However, not everyone shared Mindy's confidence.…Inside the villa, Ian stared at the chess piece on the table, unmoving. Recent incident reports lay tucked beneath the chessboard.Aria was just a country bumpkin. How could she be so capable?Ian had spent years perfecting the art of concealing his emotions. He wouldn't let anything slip."Investigate what happened in Uludon. If she really saved Jeffrey, we need to tread carefully."The butler beside him, unusually young for his role, seemed to hold Ian's trust. "Are you worried she has something to do with the Layne family?" "Her appearance couldn't be any more timely," Ian said, placing his chess piece down. "Go and tell your boss there's no way I will cross the York family."Landon made his position clear at the reunion banquet. So, the only way our partnership succeeds is if we find a way to control Landon."The young man poured Ian a cup of coffee. "I'll pass along your message. No need to worry—my boss knows how to han
Leon immediately understood after Percy's explanation. With a glint in his eye, he pulled out his phone. After mentioning Aria in the group chat, he entered his password to initiate a transfer. Meanwhile, Aria's phone began buzzing as she wrapped up her tasks."Leon Carver has transferred 100 thousand dollars to you.""Leon Carver has transferred 100 thousand dollars to you.""Leon…"Leon sent her the first three transfers, and soon after, Elijah, Percy, and Jeffrey followed suit. However, unlike Leon, their transfers had an extra zero at the end.Aria took off her helmet and raised her eyebrows, showing her phone to the butler who came to welcome her. "Mr. Warsaw, what is going on here?"Stephen Warsaw smiled knowingly. "They're competing for your attention."Aria was completely confused. Holding a lamp, Stephen chuckled and explained what had unfolded in the living room just moments ago. "It's been a while since the Carver residence has been this lively. Mr. Leon is stil
The incident involving Leon in Aria's dream left her deeply troubled. While she couldn't predict the fate of those close to her, she knew Leon faced significant challenges. Additionally, the appearance of the wooden doll prompted her to issue a warning.Just as Leon was about to respond, his phone rang. It was Clary, reminding him about the upcoming variety show."What variety show?" Aria asked. She was worried the director would pick a spot with Earthbound Manifestation again.Leon, in his element, seemed every bit the celebrity. Though he had hesitated to bring it up, he now beamed at Aria with enthusiasm."It's a knowledge-enhancement variety show," Leon explained. "My company arranged it, and they allow a family member to join. How about coming with me, Aria?"Elijah interjected, "I could accompany you instead. Why ask someone who's not a celebrity?"Leon was quick to respond, "I want to promote the Carver family since we're trending. The Farshyan TV network caters to all age
Despite being one of the most popular actors, Leon found the comments online weighed heavily on him. At night, he often questioned the meaning of his path. However, he turned to Aria today and asked, "Do you think it's right?""What do you mean?" Aria asked, lowering her gaze to look at the score sheet. Leon averted his gaze. "Being an idol and not considering my future."Seeing Leon's timid expression, Aria was reminded of his final moments in her dream, causing her heart to ache.She wouldn't feel this way if she had not encountered Leon in her dream and learned more about his struggles. He was a vibrant young man who overcame numerous challenges in pursuing his passion. Despite his considerable effort to make it onto the world stage, a conspiracy ultimately brought him down.Moreover, the vile Owen had consistently belittled Leon."You are a shining star," Aria said as she looked at him dotingly. "Leon, you were born for the stage. You're incredible. How could you doubt it?"
Aria had never met Fergus before, but Percy mentioned that Fergus wanted to come back for the reunion banquet. Unfortunately, the overseas partner refused to sign the contract if Fergus wasn't around.Aria had heard that Fergus was quite renowned on Parker Street. Everyone talked about Fergus Carver, a Farshyan known for his remarkable intelligence and who was acclaimed as the best CEO for managing the company.If Aria's dreams were indeed glimpses from her past life, she wondered why the brilliant Fergus hadn't helped Warren to save Carver Group. After all, Fergus was overseas overseeing Carver Group's subsidiary.As Aria pondered this, Stephen led Fergus inside while pushing two suitcases.Perplexed, Leon's brows quirked when he noticed the two suitcases. There was a breeze when the door was pushed open. This was the first time Aria laid eyes on her eldest brother, Fergus. He looked every bit the elite businessman in a meticulously tailored suit, with short, tousled hair and
Worried that Aria might be out of the loop, Leon leaned in and whispered to her. "She is Fergus' first love, Poeta Summers. They were madly in love but broke up because Grandpa disapproved of them.""I can see that," Aria whispered.Leon looked surprised. "You can tell?"She could. Body language revealed a lot, and their conversation made it even more apparent. But what really caught her attention was Warren's demeanor.Noticing their quiet exchange, Fergus asked, "Leon, what are you whispering to Aria about?""Nothing much," Leon replied casually, sliding a hand into his pocket with the grace of a celebrity. "We were just talking about how flowers can still bloom, but we can't be young again."Peota couldn't help but say, "Leon, you're as funny as ever."Leon smiled politely, and from that, Aria could tell Poeta was familiar with him and his brothers."I was so surprised to see your posters overseas," Poeta added, her eyes brightening. "Your fans really adore you. Who would've
Poeta could feel how much Aria meant to the Carver family, especially to Fergus. Back then, he only had eyes for Poeta whenever she was around, but now, all his focus seemed to be on Aria.Maybe it had been too long. They hadn't seen each other since their breakup at university. Poeta had only come back after hearing Fergus was still single.The pot was still piping hot. Poeta was considerate. Knowing the Carver family had plenty to talk about, she didn't butt in afterward.As they ate, Leon added some meat to Aria's plate and advised, "Aria, look at how Fergus doesn't listen to Grandpa now that he has a girlfriend. Lovesickness is dangerous. I know you like that bad boy Landon, but be careful. Don't marry him just because he's good-looking.""Leon, for once, you make sense," Percy said, adjusting his glasses. Like the lawyer he was, he advised, "Aria, you should think it over. You need not rush to get married. Besides, you've just come back to Janovin."Elijah was even more dir
Seemingly fearful to offend Aria, Poeta quickly explained, "Aria, I'm sorry. I misspoke. I didn't mean it like that. I just want Mr. Carver Senior to know how serious I am about Ferg."Poeta followed her words with a sincere bow to Warren, a clear display of her modesty.Compared to Lily, Poeta was harder to read. Her sincerity made it difficult to find any fault with her.Warren, who had felt suffocated moments before, could now breathe easier.Warren found it hard to explain the events from back then. Poeta's behavior often seemed off, but he knew telling Fergus would fall on deaf ears.Giving Poeta that sum of money back then had been a mistake. Warren's aim was to gauge her resilience, yet the credit card had since become a thorny issue. He regretted listening to Leon. In the end, it looked like he was the one who had made the wrong choice!When Warren glanced at Leon, the latter guiltily turned his head away, his handsome face betraying his guilt. Who could have predicted th
All the unconscious students had to undergo full-body examinations. When Aria was carried into the room, the familiar scent of disinfectant hit her nose.She opened her eyes slightly. Though she couldn't get a clear view, she recognized the medical equipment well enough to know exactly what was coming. "Dr. Lloyd, should we draw her blood first or do an X-ray?" asked the person who brought her in.Dave glanced at Aria before answering, "Check her internal organs first. See if there's anything wrong.""Is that really necessary? She's so young."Dave scoffed. "You sure she hasn't had a miscarriage before? These days, you can't tell just by looking.""She's a rare find. Here are all her files. Everything says she's clean."Dave didn't even glance at the documents. If there was something wrong with one of his subjects, it would be his responsibility. He had made a promise to check every single one thoroughly."The meds will wear off soon. Get started. Run checks on the two who came i
"Yes," said the person dealing with the aftermath. Once the mess was cleaned up, the lounge looked exactly as it had before.When Nyx saw Aria being carried away, he paced anxiously. Without making a sound, Aria spoke to him telepathically. "Find Chaos—the one you and the others fear most. Tell him where I am. He'll bring help."The moment Nyx heard Sam's name, he froze. But he had no choice—he had to save Aria. He didn't know why, but the deeper he went into this place, the heavier the oppressive force became. It felt as though even his vengefulness could be stripped away, and that terrified him.If even his rage could be taken, then would Aria's spirit energy become useless here too? The thought made his face pale. He couldn't waste any more time. He had to follow her instructions.At a time like this, only someone like one of the Four Perils could turn the tide.…Meanwhile, the Special Missions Unit lost Aria's signal just as they neared the town. They exchanged wary glances,
"What happened? This…" The young woman who had been speaking glanced at the spot across from her. Seeing what was coming, Aria placed a hand on her forehead. As if the drug had finally taken effect, she slumped forward and "fainted" onto the table.The young woman narrowed her eyes, revealing her true identity. She wasn't one of the students selected for the program—she was an employee of the company.The reason she had to put on an act was because of the outburst from the uncontrollable employee earlier. "I told you to keep an eye on them. Since you can't ever do your job properly, I had no choice but to put them all to sleep."Natalie approached with a fawning smile. "You're so smart.""Check their phones. See who contacted their parents before coming. Go through all their chat logs. Don't let anything slip through the cracks like last time."Her actions were smooth and practiced. It was clear this wasn't her first time handling something like this.The room began to shift as
With a loud bang, the woman's warning was abruptly cut off.The HR employee, Natalie Ferguson, entered the lounge with a well-groomed man in a white coat and gold-rimmed glasses."Ms. Ferguson," Dave Lloyd said, "this employee's mental health condition makes her unfit to continue working. You may want to consider terminating her employment. I'm concerned she could harm someone."Natalie hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Alright, Dr. Lloyd. I'll take your professional advice. But go easy on her. She's still one of our own. I don't want our company's reputation to suffer.""Yes, of course," he replied.On cue, two bodyguards rushed in and forcibly escorted the distressed woman out of the lounge.Natalie turned to the group of students with an apologetic smile. "I'm terribly sorry about that. We didn't expect her to come running in like that. She used to work in HR. Ever since something happened in her family, she hasn't been the same."She often says strange things to student
No young woman would be able to resist such a lovely lounge. Soft cushions adorned every chair, and the entire space had the feel of a place where princesses might gather for afternoon tea.The décor was predominantly pink, and fresh flowers were placed throughout the room, making the food on the table look even more tempting.Anyone with corporate experience would know that most companies didn't offer such a beautiful lounge. At most, it would be plain and practical—unless it was an entertainment company or something similar.But the students had no such experience. And now, the dream they'd long imagined was unfolding before their eyes. Of course they were enchanted.One student jogged around with an excited look on her face before turning to the others. "This place is just like what I see on TV! When I grow up, I want to work for a company like this.""Me too!" another chimed in.The girls were visibly thrilled, though a bit anxious as well."Can we really eat the food here?"
Bellebrook provided the perfect cover for the company. Even if the Special Missions Unit made a move, the company would be alerted the moment they reached the outskirts.By the time they arrived, there would be no trace of evidence—nothing suspicious, nothing out of place.Everything about the company appeared legitimate. Besides the students there to complete their applications, it operated like a proper agency offering overseas services—handling travel visas, work permits, and even providing guidance on choosing study-abroad institutions.They even had access to boarding arrangements at some prestigious schools. It was clear someone with real influence backed the company.Aria worked quickly, gathering as much information as she could before her phone was taken. As expected, the HR employee appeared the moment she headed left after finishing her first-round interview."Eden," the HR employee said, "you'll be interviewed in two different languages later. Due to our confidentiality
The HR employee glanced over at Aria and spoke with a hint of cockiness. "Eden, I called your name twice. You should pay more attention next time. You can't act like this during the interview. Otherwise, you might not even complete the application."The cockier she sounded, the more convinced the students became that the scholarship program was legitimate. Their wariness gradually faded.Noticing the students' reactions, Aria walked over to the HR employee.The woman said nothing more. She looked Aria up and down, glanced at the red mark on the paper, then turned and led Aria to the innermost room—her heels clicking sharply on the floor.Aria knew she was their real target. Others had arrived before her, but they were ignored until she showed up.Inside, the interviewer was a middle-aged man. He gestured for Aria to sit. Without much expression, he asked, "Eden, will you be able to adjust to foreign cuisines? What are your expectations for your future school? What are your plans af
After entering the building, Aria discovered there were at least ten other students around her age. Some had been picked up from rural areas. All of them believed they were there for a language test in Angladian, and many were busy practicing their speaking skills.The leader gestured for his subordinates to push Aria forward. "Off you go. Try your best to nail it on the first shot."Aria walked inside without resistance. She noted that surveillance cameras had been installed in every corner, even at every hallway turn. It was clear all the students were under strict observation.She had to admit—the company was much more professional-looking than expected. If she hadn't disguised herself as Eden or known in advance that the company was suspicious, she might have believed this was a legitimate organization."Alright. Next student, come with me," called one of the HR staff.Everyone seemed busy. Employees sat at desks buried under piles of documents, each preoccupied with their ow
Those who dedicated their lives to protecting others didn't care about how people viewed them, because a greater purpose drove them.Just as Brent had said, no one would help people like them without expecting compensation. And if anyone did, it could only be the Farshyan soldiers.At that moment, the train to Janovin began to move.…Meanwhile, Aria, disguised as Eden, sat quietly in the car with her eyes closed, appearing to be asleep. She didn't react when the man sitting next to her gently tapped her arm. He leaned closer and whispered, "Sir, doesn't she seem different from usual? Do you think she's car sick or something?"The driver frowned, holding up an ID photo and glancing back at her."Maybe she's just used to us now. Probably has everything figured out by this point. Anyway, our job's just to drop her off. What happens after that isn't our concern. Once they pick her up, we'll get our money."Unbeknownst to them, Aria was wide awake, listening to every word and memor