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
"However, Elara was still talking when Elijah was there. The staff who switched off the light could prove that. It's strange, though. How could someone still speak when they're dead…"Aaron trailed off, realizing how stupid he sounded. The SMU was there to solve supernatural cases like this one. This was probably routine for them.Aaron let out a sigh. "Even your brother said she was wide awake when he saw her. She was no different from when she was on set. This confused all of my subordinates. But now that I think about it, their conversation was quite weird."Aria's gaze darkened. "What do you mean?""Elara kept trying to borrow something from Elijah, but Fanny never said what it was," Aaron said.Aria looked up. "Did my brother agree to lend her?""Nope." Aaron froze. "He couldn't have, right?"Aria replied, "It would have been a problem if he had.""Don't worry. I read your brother's statement. He's very smart," Aaron said, silently vowing to be cautious too. If someone eve
Elijah wasn't feeling great in the car, and it only took Aria one glance to tell that he was running a fever.Theo was anxious and wanted to take him to the hospital. "What should we do? I can't get in touch with a doctor. Boss, should we cancel tomorrow's magazine interview?""Didn't you say they were anxious and wanted me to show up and put an end to all the rumors?" Elijah coughed, his breathing labored. "We'll go as planned."As Theo continued his call, Aria placed a finger on Elijah's wrist. "You haven't been resting and have been under immense pressure. That's why you got a cold."Theo paused, while Elijah met Aria's eyes. Aria chuckled. "I think Grandpa might have told you I'm a traditional medicine doctor.""He did." Elijah smiled dotingly. "It's just that I forgot under my feverish state."From the back seat, Percy, who'd just finished replying to emails, chimed in, "Aria, check mine too. Grandpa said you're the best doctor he's ever seen."Aria took the opportunity,
Magdalene's voice rang out, sharp with indignation. "What an ungrateful wretch! If not for my husband, you wouldn't have achieved any of this!"The PR manager remained unimpressed. "And yet we stayed here for his sake. Otherwise, with their so-called capabilities…" His gaze flickered toward Dorian, who stood frozen in shock. "Your youngest son is a fool blinded by women. He lacks competence and knowledge."As for your eldest, he has potential, but you raised him to be useless. I've been in this business too long to be deceived. You're only doing this to hold on to power."Magdalene's breath hitched. His words cut deep.The PR manager added, "Now that Fitzroy Group belongs to you, clean up the mess yourself."Her hands trembled with fury. She lifted a finger, pointing at the departing figures, but no words came out.Dorian leaned in, his voice hushed yet frantic. "Mom, what do we do? The Guetta family won't even pick up our calls."Magdalene bit down so hard on her lip that the t
The deeper people dug online, the more they painted Eamon as the perfect man—handsome, intelligent, scandal-free. Many began to feel it was a waste for him to have married Laura in the first in the first place. As for Magdalene's accusations, the public remained skeptical. They weren't entirely convinced by her words but were eager to hear the Grisham family's statement. No matter how attractive Eamon was, cheating was unacceptable.Aria stayed out of the online chaos, but she knew exactly who was orchestrating it—Eamon.Since the Fitzroy family refused to acknowledge their wrongdoing, Aria saw no need for restraint. It was time for the final blow."Expose the Fitzroy family's IP addresses," she ordered. "And have the one who photoshopped that image apologize. If he refuses, the dark web forum will make sure he regrets it."Online smear campaigns often relied on bots, just as the Fitzroy family had used them to fabricate rumors about Eamon's infidelity. After tossing out a few mi
Laura's marriage to Eamon had turned her into a laughingstock in Ludwiten. How could that heartless man transfer their marital assets ahead of time? What had she even gained from wasting years in this sham of a marriage?"I want that jerk to pay! Aren't feminists trending right now? Just spin the narrative like they do!"The Fitzroy Group had always been a family-run business, but aside from Magdalene, none of her descendants were competent enough to keep it afloat.The PR manager had long known this. Most senior employees remained loyal out of respect for the late CEO, but after hearing Laura's words, they could only exchange helpless glances. Did these spoiled heirs truly believe the internet could be so easily manipulated? That people would blindly believe whatever was fed to them? How delusional.The reality was damning. The video clearly showed Laura drugging Eamon. Instead of conducting themselves with the dignity befitting an esteemed family, they had resorted to illegal s
The Fitzroy Group's reputation was in shambles, battered by relentless criticism online. Dorian Fitzroy, the so-called CEO, had once boasted that he would triumph over Waymond and the Grisham family. Yet now, he was scrambling just to save himself.The Fitzroy family's underhanded tactics had been thoroughly exposed, with the internet tearing apart their every move.While the previous three generations of Fitzroys had been capable leaders, everything changed once Magdalene took over. Their successors had become mere opportunists, riding the coattails of others rather than proving their worth.Even within the company, employees had no idea what Dorian's actual skills were. Aside from exploiting his connections and bribing officials, he was utterly useless.Now, overwhelmed and powerless, he refused to even leave his office. When his secretary knocked, he stayed silent, praying for Magdalene to rescue him.Meanwhile, the prestigious families who had hoped to use the Fitzroys to el
"How did the video get leaked out? Did Eamon know about this beforehand and prepared for it? All you know is to cry! If I can't secure the Grisham family's shares, you'll soon be worthless!" Magdalene's voice was sharp, sending a chill down Laura's spine. The words cut deep, leaving her eyes brimming with resentment. But Magdalene had no patience for her daughter's emotions. "Who released this video? Why hold onto it for so many years? Did Eamon do this to take you down? Does he not care about Jett at all?"Laura didn't have the answers. All she felt was a deep, throbbing pain. Her phone buzzed nonstop—messages from high-society women, all pretending to be concerned but prying for gossip. Their insincere probing only intensified her hatred for whoever had exposed the truth."Mom, what's the point of yelling at me? I had no idea an old video like this would resurface. Before Jett was born, Eamon did..." She trailed off, her mind suddenly dragging her back to a buried memory.It was
Magdalene had never encountered such humiliation before. Gripping the chair for support, she trembled with fury, her face dark and rigid. The anger surged within her, rendering her speechless—only her heavy breaths betrayed the storm raging inside. People had always feared her. With her status, no one dared to raise their voice at her, much less hurl insults. In the past, when others struggled to survive, she stood above them, indifferent and untouchable.Raised in an elite family, Magdalene had long believed in class superiority. To her, the so-called common folk had no right to challenge her, let alone condemn her.Yet now, they all turned against her. Their scorn was relentless. They called her a vile, greedy old woman who leeched off her daughter's success. Some even accused her of being capable of far worse than drugging someone.Her expression darkened as she read their words. Taking a deep breath to suppress her growing panic, she swiftly contacted Neval."Board the plane
Laura's piercing scream echoed through the room, shattering any illusion of the gentle, refined woman from a prestigious family. She had been the picture of grace in the Grisham family—a well-mannered and elegant wife, admired by high society. Everyone envied her seemingly perfect marriage.But Laura had never stopped to consider that it was all because of Eamon. It was his status, his wealth, his name that allowed her to hold her head high among the elite.Now that everything was slipping from her grasp, she lost all composure. Gone was the elegant, dignified image—replaced by a woman consumed by rage and desperation. She grabbed whatever was within reach and smashed it to the floor.The housekeepers kept their distance, unwilling to risk stepping inside.The lawyer, however, had no such luxury. He sighed, maintaining his professional tone. "Ms. Fitzroy, obtaining shares is practically impossible at this point. Public sentiment is overwhelmingly against you. I strongly advise se
Laura went pale after hearing that. She shot up from the couch, unable to contain her anger. "Who's saying my marriage had ulterior motives? Who can prove it? If Eamon hadn't wanted to marry me, how could I have given birth to Jett?"The most disgraceful thing Laura had ever done was to use underhanded tactics to secure her marriage.She still remembered the cold indifference in Eamon's eyes when he woke up that morning. The way he had ordered her out of the room as if her presence alone disgusted him. It wasn't until Jett was born that his attitude started to change.But that didn't mean anything. She refused to believe his affection over the years had been fake. No one had proof, so why should the narrative suddenly change now?The lawyer looked at her solemnly. "Ms. Fitzroy, perhaps you should see the video circulating online. It's an old recording. The quality isn't great, but it clearly captures what happened back then.""Video? What kind of video?"Laura's hands were shakin
For some reason, they suddenly lost all interest in Lily. It wasn't as if they couldn't afford their meals, so there was no need to flatter her anymore. The group glanced at Atticus, whose mind was in turmoil. How he wished Lily was right—at least, he could justify his own judgment. But the truth was far from that. All he felt was mounting embarrassment. "I'm not going." Bastian was the first to speak, followed by several others. It was telling how unpopular Lily had become—so much so that even a free meal couldn't entice them. Lily had never experienced such disdain before. After all, she was used to being the center of attention, yet now, even these so-called village bumpkins were looking down on her!"I get it now. You all just flock to the rich and trample on the poor. Now that Aria is more capable, you want to butter her up—just like you did with me before," Lily sneered.But no one was willing to entertain her mockery. They were young men with their own pride.Bastian sc