"They're coming!" Queenie's face drained of color as she instinctively stepped back.Two figures emerged behind her. One was older, distinguished, and handsome, while the younger one affectionately ruffled her hair like a protective older brother. Sam couldn't speak, so he signed for her not to worry.Devon was also there, but no one could see him—except Queenie. Her eyes widened as she turned to Landon and whispered, "It's not just the Krowonian soldiers... the ones who once protected us are here too."As they reached the church, a flood of memories overwhelmed Devon. "I remembered everything!" Devon's eyes were red. "The Krowonian soldiers are still here because we failed to protect everyone. The children and the women of Nymeria suffered horribly."They took Nymeria for themselves, doing whatever they wanted. They even captured Soren for their experiments. Soren, Mr. Shoeman, and I... we all died together."Mr. Shoeman... He taught me how to read and write. He said the only w
Immediately, the officer glanced back, and the Krowonian soldiers snapped into a line, plunging their long knives into one of the worshippers.The group erupted in laughter. "These fools are worshipping us. Hahaha!"They reveled in their cruelty, breaking into a traditional dance. With each step forward, their blades thrust at the praying people.It was absurd how some pro-Krowonians could ever find their dance magnificent. The soldiers, now spirits, made no effort to conceal the malice festering in their hearts."It's this little wench again," one soldier sneered as he danced toward Queenie. "Missed my chance to pierce her last time. This time, I'll make sure. If not, maybe I'll take the old woman next to her to the grave instead. What do you think?"His eyes gleamed with vile intent as he spoke."She kept messing with us in her past life. She may not remember our Krowonian empire, but we remember her. I didn't expect to find her like this after reincarnation. She deserves t
"You can't touch me with so many worshippers on my side," the Krowonian officer said arrogantly.Most fortune tellers would tread carefully, slowly dismantling the web of this deadlock manifestation. Yet, before Aria, such caution was folly. She could take her time to tease apart its intricate layers, but if urgency gnawed at her, she would obliterate it with the force of her dark resolve.She raised her eyebrows, preparing to launch a full-on assault. It would cost her a bit of blood and energy, but she was ready. However, before she could act, someone grabbed her wrist. It was Landon. His gaze fell on the Krowonian soldiers, cold and bottomless. "If your eyes serve no purpose, there's no need for you to keep them."As he spoke, the statues around them seemed to tremble.The Krowonian soldiers suddenly felt their eyes burn, the pain unbearable as they curled up, their bodies on the verge of exploding.The officer's face turned ashen. No one had dared to harm them in the prese
Aria remained vigilant, keenly aware of her surroundings as she listened to him speak. Her fingers tightened into fists, realizing the truth in his words.They had mentioned a mastermind pulling the strings. Stopping worshippers through the internet was a simple task, and if she could unravel the key to this entire situation, she could resolve it effortlessly.Noticing Aria's silence, the Krowonian soldier chuckled mockingly. "Dream on if you think you can win. Even if we vanish, we'll take your filthy ancestors with us!"Devon quickly grasped Aria's hands, understanding the implication behind the soldier's taunt. "Ms. Carver, we cannot let them disappear. Their fate is intertwined with Mr. Shoeman. If they vanish, she and Soren will go with them!"At Devon's words, a ripple of movement surged through the shadows of the Netherrealm. The Krowonian soldiers writhed on the ground, groaning in agony from Landon's brutal assault, their defenses shattered, and the area left unguarded.O
Devon sensed Terry's impending disappearance. Terry had used all his merits to send Devon away from the underground.Initially, Terry was the least likely to fade among them. Even Soven and the others were expected to last longer than Devon. But they had exhausted their accumulated merits and blessings on him, ensuring Devon would survive.After being trapped underground for so many years, they had forgotten the sight of the surface. Their only sustenance came from the church's leftovers, and the Krowonians would even drive nails into their heads if they felt displeased.Terry shielded Devon from that suffering, often smiling and saying, "Devon is the youngest among us. He deserves a chance to see the future."Terry's desperation to locate the Carver family stemmed from the disappearance of Camden Dorado, one of their members.The Krowonian soldiers grew stronger the more they were worshipped. The heroes trapped underground had no means to fight back. While they could use explosiv
The Krowonian officer remained calm. After all, Farshyans valued relationships with each other the most. He was confident Aria wouldn't forsake the heroic spirits and attack them.Despite the intense pain coursing through him, the Krowonian lay on the floor, his voice laced with malice. "Do you think you will feel better once the heroic spirits are gone? No wonder you seem familiar; the Carver family is our greatest adversary."Do you believe your ancestors will forgive you once you die and descend to the Netherrealm? We will ultimately prevail."He started laughing loudly.Aria chose to disregard his taunts, her gaze drawn back to the statue of God. Logically, the spirits could not receive worship intended for Him.The officer's mention of ancestors reminded her that prominent families typically maintain proper memorials with their names engraved.With a determined expression, Aria summoned Maverick. "Is there a memorial where people can honor your ancestors? Tell me where it is
The idea that priests held a greater holiness than ordinary people had lingered in the minds of the masses for too long. The only way to free those heroic spirits was to dismantle such beliefs.Respect for priests should stem from their compassion for others, not from blind devotion. Immorality in a priest demanded no reverence.With Maverick refusing to disclose the memorial's location, Aria resolved to search for it herself, knowing it had to be somewhere within the church.Logically, the memorial would be situated in the area where people prayed most fervently. Her gaze drifted to the statue's head above. Typically, the statue of God in the main hall was grand and intricately adorned, with its upper portions often hidden from view. Wasn't this the perfect place to conceal a memorial headstone?Without hesitation, Aria ripped down the tape banner draped before the statue of God. With a determined stride, she climbed onto the statue's base.As she ascended, more and more people r
The internet erupted with outrage. What had begun as a human trafficking case had now escalated into something far more sinister. Why were there Krowonian memorial headstones in a Farshyan church?"Have all our prayers gone to them?""I don't trust the church's innocence in this!""They had better take this seriously! Are the higher-ups just going to ignore it?"Angry comments flooded in, one after another. Aria observed the stark decline of faith in the community, but it was still not enough.Queenie appeared in another vlogger's live stream as she pondered the situation. "Miss, are you broadcasting right now? Do you have a lot of fans?"The vlogger, Ellie Portman, was nearly in tears from her fury. "Yes, I have a lot. We need to expose what the church is hiding.""It's not just about that. Could you tell your fans that I witnessed many young soldiers bravely protecting us, only to be ruthlessly bullied by the Krowonians?"Queenie's hands fidgeted with her clothes as she point
A single thought consumed Laura's mind—she had to find a way to make her husband dislike Aria.She had always hesitated to play the villain, but when she heard Aria wanted Jett to trade stocks with her, she couldn't hold back anymore.Choosing her words carefully, Laura said, "Eamon, I don't know what Aria is thinking. Could this just be an impulsive decision, like her father back then? Is she dragging people along without much thought?"Of course, I don't think Aria is as calculating as Owen. But people say the stock market and real estate are part of a bubble economy. The Grisham family didn't build their fortune through these channels."She doesn't have anyone guiding her, yet she's rushing into this. It makes me worried."She lifted her gaze. "Honey, you know these markets are different. If something goes wrong, people won't come after Aria—they'll come after Jett. Whether it's financial trouble or a mistake he makes…"She clenched her teeth and pressed on. "I don't want Jett
Waymond was never one to speak carelessly. He had already ordered his subordinates to investigate the Fitzroy family's accounts.In his eyes, Laura Fitzroy's biggest mistake was her continued loyalty to her family despite everything that had happened.Still, this was Eamon's family matter, and Waymond had no intention of letting the younger generation get involved.But Aria was no ordinary junior. The moment she heard Waymond's words, she already knew where the problem lay.Jett's phone had been ringing non-stop; most calls were from his mother. Aria wasn't some naïve newcomer to society—she understood what those calls meant. Laura didn't want Jett following her, and there were plenty of reasons for that. But Aria had no interest in meddling in their family affairs. The best way to handle it? Pretend she didn't know.Meanwhile, Laura was too anxious to eat. Jett wasn't answering, and Magdalene's words left her deeply unsettled.Laura had never had an issue with Aria before. In
The higher-ups had already released the official documents, though they lacked detail.As the head of a listed company, Waymond handled things differently from Jett. "If you want to acquire land, you must deal with the relevant government departments. Your cousin's connections won't be enough—I'll go."He worried that Aria might be taken advantage of. The industry had its own unspoken rules, after all."No need, Uncle Waymond. Don't worry. I'll ask for your help if I need it, but I'd like to try reaching out first." Aria smiled.Still, Waymond sensed that she had something else in mind. After a brief pause, he said, "Mr. Barron left behind many connections in Ludwiten—people from all walks of life."One of them is an old-timer, Cassian Merrick. His influence runs even deeper than the Grisham family's. Want me to reach out to him for you?"Aria had heard of Cassian ever since she set foot in Ludwiten. Though over a hundred years old, he hardly looked it.Back then, his name carri
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
With Landon monitoring the stock market, Aria could walk right into Orion's trap. This way, Orion would let his guard down. When people felt confident, they invested more. Aria, well-versed in the stock market, understood this all too well. She had never intended to get rid of Lily. However, things were different this time. There was a limit to how much one could withstand another's viciousness. Aria doubted Lily could predict the market flawlessly—it was impossible, just as it was impossible for her to know everything.The logic was simple. If something fell outside one's area of expertise, even the most attentive observer would only grasp the outcome, not the details. Thinking it over, Aria realized Lily only knew about major events. The smaller ones seemed to escape her notice.If she put herself in Lily's shoes, it was like remembering which lottery would have a winner but not the exact numbers drawn.After all, no one knew when they would be reborn. The only way to acce
Malcolm did not know why Aria was asking, but he remembered the details clearly. "It was after that day." Aria tapped on the desk. "No wonder the Draycotts suddenly changed their market strategy. I get it now." What was she talking about? Before Malcolm could ask, Aria continued, "Some people are trying to cheat the system. Keep an eye on things, but stay safe. If anything happens, come to me first. "Like you said, they've got deep connections. Don't bother with the police—just keep the evidence." "Got it." Before hanging up, Malcolm asked, "Should we still watch the stock market?" Aria smirked. "Yes. They're not the only ones who can play dirty." Lily had probably been reborn too. But whatever Lily knew, Aria knew as well. She had never thought to use that knowledge this way before since it hadn't seemed necessary, but things were not the same now. If her dreams were real, then in her past life, Lily had only made it to Janovin. She had played the star medical student at
After being together all this time, Aria suddenly had a thought. Were she and Landon too distant from each other? No, "distant" was not quite the right word. It was more like they did not know each other well enough. Landon always felt just out of reach, like there was a fog between them. Simply put, he was not being straight with her. The thought left her feeling uneasy. Before she could say anything, her phone rang. It must be news about the Draycotts. It had to be something big for them to call so urgently. Aria glanced at the pair. Landon smiled. "If you have questions, Jett, feel free to talk with my manager, Ms. Virelle." Manager? Seraphina caught on quickly. "Mr. Grisham, shall we step outside?" Jett was still trying to process everything. "Wait." Balancing business and personal matters as usual, Aria held her phone up and said, "I heard Ms. Virelle used to work at the Draycotts' club. Let's have a chat later." Seraphina froze, glancing at Landon. Seeing his bl