, OP was someone on the crew. More specifically, she was one of the background actors; her name was Fanny Allen. The boxing-related profile pictures had led many to assume the user was male until Sam uncovere
Aria pressed on her amethyst pendant. She wondered if something like this had also happened to Elijah's crew. "Cut!" The director looked at Belle. She checked the footage and made sure that nothing was wrong with it before asking for the water to be changed into warm water. She entered the pool with her makeup flawlessly intact, paying no attention to the state of her body double. She found Fanny to be poor and filthy, and she pinched her nose when they passed by each other—how incredibly humiliating. Fanny had a blanket around her shoulders, but she was still cold. The crew had no time to provide her with any care, and they merely told her to head to the dressing rooms which had heating. Fanny headed to the dressing room. Alone in front of the mirror, Fanny clutched her phone tightly, her expression unreadable, her gaze dark. She tossed her cup of tea into the trash, the gesture brimming with resentment for Belle, who was good at nothing but putting up appearances. Yet, Fann
"Slander?" Fanny sneered coldly. "They don't need me to do that. None of those people are decent to start with."Aria pushed Fanny's arm down. "You lied during the police interrogation and posted those slanderous comments online. Do you want to guess at how you'd end up?"Fanny froze. Tears streamed down her face as she protested indignantly, "Am I in the wrong? I was just venting online. "I'm taking this acting job seriously, not them! I'm the one filming all those dangerous stunts, not them! They do nothing but take the credit for everything!"Aria studied Fanny. "You get paid for it, and you agreed to work as their body double. You're also paid handsomely for performing dangerous stunts."You should fulfill your obligations after being paid. What you're doing is considered backstabbing your employers."Not all the credit is yours, too. Some of the audience like to watch action scenes, while some others are just here for the pretty faces."Aria was someone who liked pretty fa
"Why would you think that?" Aria didn't let that piece of information slip. Fanny said nonchalantly, "Not just her, but many others in the industry. It was especially obvious in Elara's case. She was meticulous about things like when filming would start and the direction she faced during prayers."I heard she even got a protective charm from overseas. I don't have concrete proof, though."A protective charm, and from overseas?Aria pressed on her Charm Coin, her gaze darkening. "You mentioned in the post that she was sleepwalking frequently.""I saw her five times," Fanny said. "I guess I'm the only one who saw her, though. I slept there secretly during those days, but I no longer dared to do so after seeing her sleepwalking. I was afraid that something would happen to her and that the film crew would blame me."Aria raised a brow. "Didn't her management company notice such a serious issue? What about her assistant?""Maybe they didn't notice. I don't know." Fanny's gaze wander
The entertainment industry was a place where people could rise quickly. It was a world where words could be tailored to suit different audiences, where alliances were formed with the popular, and enemies were kept in check before they could make a name for themselves.On the surface, everyone seemed friendly, but beneath the smiles, subtle rivalries festered.Back then, Fiona wouldn't have noticed such dynamics. She had never been interested in competing with other women, even in school. The term "female competition" hadn't existed in her vocabulary. Fiona simply wasn't concerned with who stood out in the crowd, so she remained unaware of the unspoken tensions around her.But now, things were different. After years of observing the entertainment industry, Fiona had become attuned to the subtle games people played. Every word Priscilla had spoken earlier had an underlying agenda.It was then that Fiona realized how much time had changed everyone. She could barely recognize the wom
Priscilla, it seemed, embodied the capitalist archetype that online critics often despised—one who saw people as mere tools for profit. Her approach to problems was straightforward, ruthless, and without compassion.She had used unapproved injections to boost her earnings, and now, when things went wrong, she wanted to shift the blame onto unsuspecting individuals.The girl's parents, though devastated, were not asking for much. They simply wanted their daughter's suffering to end and for Priscilla to cover the basic medical costs. But Priscilla wasn't concerned with such matters. The success of her medispa in Ludwiten wasn't due to any sense of ethics—it was built on ambition and exploitation.If Priscilla agreed to treat one person's botched surgery, it would open the door to countless others. She couldn't afford to make exceptions; these "victims" would only try to take advantage of her.At that moment, Priscilla reclined in the lounge, a face mask on, preparing for a full-bod
Back then, a rumor circulated that everyone desired the Grisham family's daughter. Audriana had thought it was an exaggeration. After all, no matter how beautiful a woman was, she would inevitably age. Fiona, no matter how stunning, would eventually face the same fate.However, Audriana had come to realize that some people could indeed look like fairies. Yet, she couldn't show her envy, as Priscilla was still watching her."Why do I think she looks so average? She's not nearly as ladylike as you, Priscilla," Audriana flattered her.Priscilla merely gave her a passing glance. "You don't have to try to flatter me. I don't care about that. With plastic surgery so common these days, I can have any appearance I want."What's important is for a woman to have her own career. But I have to admit, her face is quite stunning."Otherwise, Fiona wouldn't have remained relevant for so many years. But it didn't matter now. Fiona was already married, with so many children. Once a woman became a
"Who doesn't have a career in this day and age? She's the only one with no achievements to speak of, and she even went crazy. How does she have the nerve to reconcile with the Grisham family? I don't know whether to call her naïve or just plain dumb," Priscilla remarked, her voice dripping with disdain as she spoke to the person behind her. As she spoke, the woman slowly rose, revealing her identity—none other than Audriana."Perhaps she doesn't realize that the Draycott family is almost as influential as the Grisham family in Ludwiten. Especially you, Priscilla. Everyone knows the medispa you operate. "Fiona hasn't kept up with the times. I once thought she was capable, with her title as Ludwiten's Red Rose. But now, it seems she's all show, no substance." Audriana chuckled, clearly taking pleasure in belittling Fiona while subtly praising Priscilla. Priscilla, clearly pleased, took a sip of her coffee. "It's a shame she didn't listen to me and meet Ms. Kent."Audriana raised
Priscilla twirled her long hair and took a sip of her coffee. "I didn't have much confidence back then. I always followed you, never daring to try things on my own. It's only now, after trying for myself, that I've realized some things."She added, "Opening a medispa has always been my dream, and that's how it all started. Now, all the wealthy women in Ludwiten come to me for fillers and anti-aging treatments. If you're interested, you should come by. I can even fix your nose a little."Priscilla smiled. However, her smile was a little off, perhaps from a recent treatment. She pressed her fingers to her eyes. "I can't smile too much, or I'll get wrinkles. I envy your flawless, youthful face, Fiona. What's your secret?""Probably just staying indoors and avoiding the sun," Fiona replied, carefully omitting the fact that her soul had entered a manifestation.Priscilla's expression darkened, her voice tinged with frustration. "It's all Owen's fault! How could he be so cruel? You're no
Leon typed so quickly that Aria suspected it was a result of his experience arguing with his online haters. Aria couldn't get a word in as Leon flooded the entire group chat. She was speechless—his typing was even faster than a hacker like her. Celebrity Carver: "I'm worried about Aria. I should have gone on the train too!"Aria freed one hand to reply, "No need to worry. Fergus is with me."Celebrity Carver: "Fergus has never been in a relationship himself. What does he know?"Boss Carver: "Leon, aren't you getting too full of yourself lately?"Leon kept his head down, continuing to type. He was filled with worry for Aria.Unbeknownst to anyone, a mysterious person watched Leon with intense focus. The gaze was unsettling as if the person were ready to explode with hatred at any moment.The person only looked away when Leon entered the VIP lounge. Then, they went to the washroom, and standing before the mirror, revealed an eerie smile. There was no rush. After all, there wo
Their positions were reversed in an instant.Landon was pinned down, a few stray strands of hair falling over his face. His long, dark eyelashes gave him a somewhat coy expression. Aria, on the other hand, appeared dominant, with one hand pressing down on his wrist and the other on his shoulder. This was the scene the attendant walked in on. She cleared her throat slightly before speaking, "Sir, here are your fruits."The attendant's voice caught the attention of Fergus, who was seated in the last row. He put down his tablet and glanced over. What he saw was Aria playfully pressing down on Landon's wrist. Fergus couldn't help but rub his temples, unsure how to express his current feelings.When Leon mentioned that Aria was pursuing Landon, Fergus hadn't thought much of it. However, seeing for himself, he could only think of ways to keep Landon around for Aria.But Aria couldn't be too forward as they weren't married yet. At the thought of that, Fergus deliberately coughed.
It was the first time Aria had ever felt this way. The sensation made her dizzy, yet she couldn't get enough of it. Every inch of her mouth was filled with Landon's scent, and his fingers felt astonishingly hot. The sounds around them faded, leaving only the rumble of the train as it passed through the tunnel. There was an undeniable closeness between them. His soft kisses and teasing bites on her lips made her feel a little lightheaded. With her eyes covered, Aria instinctively sought something to steady herself. The rhythmic thump of his heartbeat echoed in her ears, its force making escape seem impossible. His kiss, commanding and intense, contrasted sharply with his calm demeanor. It seemed as though he was determined to pull her deeper into his embrace. Yet, despite the overwhelming sensation, Aria couldn't bring herself to resent it. Instead, she found herself surrendering to it. The sounds around them slowly returned as they emerged from the long tunnel, light creepi
Landon raised his hand and spoke calmly before ending the call. "Go and tell your boss that only Farshyans can manage the Chamber of Commerce."When Westin tried calling back, no one answered. For years, foreigners had enjoyed preferential treatment in Farshya. As Westin mentioned, some universities favored foreign students, offering them special care. Foreigners received priority access to events, complimentary ice cream, and exclusive show tickets at car exhibitions. Many Farshyans were thrilled just to exchange a few words with them.Westin's best friend even had a Farshyan girlfriend who was utterly devoted to him. She tolerated their insults with a smile as long as he promised to take her abroad and secure her permanent residency.This sense of entitlement made foreigners like Westin feel superior to the locals. Westin, in particular, had been flattered by Farshyan businessmen for so long that he'd never experienced such outright rejection.Other suppliers and port officia