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
Everyone in the café had been enjoying their afternoon tea when they heard the commotion. They turned to look. "Where's the server?" Nisa called out. These rich ladies were all regulars who paid hefty annual membership fees. At their summons, the manager appeared with a smile before any server could respond. "Mrs. Guetta, how may I help you?" "Jonah, perfect timing. I was wondering when this place started letting country bumpkins like her in," Nisa said, her gaze sweeping over Lily. Without hesitation, Jonah Marx kicked Lily out. At that same moment, Aria arrived for their appointment. Traffic had been terrible. She had only agreed to meet Nisa because she needed to uncover something important. In her dreams, there was still one voice that hadn't appeared. The owner of that voice had harmed her mother, Fiona. She would never feel at peace until she dug out the person behind it. Aria was never worried about threats from others. For instance, she knew about Lily's wild accu
Dorian was grinning from ear to ear, showing none of the dignity expected from someone of a prominent family. He had less class than a common street hustler. The members of the Chamber of Commerce had good reason to look down on him. Dorian didn't believe that Neval, who was addicted to gambling, wouldn't return to the country for at least ten years. Once they took down the Grisham family, he'd be calling all the shots in the Chamber of Commerce! Dorian truly took after Magdalene in this aspect. The latter embodied all the worst traits of her generation—a twisted mindset and was always scheming something. Also, she was arrogant and had a superiority complex. Magdalene didn't want Neval to return, which explained why she'd readily given him money. She thought that Waymond would soon be arrested. Then, the Grisham family would go from riding high to crashing and burning, and Aria would pay the price. These were already set in stone! The prominent families' joint effort to targe
In the Fitzroy family, only Neval saw things clearly, despite being a screw-up. Everyone else was blinded by their own arrogance. Laura, of course, never saw it that way. Perhaps too much time had passed, which made her forget how she had married into the Grisham family in the first place. She had also forgotten what it meant to be grateful. Without the Fitzroy family's involvement, Orion's long-standing attempts to sabotage Waymond would have failed. This had been an unspoken secret between the two families for years. Magdalene had always been the head of the Fitzroy family. The best thing about her younger son, Dorian Fitzroy, was that he would always follow her orders. Neval wasn't her biological son, but Dorian was. As a child born in her later years, Dorian was showered with love. Now, he sat at the meeting place where several families had agreed to gather. "How do you plan to deal with Aria?" The Guettas were the ones who had organized this meeting. They used to keep
Magdalene said, "In the past, our family had helped the Grishams to survive. But now..." She took a sip of her tea. "They're digging their own grave, and we can't help them anymore." Just as she finished speaking, a middle-aged man walked in. When Magdalene saw him, her brows immediately furrowed. Her eldest son, Neval Fitzroy, was her least favorite child. He had brought nothing but shame to the Fitzroys. If he hadn't developed a gambling addiction, the Fitzroy family wouldn't have fallen this far. She asked, "What are you doing here?" Neval rubbed his hands together and snickered. "Mom, I'm a little short on cash lately. I mainly came because I missed you, but I'm also here to ask for a little money." Before Magdalene could respond, Laura stood up. "Neval, Mom just gave you 20 million last month. You shouldn't have spent it so quickly." Magdalene had been in a good mood, but now her face darkened. "Did I raise you to leech off me? How could 20 million dollars be gone so
Orion slammed his fist hard on the table. He'd been played by someone who looked like nothing more than a trust fund kid. Yet he had no choice but to let Aria manipulate him. Because no matter what he said, someone would show up to "take care of" him. At this point, he could only make everything look like a simple financial crime in order to protect himself. Aria had calculated this perfectly and planned accordingly. Even now, most people saw Aria as just some young hotshot who made money but didn't understand the bigger picture. They thought because she came from a small town, she was naïve enough to believe taking down the Draycott family would solve everything. In reality, she would be dragging herself down as well. Unless she didn't plan to stay in Ludwiten at all! Most people who thought this way were driven by pride and jealousy. They wouldn't admit they wished they were in Aria's shoes. The Carvers had raked in so much money from the stock market this time around. The
"Yes, I'm sure," Gabe said, having checked everything carefully. The old man thought for a moment. "Find a way and get someone else to tell Orion what he should and shouldn't say. If he's smart enough, he should understand." "Alright." Gabe pushed up his glasses. "Don't worry; everything will be handled." The old man's eyes were deep and calculating. "To achieve great things, some people must be sacrificed. If necessary, offer the Draycott family some benefits. Go take care of the Bellebrook situation." Gabe chuckled. "They're just some greedy, low-class people. They only succeeded because of you, yet they always think they made it on their own." "Gabe, mind your words." The old man had a kind face. Looking at him, one would think he cared for all people. Judging from his simple lifestyle, he did not seem like someone who would do bad things at all. Even the cup he used was bought from the supermarket for just over ten dollars. "Go now. As I've always said, anyone can l
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. "