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
As the trio departed, Poeta turned to Stephen with a smile. "Mr. Carver Senior has really changed. It must be because of Aria's return.""Has he?" Stephen responded politely. "Mr. Carver Senior has always been reasonable. He was just overwhelmed with responsibilities in the past. "This way, Ms. Summers. Mr. Fergus is occupied with an international meeting. His room is down this hall. Let me know if you need anything."Poeta smiled brightly. "Thank you, Mr. Warsaw."The Carver residence was massive, and the bright lights scattered throughout gave it a cozy, inviting feel, even though it was already late into the night. The study remained lit, a beacon of activity.Instead of seeking out Fergus, Poeta made a phone call before heading off to sleep.Warren meant it when he said he no longer cared. His focus now was solely on listening to Aria's plans for Leon."His contract is still tied to the York family," Warren commented with a smile. "That cunning Landon clearly recognized Leo
Warren slept soundly that night, while a certain someone wasn't as lucky. Aria was exhausted after dismantling manifestations one after another. For some reason, Nyx and the twins hadn't dared to come out of Aria's arcane implements, especially after arriving at the Carver residence.Nyx said, "Your family's heavenly fortune is overwhelming, my lord. It makes us feel unwell."Nyx and the twins were all evil spirits once, so they would naturally be on their best behavior in a patriotic merchant's territory.From this, one could infer how unstable the Carver family's foundation had once been. Certain evil presences had taken the opportunity to undermine the family.Aria said nothing. After taking a shower, she used a special method to make three sleeping bags so that the spirits could use them. She wasn't good at handicrafts, but according to Tobias, she was very talented at designing those items. Other people would have to perform spells and create the shapes immaculately for thos
Dream-Poeta didn't return to the family with Fergus, unlike in real life. They exchanged a hasty goodbye at the airport once before reuniting when Fergus attended a banquet.It was like how things would go in many novels—Fergus often found himself thinking about Poeta whenever he saw her. Perhaps his first love was simply too unforgettable, and he wanted to get to the bottom of why they'd broken up. Perhaps he wanted to ask Poeta himself why she'd chosen to leave when they'd been deeply in love.Poeta refused to say anything no matter what Fergus did, so he sought Warren out. He told Warren that he'd get by alone without the family's support, almost similar to what he'd said in Warren's study in real life. Warren would never let Fergus get tangled up in trivial romantic affairs. Carver Group was at a critical juncture, and Fergus' priority was to manage the company so that the unemployment rate could be salvaged.This was why Warren forcibly intervened in their relationship. Unl
In Aria's dream, she'd gotten to know about Fergus' engagement not because she was invited but because Fergus had gotten into an accident on the day. He fell unconscious and was in a vegetative state. Poeta, whom Fergus was already legally married to, inherited all his shares of Carver Group. Aria had been thinking about how Warren shouldn't have died so early, judging from both his physical condition and estimated lifespan. Now she had the answers. Warren was hit by bad news again and again, and he, already weak due to his serious illness, could no longer handle it.He dragged his weak body to the hospital, where he visited Fergus. His grandson remained unconscious even until the day he died. After Warren's death, some of the choices he'd made as head of the company were denounced. Naysayers talked about his archaic way of thinking and how it was incompatible with modern development. Owen started expanding Carver Group's business overseas. He fired many of the company's emp
Aria didn't think Poeta would have such a thorough plan—did she really approach Fergus for Carver Group's stock, which she'd use to eliminate Percy? Aria couldn't believe that Poeta had done it for the money. No matter how well someone disguised their ambition, it would still surface from the depths of their gaze. However, Aria believed that the other factors resulted from deliberate planning by someone else. The average person's understanding of the art of seduction was usually like this—a beautiful woman was recruited to seduce a man. That was far from all of it, though. An expert attempt at seduction would feature a man's first love. She'd look beseechingly at the man and tell him earnestly that she wanted to be with him until his life's end, regardless of their difficulties.It was okay if a man's first love approached him, but things were a bit more complicated if said first love had secrets of her own.Poeta and Fergus happened to encounter each other in a massive inter
Devon Michaels was carrying a green rucksack that was just the right size for newspapers. He was wearing a shirt and pants in a similar color and a beret, and his face was filthy. He was pinching something between his fingers. "I can't believe someone's brave enough to show up here!" Nyx was shocked. He couldn't believe that a spirit would enter this hall of all places without permission.The spirit differed from Nyx and the others in that he possessed no vengefulness and thus was not protected. If he really did approach the memorial hall, he would disintegrate at any moment. Devon seemed to have noticed the noise coming from Aria's side. He looked sideways at her, his eyes lighting up. "Hello! Finally someone can see me. What's going on? No one can see me here.""If they could see you, they'd call an exorcist over," Nyx couldn't help saying while sucking on his pacifier.Aria seemed to have remembered something. She walked over and looked at the envelope he was holding. Devon
If a spirit wanted to eat food in the mortal world, a mortal human must explicitly invite him to do so. Devon hadn't realized that he was no longer alive, but he was polite nevertheless. He waited until Aria invited him to start eating. He ate ravenously but not boorishly. He divided his pile of sandwiches into two and gobbled up half instantly before staring at the apple.While he ate, Aria grabbed a pencil and some paper. She was thinking of making some items for him using her special methods. Devon's straw shoes were holey and in shreds, and his feet were covered with blisters.When Aria noticed that he'd stopped, she asked, "Why did you stop?""I want to save the rest for the others," Devon said abashedly, touching the back of his head. "My uncle and brother haven't eaten for a long time. They only had a last piece of bread left, but they gave it to me because I needed to have enough strength to take the train."Aria paused for a while before she smiled and said, "Eat them al
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe