The train marshal didn't believe her. "You'd better tell the truth. Serenity Hospital is very reputable.""I'm telling the truth," Marna insisted, her voice shaky as she stared at Bart. She feared the ghost child might also start perching on her shoulder. The train marshal looked at Aria. "But Serenity Hospital…""Just because it's reputable doesn't mean there aren't immoral doctors," Aria replied flatly, not dwelling too much on this issue. After all, the Gunther family was a prime example in Southbury. Besides, one might lie when faced with others, but they couldn't do so when facing their inner fears.Aria leaned forward, her hands pressing into the table as she asked Marna, "Did they only provide the birth certificates to you, or did they also do something else? Did the parents not question the hospital when their babies died?""Some questioned, and some simply accepted it." Marna's hands trembled. "The hospital judges the parents by their financial situation as well. If the
Lucas' life took an unexpected turn when he met Aria, though Lily, confident in her knowledge, remained blissfully unaware.When Aria called, Lucas was packing up at the office, preparing to leave with one last glance around. Outside his door stood his secretary, Micah Wattiby, holding his phone.Micah knew Lucas had been inundated with requests for favors since his recent promotion. With more people seeking his attention, Micah hoped to leverage this moment to secure a position alongside Lucas in Janovin, which would greatly advance his career.Eager to discuss this with Lucas, Micah struggled to conceal his ambitions as he answered the call. "Mr. Murray is in a meeting and cannot take your call. Please leave a message, and I will relay it," he said curtly.Aria raised an eyebrow, curious if Lucas had replaced his secretary. "Can you tell me when the meeting ends?""I can't do that," Micah replied, frowning. Who did she think she was?Noting his attitude, Aria smirked. "Does Mr.
Aria took Lucas' words to heart, constantly considering his perspective."I have a lead on Uludon's human trafficking case. Besides the people you arrested, there's a major player connected to Serenity Hospital."Serenity Hospital was the last place Lucas expected to be involved. "Serenity Hospital? This is shocking. Whoever can control that place must be quite powerful.""Exactly," Aria replied, explaining further. "There's something important to note about Serenity Hospital. They are the ones issuing birth certificates for the trafficked children on the train I'm on."Mercenaries are even involved, which is unusual for typical trafficking operations. I questioned the mastermind, but she seemed unaware of the mercenaries' involvement. But I'll keep digging on my end."Within the next half hour, there will be a news report about child trafficking on a train. You can use Serenity Hospital as a starting point to investigate the people behind it."Lucas recognized the gravity of the
"Huh?" The person on the other end of the line made a double-take, unable to believe Aria was going through with the delivery. But that was precisely Aria's intent as she handed Marna back her phone."Based on what you just said, the recipient will contact you," Aria replied dismissively. "As someone in this profession, you should know when to expect his call. I noticed you've deleted all your recent calls. How often do you contact him?"Marna hadn't expected that question. "They call us every three hours." She glanced at Bart. "If they can't get ahold of Bart, they'll contact me."As if on cue, Bart's phone began to ring. Marna's face drained of color.Aria raised an eyebrow. "Answer it and say something came up. Mention that someone encountered a few ghosts in their dreams, but it won't affect the delivery."Marna wanted to refuse, but fear held her back. She knew that the ghost children would come after her if Aria left. So, she reluctantly took the call.An annoyed voice
Aria was familiar with Nymeria. In fact, she liked the city a lot. Nymeria had plenty of oak trees, making the place more romantic, and even the breeze felt gentler here. Its Southern charm and rich history also made it stand out. Devon buzzed with excitement as they disembarked from the train, his eyes brightening at the familiar sights. "It's here! I still remember the bakery over there!"Aria motioned for Sam to handle the luggage while she headed into the staff room. "Prepare for the delivery as we discussed."Marna's face was pale after her prolonged detention. The ghost children had only vanished with the dawn, and despite her fear of Aria, she hesitated to betray her organization."I-I can't. If Sir finds out I betrayed him, I'm finished!"Aria wasted no time. "Louis Sinclair. You're ruthless to other children, yet you dote on your own. Sending him to school in Janovin must be quite a feat, considering you even rented a place nearby."Marna shot to her feet at the mention
Marna had no intention of revealing the true power of her fortune-teller to Aria. Deep down, she still clung to the hope that the fortune-teller—and the gods—would shield her from danger and grant her an escape.It was true that Marna had never seen the fortune-teller's face. Yet, ever since she had received the pendant, she had come to regard the fortune-teller's words as divine commandments.Marna was painfully aware of the sins she had committed as a human trafficker. The fortune-teller had assured her there was a way to cleanse her soul. All she had to do was return to Nymeria every year to pray.After years of operating her grim business, Marna had begun to believe in a higher power, though uncertainty now clouded her faith.She pressed on, Aria close behind her, and with the baby in her arms, there was no way she could escape.Aria had no intention of letting herself be trapped either. She had strategically matched the number of policewomen to the young women carrying childr
Seeing Marna frozen in place, the man furrowed his brows. "Did you hear what I said?""Y-Yes!"Marna had hoped the receiver wouldn't arrive today. But now that everything was going smoothly, she could only go with the flow.Meanwhile, Aria exchanged glances with the female police officers behind her, and they shuffled toward the plaza's west, their postures hunched.At the same time, Sam and Landon sat together. Sam was furiously coding while adjusting Aria's gear, sending the photos he captured to the Special Missions Unit.In stark contrast, Landon was enjoying fried chicken with two children, one of whom was a spirit.Devon, feeling anxious, wondered if someone was waiting for him, but he couldn't recall where they had planned to meet. Eager to search Nymeria for clues, he felt restless.Devon couldn't understand why Aria insisted on pursuing other matters first until Sam voiced his support for her more than anyone else—they had to prioritize human lives, especially those of
Fortunately, Marna was well-prepared. "Ever since the trouble we had in Southbury, they've been hunting us down. I can't continue to use the same women. The cameras would catch them easily. I've been searching for other women throughout the year. They're all in this for the money."The man glanced at the middle-aged women, their faces partially obscured by scarves. Aria had expertly applied enough makeup to enhance their appearances."It's good that you're all here for the money. The best part of our line of work is the quick cash! Just be obedient and follow our rules. Don't look at what you're not supposed to see, and don't ask about anything out of line. If you do that, the money will be in your account by tonight."Aria said after the man finished speaking, "How much can I get? Marna mentioned we earn extra for performing well.""Don't worry. I won't underpay you."The man would be more worried if they didn't ask any questions. He only started the car after Aria's inquiry. Nat