It was really her! When Terry was about to make his way forward, he spotted Landon standing beside Aria.He paused. "You're here too, sir?"Nothing on Landon's face let slip that he knew Terry. "You seem to have mistaken me for someone else."Terry laughed. "I'd never. I'd never mistake the two of you for someone else." He said, "I'm glad that both of you have reincarnated as mortals."Terry wanted to touch the top of Aria's head, but he was a spirit after all, and he was worried that he'd negatively affect them. Sensing what was on Terry's mind, Aria pushed Queenie forward. "Look at her. Does she look familiar to you?""She's the daughter of that new recruit in the army—" Spirits could see one's soul, which lay beneath their appearance. Terry's eyes reddened. "This is great—she's old enough to go to school now!"Aria bent down with a smile, saying to Queenie, "Tell him about your grades, Queenie.""I'm an excellent student, Grandpa. Governmental funding is now covering where
Stephen tended to micromanage Sam, but he also spoiled him, and Sam could basically eat whatever he wanted. Sam's honesty made the heroic spirits laugh. Despite knowing those people couldn't see them, the spirits stood single file and saluted the people who'd rescued them. Sunlight fell on them, as if covering them with a thin layer of gold. Queenie watched as the spirits slowly became transparent under the sunlight. They differed from what she'd once witnessed; they were all smiling, surrounded by golden light.One of the smaller statues beside their memorial fell. No one knew what had happened, but at that moment, they felt something. A breeze blew past them, and it'd never felt so good. Some felt like they'd heard someone else's words of gratitude. Some said they saw silhouettes in military uniforms under the sunlight. Queenie looked up, asking Aria, "Have they all disappeared, Aria?""No. They went where they should've gone." Aria caressed her head, meeting Ellie's gaze
The simpler the words, the more they touched people's hearts. Ellie froze while recording everything. She'd been observing Queenie and Aria's interactions, and she'd managed to obtain some information from listening between the lines. It seemed that Queenie's past incarnation was related to those heroic spirits and that her people's ancestors from previous generations were now back. Why would someone say that they wanted to protect the people if not for that?Ellie had seen someone on the Internet talk about how people had lost their dreams and aspirations in an age of consumerism. Doctors and teachers alike didn't carry out their responsibilities well—there were many recorded occurrences of teachers hitting their students in the face. Also, more and more people started to opt for higher-salary positions. It was hard to say if this was right or wrong when the economy was worsening because both survival and earning money were vital.However, many hoped for the emergence of a g
Warren took the phone. He was furious, close to losing his composure. "I heard about what happened in the church, Aria. To think that this memorial was there—how preposterous! "You must look deeper into it, Aria. Who on earth would sell out our country like that? What motives do they have?"You need not worry. Even if this happened in Nymeria, the Carver family would still have your back as long as there was a reason behind it. If we really can't do anything, Fiona's brothers can be of help too!"They'll surely take your side if they hear about this." Warren's voice deepened. "This isn't just a matter of who was hurt. We must be wary of this happening while also making sure that the perpetrators receive the punishment they deserve, regardless of who they may be or how complicated the situation in Nymeria is!"Warren saw through everything. For this to have happened in a church, a mere priest's efforts weren't enough. He was surely supported by donors and bolstered by his connectio
"This is great! Our child is back again, honey!" The prospective father hugged his wife, his eyes reddening. He'd been most worried about how his wife would be sad after the results of her pregnancy check-up were revealed. She had suffered a lot during her pregnancy, including frequent bouts of sickness. Her physical condition caused him to seriously consider the doctor's suggestions despite his reluctance to say goodbye to this new soul who had come to exist after various tribulations and difficulties. It was the product of their lovemaking, after all. Everything was headed in a better direction now. "Do you think it's related to the comment I left today?" The woman quickly pulled out her phone and added a comment under her original one, informing everyone about this. As if fated, the heroic spirits were able to return to where they were supposed to go. The relevant authorities in Nymeria were held accountable, but this wasn't the point. On the same afternoon, a few sets o
As if anyone would just accept this! No one would! Not a single Farshyan would let that happen!The police officers were furious, but Lorna behaved like a madwoman, unable to be reasoned with, which put them at a standstill. At this moment, Aria walked in, saying coolly, "Did the deity you believe in tell you that the authorities could access records of you accepting a foreign permanent resident card and money through bank transfers?"Lorna suddenly shifted her posture, but she looked up and smiled at Aria. "I'm not Farshyan anymore, that's true. However, we members of the diaspora community have done a lot for the sake of this country these years.""Are you sure about that?" Aria pulled a chair over and sat down opposite Lorna. "The usual process of acquiring a resident card differs from yours. "You came to the city from a small fishing village, and you participated in some activities when you were at school. I won't go into the specifics, but everything is included in the info
Lorna was obviously panicking. She didn't know how the authorities had managed to unearth her participation in certain demonstrations. Lorna was from Chershia, which was connected to another city outside the mainland through a bridge. Hornwell was known for its elite universities. Lorna had joined at first because she wanted to assimilate herself into the local community, but she later realized that the students there were way more progressive than those on the mainland. She joined demonstrations and protests but was quickly stopped by her grandfather who learned about it. No one could have found information on that, surely!Lorna told herself to calm down. Everything would be resolved nicely once her grandpa arrived. Wayne Chester—Lorna's maternal grandfather—worked in one of the first government-backed companies, which made him very well-connected. The Chesters also owned assets worth an enormous sum of money.Lorna hadn't done anything that problematic; she'd just given
"Stop talking!" Maverick finally shed his disguise completely. "I won't tell you who's backing me up—look for the answer yourself. You'd never find it!"He'd gone crazy. "The Farshyan people will never triumph against us. The memorial is just the beginning. You only learned about it because we failed to conceal it well."Maverick was exhibiting clear signs of madness as he rambled, "You're one of them Carvers, aren't you? Every single member of your family will die a miserable death!"Aria got up. "The memorial was only the beginning, huh? What's next, the babies?"Aria had obviously gotten it right, judging from how Maverick froze abruptly for a moment. She continued, "Even if you refuse to tell us anything, we can uncover parts of your plans through your records."We know that the person above you is currently in Janovin. He's quite knowledgeable in fortune telling, and he's an elderly person. You told me that I'd never find him. "I thought about it from another perspective, f
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