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,
Just as Warren was worrying about his grandsons' relationship, a shocking piece of news hit the internet out of nowhere and went viral."An award-winning actor is secretly married with a child!""Who is the woman and the young boy who got into his car?""Award-winning actor is revealed to have relied on a woman to become famous!"When Theo saw the news, he was smiling happily. However, he was left dumbfounded when he received a call from a brand. "Is this what you mean by everything's fine? Go and take a look at what's happening on the internet!"Panic set in as Theo quickly realized something had gone wrong. He rushed to the fan pages and found fans vowing to stop supporting Elijah.As the car pulled up to the Carver residence, Theo turned to Elijah in haste. "Boss, Ms. Carver's been caught by the paparazzi!"Theo handed his phone over to Elijah. The latter frowned after seeing that. Since he was still having a fever, he decided to log into his account and make a statement.
Compared to news about secretly getting married and having children, this news was better.Despite her numerous years in the entertainment industry, Lyla was still stunned. After all, everyone had been interested in Elijah's family, but he had never revealed it.Aria was even more amazing. Lyla had never seen an outsider in the industry who knew how to utilize public opinion to their advantage. If they had just announced Elijah as a member of the Carver family, perhaps they wouldn't have achieved the same effect. However, it would be the best moment now! Everyone's attention was focused on Elijah's scandal. Once the company announced Elijah's identity and that he'd already signed up with the Carver Group, its stocks would skyrocket!Although Lyla had only known Aria for one short day, the latter had surprised her more than once. Lyla had a hunch that Aria would bring Carver Group to greater heights as its successor. This was what insiders would think. However, those who didn't
Theo, who'd tagged along to join the meeting, could barely control his facial expressions. How amazing was that? However, he had to consider the reality. "Ms. Carver, wouldn't that provoke them?"Aria shot this question to the PR department. "Is our company afraid to provoke them?""Of course not!" The person in charge of the PR department kept wiping his sweat. "Ms. Carver, I'll handle it right away!"Aria twirled her pen. "After you expose all of his scandals, you don't need to care about anything else. Get every company under our group to repost Elijah's post with the same message.""Okay. About that…" The person in charge stopped for a moment. "Ms. Carver, what message do you think would be the best?"Aria stopped twirling her pen. "Nothing too complicated. Just welcome him home.""Okay!" The PR manager's face lit up with excitement. Theo, sitting nearby, couldn't help but feel the same.He and Elijah had relied solely on the connections they'd built over the years, carefull
Ever since Owen humiliated himself at the shareholders' meeting, he stopped hiding his true self.Sitting across from him, Ian toyed with his crystal beads. His gray hair made him look weary. "Owen, you're not right to say that. Aria is still your daughter.""I treated her as my daughter, but did she ever treat me as her father?" Owen fumed. "Uncle Ian, you saw what happened at the banquet. "Fiona hasn't contacted me since then. She is set on getting a divorce. And my father? Even worse. He never intended to hand the company to me. He even teamed up with his granddaughter to teach me a lesson!"Ian shook his head, helpless in the face of Owen's stubbornness. "You should consider your position. Back then, you didn't try to get your sons on your side because they weren't close to you."But think about the shares they hold and their status in their respective fields, including Leon. Stop belittling his career." Ian took a sip of his coffee.It seemed like Owen was in control, but h
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t
Landon's warm lips brushed against Aria's. The touch was light as a feather yet utterly captivating. His kiss was so delicate it seemed to awaken every memory stored in her body. In that moment, Aria could swear she caught that same sandalwood scent from her dreams. Black mist and countless indiscernible inscriptions appeared, but he paid them no mind, gripping her waist as he whispered low in her ear. When he kissed her wrist without looking away from her face, his presence was impossible to ignore. His black leather gloves lay discarded to the side. To Aria, every place his hands touched felt like it was on fire. The sensation intensified when his fingertips traced the black mark on her neck. Something inside her screamed to take control, which made her grab his hand. He seemed to smile with his lips by her ear. "So, are you ready to pay the renewal fee?" Aria had never thought anyone could enchant her like this. But this was different. It felt just like seeing a fallen g
Landon asked, "You're getting water?" As his gaze drifted down to where Aria's hair fell, his voice turned rich and low. "Then why are your ears turning red?" Aria's hand froze mid-air. "It's hot in here." "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's only 70°F here." Aria wanted to tell him to stop talking so much. It was all because of what he had done in her dreams, making her imagination run wild now. Did he think having a handsome face meant he could do whatever he wanted? He even used all that binding stuff on her too. But she couldn't be sure it was even him. And even if it was, it must have been from a past life. As an arcane seeker, Aria knew what recurring dreams usually meant. But she had pushed those thoughts aside. A past life should not dictate their relationship in this one. At the very least, he wouldn't try anything like putting her in chains and locking her up now. That would be illegal. She would have him arrested and be done with it. Besides, her handsome fi
The atmosphere inside the room was totally different from the outside.Aria did sense the strange aura around Seraphina just now. Her beauty was otherworldly, almost supernatural. And there was something familiar about her presence—Aria felt she had encountered it before but couldn't remember where. Given how quickly Seraphina had withdrawn her hostility and turned gentle, Aria saw no point in making an issue of it. Besides, the way Landon was massaging her neck felt too good, making her mind feel hazy. As her blood flow slowed, she started to feel drowsy. The trio hiding in the copper coin did not dare show themselves; they were probably not even there. They had been especially quiet since arriving in Ludwiten, as if something here affected them. This was one of the things Aria wanted to investigate. The Wagners had used some unknown method to hide themselves after reaching Ludwiten. Even the Special Missions Unit failed to track them. All they had was that initial contact