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
In that moment, Cormac couldn't afford to care about pride or appearances. His survival depended on severing all ties, especially with a traitor."I don't have a daughter like you!" he snapped, slapping Aliya again. "Do you even realize what you've done? Trafficking human organs—do you think that's something you can walk away from?"Aliya collapsed to the floor, stunned. A chill unlike any she'd ever felt seeped into her bones. She stared up at her father in disbelief, watching as he bowed his head respectfully toward Aria, the very woman she had just mocked.In Aliya's world, her father was the state government. She had grown up believing that their family controlled everything, that Cormac Windham's influence extended far beyond his office, even as retirement loomed.But all of it was crumbling before her eyes.Outside his office, word had already begun to spread. Though muffled, the sharp sound of a slap echoed faintly through the corridor.Everyone understood what that meant—
The group dared to be reckless as Amos was Ludwiten's lieutenant governor. They were peas in a pod and did corruption together.However, they didn't know that their support had already collapsed. Aria was not in a rush to capture Amos' lackeys as her target was in the state government. She didn't go alone either, for Aliya also went with her.Shortly after, Aria issued a new command. "Seal the premises. No one is to leave. Tell everyone to remain in their seats."A request like that, especially directed at the state level, would typically require an exhaustive process—dozens of forms, layers of red tape. Even in cases involving fatalities, senior officials were rarely detained on the spot.But Aria followed with a second message, one that sent chills down spines. "This case involves foreign infiltration. Someone has betrayed the country."Those words landed like a thunderclap. No one dared raise an objection. No one wanted to be associated with treason—not ordinary citizens, and
"Grandpa, it's not convenient for me to get in touch with all of you right now. Remember to take your medicine on time. I have to pretend that I'm locked up. Uncle Eamon and Uncle Waymond have to seem fretful so that the enemy wouldn't be alerted. I'm sorry, Grandpa."Aria didn't reveal what she had encountered in the message. This was because the Special Missions Unit was bound to a confidentiality contract when making decisions. What Aria said was almost pushing the limits.Aria only agreed to get locked up just to see how people would react when the Grisham family was in trouble.When the opponent placed their attention on this incident, they would let their guard down and give Aria a chance to secure evidence of their crimes.If the Grisham family retained its usual influence, the mastermind wouldn't show himself so easily. As Aria felt sorry for her family and worried about Clyde's health, she immediately sent a message to apologize after the auction. However, she couldn't s
There was no way Aria didn't know that the conviction was unfair. Furthermore, Percy specialized in handling economic cases. He knew there was no way Aria would be locked up so quickly. Yet, her crime had been publicly declared without prior warning. Percy was absolutely furious. He tugged his tie and declared the system was corrupted. While Fergus was also helping to find connections, Warren had just landed from Janovin.Clyde had sought out all sorts of connections, even his ex-colleagues in the education field.Fiona clenched his hands. "They promised to help Dad look into it." "They're just trying to fool Mr. Grisham Senior. Their higher-ups have already warned them about it." Nisa suddenly lowered her voice. "They're trying to make his health relapse again. If that happens, the Grisham family is done for."At this moment, a low voice sounded from the door. "So that's what happened. I was wondering why there was no progress with Aria's side after a whole day."It was Eamon.
Because Amos' arrest was part of a covert operation, the news didn't reach anyone outside the circle. That meant Durand remained completely unaware. He was still riding high on the thrill of his plan, blinded by the pleasure of watching the Grisham family fall.That night, he raised a glass of wine in early celebration, his mistress seated beside him. He didn't know that the move he'd made would become the greatest regret of his life.Elsewhere, Nisa couldn't bring herself to be as heartless. That was why, under the quiet cover of night, she made her way to the Grisham residence—not to see Clyde, but to speak with Fiona. She knew Clyde would shut her out immediately, but Fiona… Fiona might just listen.They weren't close. Not the way Fiona was with Priscilla. But they had once shared a few polite meals, floated in the same social circles. Enough to warrant a conversation—barely.When they sat down, Fiona's expression was cool, even distant. She hadn't forgotten the things Nisa had
Lucas could hear the pride in his mentor's voice for Aria. After all, his mentor had taken Aria in Southbury and even owed her his life. Lucas didn't dare to inform his mentor that Aria was being suppressed in the political world. He understood his mentor well. He was devoted to the country and couldn't stand such injustice.Therefore, Lucas didn't tell the truth to prevent his mentor from worrying. If someone with his position made a move, it would become a huge issue. That was why Lucas hid the truth from him. The former had to play along with the other politicians and endure them spouting empty promises. Before Lucas set out, his mentor stood on top of Old City and looked at the vast mountains. "Do whatever you need to, just like what you had done in Southbury. I'll be waiting for you and Aria's return at Janovin."These people didn't deserve his mercy at all!"You used your authority to disregard people's lives." It was the first time Lucas had shown his emotions so open
Amos was too stunned to react. One side of his face throbbed with pain, and fish oil clung to his hair, glistening from the dish he had been slammed into.He had always eaten fish a particular way—only one side. No matter how expensive the fish, he refused to flip it over, believing that leaving it untouched brought good fortune.But today, that superstition had been smashed—along with his pride. Pinned to the table, Amos hadn't even found the time to get angry. Confusion flickered in his eyes as he struggled to rise.Then Lucas spoke, his words crashing down like a stone wall."Amos Lune, you conspired with the Draycott and Fitzroy families to crush honest entrepreneurs. You've abused your position shamelessly."Lucas didn't stop. His tone cut sharper with each sentence."We also have evidence linking you to a human organ trafficking ring in Bellebrook. You've disgraced the people who supported your rise—and the country that invested in you."Lucas had been suppressing his ange
Lucas shook his head steadily. "Not yet."Amos, still basking in the glow of his "victory", had no idea what was coming. He answered Durand's call with a smug smile. On the other end, Durand's laughter rang out loud and triumphant."Mr. Lune, you should've seen the Grisham brothers' faces! I bet they never expected to be abandoned like that!"You played it brilliantly. One quiet move, and boom—the Grisham family's out of the Chamber of Commerce. From here, it's just a slow bleed. They'll lose everything."Amos kept his tone cool. "This isn't enough. Keep pushing the online chatter. The narrative needs to focus on how their precious granddaughter cost so many investors their savings. And don't forget her carefully crafted persona—it's about to unravel."He paused, voice crisp. "Reach out to the other businessmen. Now that the Grishams can't offer any benefits, it's time for everyone to take a bite. You understand, don't you, Durand?"Durand took a moment, then replied, "Right. Got
Cormac even thought of leaving some of his influence behind after retiring. This way, he could still have some power over decisions. He thought he could remind Lucas that not just anyone could do his job well. Therefore, Cormac remained calm after receiving the note. He was already so used to handling his daughter's troubles.Cormac strode into his lounge and asked Pedro, "Is it drunk driving again? Don't you know how to handle it?""It's not drunk driving." Pedro still seemed out of it.Cormac's expression darkened. "It's not drunk driving? Was she on drugs again? I already reminded you numerous times to get someone to keep an eye on her. Which stage of the process is she at right now? Call the people from the drug-testing institution.""No. That's not it." Pedro took off his glasses and his badge.Cormac finally realized that Pedro seemed off. "What happened? Just tell me. I doubt she'll kill someone. Although my daughter is troublesome, she won't do something like that. I kno