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
Aria threw open the car door, her excitement bubbling over. "Marna, the perks you arranged are incredible! We even get to travel for free!""Huh? Oh, you're right. It's all on us," Marna replied with a forced smile. The two men in charge of the delivery were satisfied with Aria's reaction. Dumb country bumpkins like her were easy to manipulate.If they stayed in the car, the men would get suspicious.As such, the female police officers stepped out, their enthusiasm palpable, seemingly unconcerned about the fate of the babies.Once they were out, the men swiftly exited the tourist area through the back.The officers opened their mouths to speak, but Aria raised her gaze, silently indicating the surveillance cameras nearby.She then checked her watch, signaling for them to stay calm, as a tracker had been installed in the car. With Nyx and the twins nearby, no one could harm the babies.Aria redirected her focus to the tourist site, pulling out her phone for a selfie while subtl
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
After finishing her sentence, Aria ended the call. She trusted her senior would take action on that end. Besides, nobody at the Public Integrity Task Force would dare ignore her message after hearing the way she spoke. Lucas had received his transfer orders. Just after arriving, people were already waiting for him at the train station before he had even attended any meetings. None of them were low-ranking, which matched his own status. The phone call came at an oddly perfect time. It rang right as he left the station, and it was from the Public Integrity Task Force. He hadn't forgotten why he was transferred here, so he glanced at his secretary. His secretary, Douglas Nixon, told the others, "Mr. Murray has some personal business to attend to." Douglas handled things smoothly. He immediately blocked a few people from approaching, though they were all prominent public officials from Ludwiten. Lucas did not want to delay the matter for too long. After hearing the problem, he
Besides, this spot was a perfect blind spot for surveillance. The school's security cameras couldn't reach here, and a tree blocked the view from across the street. If anyone reviewed the footage later, they would only see Eden exit the school gate and disappear after heading to the opposite side. This was exactly what Miguel and the scholarship committee wanted. Miguel had already walked away. He acted as if he'd just been out for a casual stroll, chatting with security while escorting a student along the way. Right then, Aria rode up on her motorcycle and caught the whole scene. Though she had planned to enter the school, she immediately spun her bike around and tailed the van as it drove off. Nobody noticed her because everyone in the van had their eyes fixed on Eden. The attention made Eden's skin crawl. The driver named Viggo Moseley chuckled. "You'll get used to it. The people you're meeting later are the ones handling your paperwork for going abroad." It was just a s
"Don't be silly, your grandmother and I can take care of each other just fine," Brent said. Despite the fact that he came from a village, he never thought of women as any less than men. Eden was an orphan, but her grandparents gave her all their love. "Once you go abroad, your grandmother and I will move back to our hometown. We'll farm a little land and do some other jobs while waiting for your return!" Brent's laughter put Eden much more at ease. As Miguel walked ahead, he felt nothing but mockery when he overheard her conversation. Indeed, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. If there were really such great opportunities to study abroad, the school would surely give them to children of investors and business people who supported the school. Who would choose to send a bunch of poor kids overseas? Not understanding how social class worked was just plain stupid. Eden was walking behind him, so she couldn't see his expression. When they reached the gate, the security g