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
"Leave if you're not here to pray!" the bodyguard snapped impatiently, ready to throw Aria out.But Aria wasn't about to let that happen. She swiftly grabbed his wrist and pressed a pressure point.With that, the bodyguard could no longer speak. He opened his mouth but nothing came out."How noisy," Aria muttered lazily, digging a finger into her ear. Causing a scene would make her mission easier, and this was the perfect chance to confirm her suspicions about the church.Another priest walked over and mumbled a prayer. "Your mouth is a tool of both blessing and karma. Stop what you're doing right now. You have already sinned, so please stop causing any trouble."Upon hearing that, Aria raised her eyebrows. "I'm causing trouble? Didn't you see the sick little girl right there?""If she's sick, she can rest in the backyard. We need to conduct our class," the priest said in a matter of factly.Aria chuckled. "Are you saying that praying to you all is useless?"Her words riled u
Aria had only asked because she noticed signs of fortune on Queenie's face and a noble air between her brows. Her eyes were filled with determination and purity, which caught Aria's attention.Tobias had once told her that some reincarnated heroic figures often acted differently from ordinary children. For instance, a child might suddenly tell their mother they'd been to a particular place before, but it had been in ruins, and they'd fought in straw shoes. Time was multidimensional, and it wasn't unusual for fragments of memories to linger.Most parents, however, would dismiss such claims as mere jokes. But in truth, there was a chance these children were carrying memories from past lives.Aria silently hoped they could return. Her expression softened as she lowered her gaze.Queenie looked at the woman before her. There was indeed something she didn't dare to say. She was afraid it would affect her grandmother if she said it. After all, they were at a holy church where people cl
Queenie looked at the priests before beckoning Aria to come closer."When I came here last, I saw something underneath the church. It scared me."Queenie looked worried. "They saw me too. I got sick after returning home. Miss, didn't they say nobody would hurt children in a place protected by God?"Queenie raised her head. She spoke softly, but it was still loud enough for those nearby to hear. "Then why are there Krowonian soldiers eating the offerings?"Queenie pointed her finger at the table not far away, where fresh fruits were arranged as offerings. Blood drained out of the crowd's faces when they heard her, and even Aria's eyes flickered.The crowd was in an uproar."Krowonian soldiers? How could that be?""What nonsense is this child saying?""How could there be Krowonian soldiers here? Did she mistook them as foreign tourists?""I doubt tourists would go and eat the offerings. I bet she's just lying."The vlogger also pursed her lips. "This is nonsense. If you want to
It was an unforgivable crime.The church was a sacred place where people from all across the country came to worship. Each prayer and act of devotion strengthened the spirits, giving them power.Before entering, Aria noticed the church was packed with tourists. It was no surprise that the heroic spirits had been trapped in the Netherrealm for nearly a century—Krowonian soldiers had been worshipped on Farshyan soil.No wonder Devon kept saying he wanted to return and save everyone. No heroic spirit could thrive in such a corrupted environment.Warren, Fergus, and the others had been struggling to identify the traitors mentioned in the letter. They never expected the culprits to be the priests.The vlogger taunted Aria. "Wow. You're so scary. I'm just recording my life. Go and sue me, then.""Expect a lawyer's letter then. Queenie is right. You guys can't see it because what she's seeing isn't a spirit," Aria replied calmly."What does that mean?"Just as someone wanted to ask, a
Aria moved closer. "Mr. Blooms, it seems like you have no experience in this."Maverick clasped his hands together. "I haven't received such enlightenment, so how could you compare me to a God? You truly flatter me."Aria chuckled. "Mr. Blooms, you're too modest. You have so many devoted followers who practically worship you. Even if you refuse to help the little girl, they'll still find a way to justify your actions."Whatever you do, they'll likely insist you’re right. With such support, I doubt you'll have any issue undergoing an investigation.""No matter what you do, they'll probably say you're right. Since that's the case, I doubt you'll refuse to go under investigation."I happen to be investigating a major human trafficking case. I might need your help with a few things I don’t quite understand." Aria grinned as she looked at Maverick.Upon hearing this, Maverick murmured a brief prayer, his expression remaining calm as though it had nothing to do with him.Aria pressed
The vlogger stiffened, and her previous arrogance vanished when she glanced at Aria again.Maverick, unaware of Aria's true identity, continued praising the vlogger. "This woman is a well-known travel vlogger here in Nymeria. She's kind-hearted and influential. Her words carry weight. As she mentioned, you're not just slandering our church with your lies but also hurting the locals."Turning to Aria, Maverick added, "Nymeria is a city of heroes who sacrificed for the nation. No one here would commit the crimes you speak of. Since you're so disrespectful and rude, I've no choice but to call the police to resolve this."Maverick had his own plan. He knew the police wouldn't investigate the guests staying in the prayer room. Once he mentioned the church's name, someone would discreetly remove Aria. That was why he remained calm despite her mention of the prayer room. He wasn't afraid—nothing would be uncovered.But Aria's next words made him frown. "There's no need to call. The police
Aria scrolled through Maverick's phone. She smiled at him and said, "You're too kind, Mr. Blooms. The contacts in your phone are enough to uproot the entire Nymeria. The name you set for them is pretty special too. Respectful Worshipper? You sure know how to label your customers."She casually dialed a number. While waiting for someone to pick up, she turned to a local police officer. "You received a report that one of the suspects is Maverick Blooms. Why didn't you act right away? Were the higher-ups protecting him?"Her grin widened. "If so, you'll need to be investigated too."A few police officers' expressions shifted at her words.When the call went unanswered, Aria dialed another number.By now, Maverick had regained his composure. He had overestimated Aria, believing she might outwit them. But as he reflected, there weren't many in Nymeria who could.The other party must have been tipped off and cleared their tracks. They wouldn't leave evidence, and the kidnapped children
Aria's question made Orion freeze right away. The scholarship program was his secret lifeline. He simply couldn't figure out how she knew so many details about everything! "You've been setting me up in the stock market all this time. How did you also find out about the scholarship program?" Orion felt genuinely scared now—everyone had really underestimated Aria. When had she done all this research? She'd dug deeper than he ever imagined. The scariest part was that neither he nor that person had noticed anything. They all thought she was just helping the Carver family restore their former glory. Keeping the Chamber of Commerce out of the Carver family's hands was that person's strict order. That was why the Draycotts had climbed so quickly within the organization over the years. They all assumed Aria had come to Ludwiten to target the Chamber. But now... Orion looked up again. "The scholarship program is weird business. I only handled recruitment. I don't know where those peop
Orion said, "I don't know much, honestly." He looked at Aria with hesitation, as if he was afraid to name that person. He made a gesture instead. "That person is the lieutenant governor of Ludwiten, who has many achievements to his name. "If you're brave enough to investigate, I can tell you about the deals I handled. But I don't know about the rest." Aria raised an eyebrow. Her expression said everything—she had already kidnapped him, so did he seriously think she would be afraid to investigate this further? Orion took a deep breath. "I just handle the money. That person wants something bigger—he wants to make history, but he's been in poor health lately. He needs me to keep certain people in line, but I can't give you details since I really don't have proof." "Which people does he control? And how does he do it?" Aria asked casually. Orion glanced upward, his eyes slowly losing focus. "I have no idea which people." "Mr. Draycott, I thought you would have learned by now.
"Who the hell are you?" Orion shouted as he couldn't hold back anymore. He gripped the armrests hard, almost jumping out of his chair. But Aria barely glanced his way. "I brought you here, didn't I? Who do you think I am?""Y-You're..." Orion remembered a rumor from a business dinner about a Special Missions Unit that operated outside normal chains of command. They could investigate anyone without going through regular channels.Their authority even topped the Regular Missions Unit. Orion had laughed it off back then. Every group had to answer to someone higher up, so there couldn't be a unit with that kind of freedom. In Ludwiten, everyone answered to that one big shot. But now he realized such a thing actually existed!Orion's face turned ghostly pale. "Are you… a part of the Special Missions Unit?"Only that could explain everything! With all her digging and investigating, that person would have noticed what she had been doing. But Orion did not understand something. "
Usually, in this situation, Orion would have a lawyer present. But things were different today! He did not even know which department was holding him. All his usual connections seemed blocked, which made Orion start to panic from deep inside. He sat there, fidgeting nervously. No one else was in the room. "I want a lawyer! I'm innocent!" he shouted, trying to move, but his hands were cuffed to the chair. Just then, a familiar cool voice spoke up, carrying its usual casual tone, "Whether you're guilty or not, the law will decide." It was Aria. Her presence was completely different from earlier in the office. When Orion saw her, he wondered if his eyes were playing tricks on him. There wasn't a trace of the spoiled, rebellious, rich kid in her now. Instead, she looked at him calmly as if she were the highest authority in this place. Orion's heart sank. He wasn't stupid and knew how things worked. That was why his eyes widened as he stared at Aria. "Who are you really?" "D
Magdalene told Laura, "Now you're the partner everyone wants to work with." She laughed out loud. "This divorce couldn't have come at a better time." Laura's eyes widened as Magdalene spoke, her excitement growing by the second. "Mom, does that mean I'll be..." Laura could hardly imagine how amazing her future would be. Magdalene stroked her hair. "They won't call you Mrs. Grisham anymore. They'll call you the CEO of the Fitzroy Group." Laura's face trembled with barely contained excitement. She never considered that the shares they wanted weren't rightfully theirs but something they were taking through dirty tricks. "I was worried these families might side with Aria." Laura had genuinely been concerned about this. After all, families like the Katz family and those families working in traditional industries had started treating Aria with the same respect they once had for Barron. This was exactly what drove Laura crazy. Why should Aria get to live carefree after ruining her
Magdalene felt better than she had in a long time. She even ordered someone to open a bottle of wine to celebrate. This was the most relaxed day Magdalene had experienced in weeks. News about the Draycott family kept pouring in, and she had been feeling not just anxiety but a deep uneasiness. Over the years, the Fitzroy and Draycott families had become deeply entangled. Even without obvious business interests like others had, they shared information regularly. Even in that incident years ago, the Fitzroy family had been involved. Previously, she had worried more than anyone about the Draycott family's collapse. Now, she felt differently. First, there were the Grisham shares they would soon acquire. Second, she had learned that the Draycott family was not the only one that had lost money in the stock market because of Aria. Many prominent Ludwiten families had suffered losses thanks to her market manipulations. Magdalene understood clearly that to establish themselves in this
Aria turned her head, smiling brightly. "If you put it that way, I guess there really is something wrong with me." Lily couldn't understand why Aria still acted this way even after she had said all that. It was like Aria couldn't be bothered to take her seriously, as if she were just some random stranger with no connection to her. Lily was the one with knowledge of the future! Her face darkened. Aria noticed Lily's eyes on her, so she turned to face Lily. "You're Grandma's granddaughter, so I've cut you some slack. But you've only gotten worse by using visits to Grandma as excuses to steal things. "Anyone who cares about what you're saying can look into it. As for everything else, I'll leave that to these gentlemen." Hearing this, Lily panicked. She knew perfectly well that if Aria left, no one in that room would spare her. The most painful way to torture someone was to make them live in constant fear. Aria left the office, abandoning the terrified Lily. Those Chamber membe
Aria said, "You guys have misunderstood me. The Draycott family is just the first to fall. After that..." Aria's gaze fell on the figure hiding at the back. "Since Mr. Fitzroy is here, I won't need to make a special trip to your residence. Tell Mrs. Fitzroy Senior that your family is next on my list." Everyone who heard Aria's words wanted to eliminate her. But clearly, now wasn't the time. She had the upper hand, and the Draycott family's downfall had not benefited them at all—especially the Fitzroy family, who were already having a public clash with the Grishams. The Fitzroys wouldn't have stepped forward, but now that they'd been called out, they had to respond. Since things were out in the open, they had nothing to hide anymore. "Let's see about that." Their message was clear. Besides, they had already lost money in the stock market and weren't happy. Though they weren't as powerful as the Draycotts, they still had their backing from the mysterious man. If they united,
After this incident, members of the Chamber of Commerce couldn't keep pretending nothing had happened—especially those who had stabbed the Grishams in the back to climb up with the Draycott family. As fear crept through them, they were particularly worried that Orion might spill their secrets from years back. The corporate tower had never seen such a crowd gathered below as today. Earlier, they had kept up appearances. But the Chamber members now pushed past security, bringing their entourages charging up the stairs. Aria watched all of this with interest. She'd come here waiting for the rats to crawl out of their holes. Like the Guetta family, who were close to the Grishams but never made waves in Ludwiten. Jett's problems had enabled Aria to follow the breadcrumbs and uncover the truth. Without them, she wouldn't have spotted that the Guettas had jumped ship to the Draycotts. Those seasoned business sharks definitely had not expected to find Aria when they arrived. They wan