Aria said coolly, "You'll know when I bring her over. Just wait and see."Even after hanging up, Aaron remained skeptical. He turned to Frank. "Your lady is No. 1! Why are you still so worried about Mr. Elijah?"No. 1? What was he talking about? Frank was puzzled. Being primarily engaged in the business world, Frank was not well-versed in criminal investigations.Aria was renowned for solving many unsolved cases as No. 1. Additionally, she was an expert in supernatural cases. She founded the Special Missions Unit and held the position of No. 1. No matter the case, Aria could solve it quickly if she wanted to.Just as Aaron was contemplating how to face No. 1, Frank took back his phone in confusion.Frank had only one realization—this notoriously aloof crime specialist who typically ignored everyone seemed to heed Aria's words. Furthermore, he was known to be unapproachable and insensitive to money. Frank suddenly had a feeling as he looked at the phone in his hand. Perhaps Aria'
"What are you trying to do?" Fanny glared at Aria.Although Fanny couldn't tell what was wrong with Sam, she felt a sense of danger she had never felt before.Aria lowered her eyes. "Didn't I say I'm here to return something?" With that, Aria showed her a bag with a strand of hair in it. "Did you forget you left this behind?"Looking at the item in her hand, Fanny was obviously flustered. "It's just a strand of hair. What evidence do you have that it's mine?""It doesn't matter if you won't admit it. We just need to run some tests." Aria raised her eyebrows. "Did you already use the thing you stole?"Fanny's eyes wavered. "What thing? You're such a weirdo! Who do you think you are to question me—"With a bang, Aria kicked open the door and looked at her from above. Meanwhile, Sam closed the door in one swift movement.The receptionist initially wanted to come up and check, but she figured nothing would go wrong and decided against it.There was a smell of rust in the air. Ar
With a whoosh, a matchstick flew past Fanny's ear and landed right behind her. A large part of her long hair was singed, leaving her momentarily speechless.Aria scratched her ears. "I'm sorry, but I can't stand listening to your complaints. You're someone who constantly blames others for your misfortune. "Just because he didn't help you, you hated him and even spread rumors about him. Really? Who is obligated to help you? They aren't even your parents!"Sure, Elijah's looks have contributed to his fame, but his films wouldn't have been a hit if he had no acting skills. Do you think the market is that shallow?"As for your appearance, I'm sure you'd be happy as a female lead. However, have you considered the audience's feelings? "Actors should align with their roles. Beautiful women play roles meant for beautiful women, while those with less conventional looks can take on other parts. "You insist on playing the role of the most beautiful woman despite not meeting those standar
The wooden doll would never forget its time at Nobeetan Concession—it had nearly ceased to exist. Back then, it was like a rat on a spit, despised and ignored, forced to skulk in shadows. It clung to a strand of hair, attached itself to other objects, waiting for someone to find it.The experiences of that time fueled its anger. The wooden doll believed the country would soon fall to the Krowonians, waiting for that day to come. Unexpectedly, Krowo was defeated. The wooden doll, already unhappy, needed to rely on lowly citizens for worship.The doll would have been lost forever without Farshya's fortune to restore its power. It desperately missed its homeland.The wooden doll could soon revive all its subordinates after absorbing a bit more resentment.The wooden doll controlled its replica and tried to move. However, Sam bit it hard. Sam wouldn't have even gone near the wooden doll if not for Aria.Although it was just a replica, the wooden doll felt unprecedented pain. It want
Aria didn't even turn around. She just swerved and kicked Fanny in the knees, sending her crashing to the ground. Fanny hit her head, and blood trickled from the impact. "I'm going to sue you. Mark my words!"Aria ignored her, only ordering someone to take care of it. After all, the police would soon be there to take Fanny away.Fanny was unwilling to accept this outcome. "Elara is already dead. What does the entire thing have to do with me? Elijah is the suspect, not me. Everyone on set knows he's the last person who saw Elara.""He's the last one?" Aria chuckled. "How about you? You've always followed Elara around when she was sleepwalking, yet you didn't the night she was killed. That doesn't make sense at all. After all, you told me you saw her sleepwalking a few nights in a row."Seeing Fanny faltered, Aria said slowly, "Don't worry. Lie detectors are very accurate nowadays. We'll soon know enough if you're telling the truth." Upon hearing that, Fanny knew she was doomed.
The duo weren't part of the SMU from the start. They joined much later, so they had no idea that the woman standing before them wasn't just anyone—she was their top commander, No. 1.Their plan was to hypnotize her, but just as they lifted their watches, Aria opened the door. "The receptionist is looking this way. Everyone who stays here is in the entertainment industry, so the news spreads fast. Are you sure you don't want to arrest her first?"How did she know the procedure better than them? The duo didn't dare to hesitate, immediately cuffing Fanny and bringing her away.Those who came to watch the scene kept quiet after seeing that. Even if they knew about the case, they wouldn't suspect anything supernatural was involved.As for the things Fanny was shouting, they just assumed she'd gone mad from chasing fame.Many stunt doubles worked hard to earn a living. They loved acting. Even if acting wasn't their passion, they could at least earn a living with it.They had never once
Percy was a lawyer, so there was no way he could have missed the signs. He just hadn't had the chance to ask Aria yet.Elijah, who had been locked in the interrogation room, looked tired. Yet, he remained as graceful as ever.Just as he got prepared to answer their questions, they suddenly notified he could leave.His assistant, Theo Aceto, outside was the happiest out of everyone. After all, many brands had called to ask what happened to Elijah throughout the day.Theo was on the verge of breaking down. He couldn't afford to offend any of the brands. If they called off the endorsements, the internet would be in a frenzy with different rumors. But none of that mattered now that Elijah was freed. Theo let out a sigh of relief, wanting to reply to all the brands' messages at once. "Boss, it's all thanks to Ms. Carver. You don't even know…"Theo thought it would be good to get close to the Carver family of Janovin. But he never expected Aria to walk up and say, "Hey, brother."Bro
Elijah said after pondering, "Oh, right. Fanny did introduce me to a fortune-teller.""Fortune-teller?" Aria reacted quickly. "Who?"Elijah chuckled. "I didn't ask her. She said he was useful and encouraged me to seek for him. You know I stay away from this kind of thing after what happened to Dad."The Carver family had never believed in superstitions, and Elijah's disinterest was clear as he spoke. Aria tapped on her Charm Coin. To revive the wooden doll, one needed not only the wooden doll's replica but also the help of a powerful fortune-teller. There was no way Owen would tell the truth. Even after being taken away, he kept his mouth shut. After all, he hadn't done anything illegal, so he was released after some questioning.The people watching Owen reported that he seemed well-behaved, while Warren's health seemed to be in tip-top condition.Aria had investigated Mindy and confirmed she had nothing to do with Warren's health deterioration. As for Owen, she continued to p
In that moment, Cormac couldn't afford to care about pride or appearances. His survival depended on severing all ties, especially with a traitor."I don't have a daughter like you!" he snapped, slapping Aliya again. "Do you even realize what you've done? Trafficking human organs—do you think that's something you can walk away from?"Aliya collapsed to the floor, stunned. A chill unlike any she'd ever felt seeped into her bones. She stared up at her father in disbelief, watching as he bowed his head respectfully toward Aria, the very woman she had just mocked.In Aliya's world, her father was the state government. She had grown up believing that their family controlled everything, that Cormac Windham's influence extended far beyond his office, even as retirement loomed.But all of it was crumbling before her eyes.Outside his office, word had already begun to spread. Though muffled, the sharp sound of a slap echoed faintly through the corridor.Everyone understood what that meant—
The group dared to be reckless as Amos was Ludwiten's lieutenant governor. They were peas in a pod and did corruption together.However, they didn't know that their support had already collapsed. Aria was not in a rush to capture Amos' lackeys as her target was in the state government. She didn't go alone either, for Aliya also went with her.Shortly after, Aria issued a new command. "Seal the premises. No one is to leave. Tell everyone to remain in their seats."A request like that, especially directed at the state level, would typically require an exhaustive process—dozens of forms, layers of red tape. Even in cases involving fatalities, senior officials were rarely detained on the spot.But Aria followed with a second message, one that sent chills down spines. "This case involves foreign infiltration. Someone has betrayed the country."Those words landed like a thunderclap. No one dared raise an objection. No one wanted to be associated with treason—not ordinary citizens, and
"Grandpa, it's not convenient for me to get in touch with all of you right now. Remember to take your medicine on time. I have to pretend that I'm locked up. Uncle Eamon and Uncle Waymond have to seem fretful so that the enemy wouldn't be alerted. I'm sorry, Grandpa."Aria didn't reveal what she had encountered in the message. This was because the Special Missions Unit was bound to a confidentiality contract when making decisions. What Aria said was almost pushing the limits.Aria only agreed to get locked up just to see how people would react when the Grisham family was in trouble.When the opponent placed their attention on this incident, they would let their guard down and give Aria a chance to secure evidence of their crimes.If the Grisham family retained its usual influence, the mastermind wouldn't show himself so easily. As Aria felt sorry for her family and worried about Clyde's health, she immediately sent a message to apologize after the auction. However, she couldn't s
There was no way Aria didn't know that the conviction was unfair. Furthermore, Percy specialized in handling economic cases. He knew there was no way Aria would be locked up so quickly. Yet, her crime had been publicly declared without prior warning. Percy was absolutely furious. He tugged his tie and declared the system was corrupted. While Fergus was also helping to find connections, Warren had just landed from Janovin.Clyde had sought out all sorts of connections, even his ex-colleagues in the education field.Fiona clenched his hands. "They promised to help Dad look into it." "They're just trying to fool Mr. Grisham Senior. Their higher-ups have already warned them about it." Nisa suddenly lowered her voice. "They're trying to make his health relapse again. If that happens, the Grisham family is done for."At this moment, a low voice sounded from the door. "So that's what happened. I was wondering why there was no progress with Aria's side after a whole day."It was Eamon.
Because Amos' arrest was part of a covert operation, the news didn't reach anyone outside the circle. That meant Durand remained completely unaware. He was still riding high on the thrill of his plan, blinded by the pleasure of watching the Grisham family fall.That night, he raised a glass of wine in early celebration, his mistress seated beside him. He didn't know that the move he'd made would become the greatest regret of his life.Elsewhere, Nisa couldn't bring herself to be as heartless. That was why, under the quiet cover of night, she made her way to the Grisham residence—not to see Clyde, but to speak with Fiona. She knew Clyde would shut her out immediately, but Fiona… Fiona might just listen.They weren't close. Not the way Fiona was with Priscilla. But they had once shared a few polite meals, floated in the same social circles. Enough to warrant a conversation—barely.When they sat down, Fiona's expression was cool, even distant. She hadn't forgotten the things Nisa had
Lucas could hear the pride in his mentor's voice for Aria. After all, his mentor had taken Aria in Southbury and even owed her his life. Lucas didn't dare to inform his mentor that Aria was being suppressed in the political world. He understood his mentor well. He was devoted to the country and couldn't stand such injustice.Therefore, Lucas didn't tell the truth to prevent his mentor from worrying. If someone with his position made a move, it would become a huge issue. That was why Lucas hid the truth from him. The former had to play along with the other politicians and endure them spouting empty promises. Before Lucas set out, his mentor stood on top of Old City and looked at the vast mountains. "Do whatever you need to, just like what you had done in Southbury. I'll be waiting for you and Aria's return at Janovin."These people didn't deserve his mercy at all!"You used your authority to disregard people's lives." It was the first time Lucas had shown his emotions so open
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno