"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
Marna felt a wave of guilt wash over her, leaving her particularly anxious. "I do. I've sent goods here before, but I've never actually been inside."She lowered her gaze, feigning a search for something. In reality, she was avoiding Aria's eyes, terrified of revealing her true feelings.Upon hearing that, Aria raised her eyebrows and grinned. "You're a firm believer, yet you're telling me you didn't go inside and pray. Marna, don't you think it sounds illogical?"Seeing Marna stiffening, Aria said slowly, "Did you get the pendant from there?""I told you I got it from a fortune-teller on the train," Marna insisted. Aria nodded. "So, you still come here to express your gratitude. I wonder which god you prayed to."Marna's face drained of color at that question.The other female officers had initially been puzzled by Aria's fixation on the pendant; after all, the children's safety was their priority. But as they observed Marna's reaction, realization struck. The human trafficker
The voice coming from the little girl didn't sound like hers at all. It was as if she had been possessed.Aria's eyes darkened as she studied the girl's face. How could this be? The child was supposed to be the reincarnation of a heroic figure destined for greatness, at least according to her features.The crowd quickly gathered around, murmuring, "Sir, let Mr. Blooms take a look at her."The man mumbled a short prayer before replying, "Mr. Blooms is preparing for a class now. Everyone can remain outside and pray for this little girl."If she doesn't improve after the prayers, it means the gods above have not blessed her. She must atone for her past life's sins. Please do not make this difficult for us."With that, the man clasped his hands together and shut the hall doors. Though it seemed like advice, he was clearly leaving the girl to fend for herself.The old woman stumbled forward, tears streaming down her face. "My granddaughter is kind-hearted. Her parents are useless, so
Dorian reached out instinctively, but he was too late. Magdalene hit the ground hard, her forehead bruised. How she wished she could just faint and escape this nightmare. But reality was merciless. With her head throbbing, she could only look at Dorian and the chaos engulfing the Fitzroy Group.Dorian's knees trembled with fear. "Mom, what should I do? That bastard must have exposed me! He'll pin everything on me. Mom—""D-Don't worry. As long as I'm here, I'll get you out of this," Magdalene said, though she was barely holding herself together.But the SWAT team would be here any second.Dorian's face turned deathly pale as a sudden realization struck him. "Mom, you told me to do everything. You said helping the Draycott family tamper with Waymond's financial statements would give us the upper hand!"Magdalene froze. Her outstretched hand dropped as she coughed up blood. "Y-You—!""Don't worry, Mom. Even if you go to jail, I'll come visit you. You're already old, but I still h
Dorian steadied Magdalene, helping her sit down. "Mom, what if Laura refuses to apologize? We need to put an end to this mess online before someone digs too deep.""Don't worry. Your brother is the one involved, and he's already on the plane. No one will link the Grisham family's accounts to you. Even if the police conducted an investigation, they'll only interrogate your brother." Magdalene took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her. Her clothes were stained with Laura's blood, making her feel utterly repulsed. Meanwhile, Dorian relaxed, reassured that he wouldn't be implicated.To him, his half-brother was nothing but an obstacle—a liability who competed for the inheritance. Though Dorian had joined the Fitzroy family late, he had Magdalene's support.Neval, on the other hand, had been nothing but a disgrace, sinking deeper into his gambling addiction. Now, at last, he served his purpose—as a scapegoat.Just as Dorian was savoring that thought, a frantic voice broke thro
Eamon never loved Laura, but he had always respected her. He fulfilled her requests, supported her family, and never strayed. While other wealthy men indulged in affairs, Eamon remained distant and polite, just as he had been in college.Their marriage wasn't filled with passion, but his world still revolved around her, Jett, and his work. Laura had a life many envied—a stable family, a respected position—yet she had only realized its worth too late. Tears welled up in her eyes. If she had been more decisive, things wouldn't have come to this. She could have continued her life as Eamon's wife, reaping its privileges whether love was present or not. Instead, she had listened to her mother and lost everything—her family, her son, and the Grisham family shares she had once taken for granted.She had never even desired those shares. So how had it come to this?Regret twisted inside her, making it hard to breathe. Clutching her shirt, she barely registered the voices around her unt
Magdalene's voice rang out, sharp with indignation. "What an ungrateful wretch! If not for my husband, you wouldn't have achieved any of this!"The PR manager remained unimpressed. "And yet we stayed here for his sake. Otherwise, with their so-called capabilities…" His gaze flickered toward Dorian, who stood frozen in shock. "Your youngest son is a fool blinded by women. He lacks competence and knowledge."As for your eldest, he has potential, but you raised him to be useless. I've been in this business too long to be deceived. You're only doing this to hold on to power."Magdalene's breath hitched. His words cut deep.The PR manager added, "Now that Fitzroy Group belongs to you, clean up the mess yourself."Her hands trembled with fury. She lifted a finger, pointing at the departing figures, but no words came out.Dorian leaned in, his voice hushed yet frantic. "Mom, what do we do? The Guetta family won't even pick up our calls."Magdalene bit down so hard on her lip that the t
The deeper people dug online, the more they painted Eamon as the perfect man—handsome, intelligent, scandal-free. Many began to feel it was a waste for him to have married Laura in the first in the first place. As for Magdalene's accusations, the public remained skeptical. They weren't entirely convinced by her words but were eager to hear the Grisham family's statement. No matter how attractive Eamon was, cheating was unacceptable.Aria stayed out of the online chaos, but she knew exactly who was orchestrating it—Eamon.Since the Fitzroy family refused to acknowledge their wrongdoing, Aria saw no need for restraint. It was time for the final blow."Expose the Fitzroy family's IP addresses," she ordered. "And have the one who photoshopped that image apologize. If he refuses, the dark web forum will make sure he regrets it."Online smear campaigns often relied on bots, just as the Fitzroy family had used them to fabricate rumors about Eamon's infidelity. After tossing out a few mi
Laura's marriage to Eamon had turned her into a laughingstock in Ludwiten. How could that heartless man transfer their marital assets ahead of time? What had she even gained from wasting years in this sham of a marriage?"I want that jerk to pay! Aren't feminists trending right now? Just spin the narrative like they do!"The Fitzroy Group had always been a family-run business, but aside from Magdalene, none of her descendants were competent enough to keep it afloat.The PR manager had long known this. Most senior employees remained loyal out of respect for the late CEO, but after hearing Laura's words, they could only exchange helpless glances. Did these spoiled heirs truly believe the internet could be so easily manipulated? That people would blindly believe whatever was fed to them? How delusional.The reality was damning. The video clearly showed Laura drugging Eamon. Instead of conducting themselves with the dignity befitting an esteemed family, they had resorted to illegal s
The Fitzroy Group's reputation was in shambles, battered by relentless criticism online. Dorian Fitzroy, the so-called CEO, had once boasted that he would triumph over Waymond and the Grisham family. Yet now, he was scrambling just to save himself.The Fitzroy family's underhanded tactics had been thoroughly exposed, with the internet tearing apart their every move.While the previous three generations of Fitzroys had been capable leaders, everything changed once Magdalene took over. Their successors had become mere opportunists, riding the coattails of others rather than proving their worth.Even within the company, employees had no idea what Dorian's actual skills were. Aside from exploiting his connections and bribing officials, he was utterly useless.Now, overwhelmed and powerless, he refused to even leave his office. When his secretary knocked, he stayed silent, praying for Magdalene to rescue him.Meanwhile, the prestigious families who had hoped to use the Fitzroys to el
"How did the video get leaked out? Did Eamon know about this beforehand and prepared for it? All you know is to cry! If I can't secure the Grisham family's shares, you'll soon be worthless!" Magdalene's voice was sharp, sending a chill down Laura's spine. The words cut deep, leaving her eyes brimming with resentment. But Magdalene had no patience for her daughter's emotions. "Who released this video? Why hold onto it for so many years? Did Eamon do this to take you down? Does he not care about Jett at all?"Laura didn't have the answers. All she felt was a deep, throbbing pain. Her phone buzzed nonstop—messages from high-society women, all pretending to be concerned but prying for gossip. Their insincere probing only intensified her hatred for whoever had exposed the truth."Mom, what's the point of yelling at me? I had no idea an old video like this would resurface. Before Jett was born, Eamon did..." She trailed off, her mind suddenly dragging her back to a buried memory.It was
Magdalene had never encountered such humiliation before. Gripping the chair for support, she trembled with fury, her face dark and rigid. The anger surged within her, rendering her speechless—only her heavy breaths betrayed the storm raging inside. People had always feared her. With her status, no one dared to raise their voice at her, much less hurl insults. In the past, when others struggled to survive, she stood above them, indifferent and untouchable.Raised in an elite family, Magdalene had long believed in class superiority. To her, the so-called common folk had no right to challenge her, let alone condemn her.Yet now, they all turned against her. Their scorn was relentless. They called her a vile, greedy old woman who leeched off her daughter's success. Some even accused her of being capable of far worse than drugging someone.Her expression darkened as she read their words. Taking a deep breath to suppress her growing panic, she swiftly contacted Neval."Board the plane