Poeta was looking for a chance to rekindle her relationship with Fergus. From what she'd heard while overseas, Fergus had changed drastically from who he was during his teenage years.Back then, Fiona had been gravely ill and unable to care for Fergus. His family had also frequently neglected him, and Warren had placed many responsibilities on his young shoulders.As a result, Fergus experienced profound loneliness, which only intensified after the upheaval his family faced following Aria's kidnapping.Furthermore, Warren's constant meddling in Fergus and Poeta's relationship only exacerbated the situation, highlighting Fergus's urgent need for emotional healing—at least, that was what Poeta concluded.But when she returned to Farshya and met Fergus again, she realized things were far from what she had expected. In fact, she sensed a distance between them.When Warren heard she wanted to reconnect with Fergus after returning to the country, he showed no reaction. He even stated, q
"He, uh—" Poeta quickly came up with a response. After spending so many years overseas, she had mastered the art of conversation. "He's not happy about it, of course, but he didn't immediately argue with Mr. Carver Senior. "You know as well as I do, Mr. Carver, your family raised him well. He's always been an obedient and responsible son. Mr. Carver Senior isn't doing well, so he told me to tolerate it for a while. I'm staying somewhere else for now, but he'll bring it up again when Mr. Carver Senior softens a little."Poeta had made most of it up, but Owen didn't suspect that of her because it fit the script he'd written in his mind—his eldest son wouldn't get into a fight with Warren because of his first love; that wouldn't make sense."That's good enough. These negative feelings he has will build up slowly." Owen's gaze darkened. Fergus' dissatisfaction would eventually explode once it reached a breaking point. Owen knew Warren well. Warren would never see himself as the probl
However, that wasn't how Owen had expected things to turn out. From his perspective, everything had finally returned to the way it should be.Mindy had also returned bearing good news. The filming for her new variety show, "Exploring Farshya", would start soon. Unlike last time, when everyone shared recordings among themselves, this show would be broadcast live on TV.Anyone would jump at the opportunity to be featured in a mainstream variety show promoting national relics. Unlike the other guests, Mindy wasn't expendable; she was there as a restorer of cultural relics. Her impact would obviously be huge.Elated, Owen opened a bottle of wine and poured Mindy a glass. "Alas, it's still you who finally manages to make me happy, Mindy."With the show's airing, patriotic sentiment in Farshya was bound to surge. If Aria could benefit from this, so could Owen.Regardless of Warren's stance, Owen could always inform the media of his formal decision to adopt Mindy."I thought you didn'
"Kenny!" Mindy snapped, "How many times have I told you not to speak about Aria like that?"Kenny let out a long sigh. "Mindy, you're too nice. You see her as your sister, but does she see you that way? She's plotting to take over Carver Group for herself and doesn't even respect her own father. Just think about what she's been doing lately!"All she does is promote herself and win over Mr. Carver Senior. The industry praises her, but it's only because she used you as a stepping stone!" Mindy fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "Even so, if it makes her happy, I'm okay with it.""You shouldn't feel that way, Mindy." Owen had put his relationship with Aria entirely aside. His hatred for her grew tenfold upon hearing Kenny's words. He had greatly underestimated Aria. He'd been blaming his situation on Warren's disdain, but now it was clear—everything Aria had done since her return was part of her scheme to seize power!Owen turned to Mindy and said, "Present yourself as a patriot
"I heard that Dr. Whiz is quite elusive. If you need me to, I can ask around on your behalf." Mindy's voice became sweeter now that she was in a good mood. "I know many people in the cultural restoration industry, and they often have connections with mysterious figures like this doctor." Kenny responded, pleasantly surprised, "Really? That's wonderful! If we can get this doctor on board, Grandpa might recover!""Mindy, you sure are well-connected," Owen chimed in happily. The bigwigs usually aided only those they knew well; it wasn't about money but rather personal rapport.Mindy wouldn't make such a statement unless she already had her own strategies in place. Owen regretted not familiarizing himself with those bigwigs who could be helpful.It was fortunate that Mindy was knowledgeable about cultural relics. She was pleased by Owen's compliment, knowing it was true that she had her own network. Her mentor once mentioned an exceptionally skilled elderly traditional doctor in t
Thanks to that trip, everyone learned about government-backed companies and the business values Carver Group always upheld.Some people previously disliked Carver Group's products due to their unattractive packaging, but they now regard those products with nostalgia.No matter how fervently Carver Group's PR team urged everyone to be rational and believe in science, people remained convinced that Aria had saved the heroic spirits confined within the church. This belief was popular not only because of the numerous videos of the incident uploaded online but also because of certain influencers who tried to stir up drama. While they intended to mock Aria, they ended up in a difficult situation themselves.This was simply how the internet operated. The public remained skeptical of anything presented as the epitome of goodness. However, if a significant number of people labeled something as bad, it drew even more attention.Initially, people were fixated on the situation simply for gos
Clary didn't know where to begin when it came to describing Leon's acting, which was so abysmal that it made him look unappealing."I've seen him act. Indeed, he's very stiff in front of the camera." Aria smiled. "But it will be fine this time. His character is mute, so he has no chance to speak. The emotions will come easily too—he'll be playing Elijah's younger brother."No acting was necessary in that regard.Clary understood instantly. Aria hadn't just cast Leon in a movie for the sake of it—she intended for Elijah to help boost Leon's popularity. "Aria!" Leon approached from the green screen he was filming in front of, still wearing the costume of his in-game character—a dashing yet aloof demon lord of the underworld. In that outfit, he looked unapproachable. He was exhausted after a full day of filming and craved some time alone, but when he saw Aria, he smiled warmly and asked, "What did you say to Clary that made her so happy?"Clary grinned and replied, "She's here to
"She recently restored a gold-threaded silk robe. She's Mr. Cygnus Gramen's student," Clary said with admiration. "Mr. Gramen has praised her publicly countless times. She's going to be an extraordinary craftswoman in the future."Cultural relic restoration is different from our industry. It requires a vast reservoir of knowledge, immense patience, and the ability to focus deeply on your craft without distraction. Only with these qualities can they contribute meaningfully to preserve our heritage." Leon didn't want to dampen Clary's enthusiasm, but some things needed to be made clear. "She's the student my family sponsored. I'll film the show, but if she causes Aria any trouble, I'll make her filming experience hell."Clary was stunned. She knew how much Leon valued his career. People often gossiped about Leon's temper and aloof demeanor, but he typically managed to keep his emotions in check while working with others. Though he had been mocked early in his career for relying on
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