Clary still had a misconception about how the Carver family educated their children. Leon would never be uneducated, not when he was a Carver. A quick glance at the study in the Carver residence would reveal that the Carver family's educational focus was on history—more so than other noble families. Leon didn't offer further explanation. Now that Aria was there, his mind was on asking her what had happened at church. The public didn't have all the facts, but Leon knew someone had visited the Carvers' memorial hall late at night.At the studio, no one was aware of Aria's true identity. All they knew was that she was Kina's sister, who would be filming with him later."She's pretty.""Must be nice to have a brother in the industry. My sister has been an actress for years, but she's still mocked for not being talented and for not coming from a rich family."She wanted to work on this show for free, but the producer rejected her. Meanwhile, the sister of a popular idol gets to ap
Anyone who knew Leon understood how deeply he cared for his fans. He often said that he wouldn't have made it this far without their love and support.That was why he never treated his fans as mere tools for making money or pressured them to spend on useless things. Instead, he saw them as friends and genuinely appreciated their visits. Their presence fueled him with endless motivation.As Leon and Aria stepped out, he proudly introduced her to his fans, saying, "This is my sister. Don't we look alike? We're really close."However, in his excitement, Leon forgot that Aria's face was covered, so the fans couldn't see her clearly. His fans were momentarily confused but still found his honesty and brightness endearing."Her figure looks kind of familiar.""Oh! That other variety show!""I've seen clips of it but not the whole thing. She does carry herself similarly. Is she really Leon's sister?""That explains why Kina's been saying how happy he is lately. His sister's finally back
At this moment, Lisa's patience was completely drained. She told the fans behind her to stop clamoring forward and pushed the fans beside her. Looking annoyed, she spoke into her mic, "He's always working so hard to maintain his public image. Why isn't he getting into the car yet? Is it really that fun to pretend he's so popular?"She said this in a low voice so the fans around her didn't hear and remained focused on their idol.Leon didn't linger for long. After receiving letters from his fans, he got into his car, rolled down the window, and told them to head home early and stay safe.Aria didn't join him. Now that her bodyguards were with her, she wanted to address some issues with Leon's work environment. "You go on ahead, Leon. I have a few matters to take care of here," she said.Leon didn't question her. Aria was different from him; she handled the bigger picture.Leon's fans, assuming she had left for the filming studio, had no idea that Aria stayed behind.Once Leon le
"You've misunderstood the situation." Lisa, the double-faced woman she was, was still smiling. "She recorded some videos that show Kina in a bad light, so we wanted her to delete them. We didn't do anything."Aria raised a brow. "Really?"Lisa leaned in, whispering as if her earlier rude behavior had been part of her job. "You're new here, so you might not know, but some fans don't really like Leon."Aria looked at her. "If you're talking about those videos, I've recorded a few myself."She glanced sideways, gesturing for her bodyguard to play the videos on speaker. Unlike the typical movie portrayal, her bodyguard wasn't dressed in black with sunglasses. He had an ordinary appearance and had blended in with the crowd, holding a banner like one of Leon's male fans.But Lisa recognized him. He had been standing right next to her when she was badmouthing her boss. Before Lisa could react, the video started playing. The images were sharp, and her words came through loud and clear.
Lisa and Jake opened their mouths to protest, but Aria cut them off coldly, "You're fired."Lisa, taken aback, snapped, "What right do you have to fire us? You're a nobody. Only Clary decides who stays or goes!"Aria didn't even glance back. "Feel free to ask Clary if I have the authority to kick you out."At her signal, the bodyguard ushered Lisa and Jake out of the building.Aria then turned her attention to Peggy, helping her up. "Thank you for standing up for my brother. He asked me to come by because he was worried. I'll handle everything for him moving forward. Allf of you should go home for now. Let's catch up online at tomorrow's variety show premiere."Aria's decisive actions caught the attention of Leon's fans, strengthening their bond with him. It was the perfect illustration of fan culture. Just as fans supported Leon, he, in turn, protected them. His fan community grew tighter and more united as a result.Aria understood Leon's concerns well. Fame brought public scru
Clary was in disbelief that they had nearly ruined the top idol she had worked so hard to groom. Her fury was evident as her eyes reddened."Find out who else behaves like that and fire every single one of them!" she ordered.Her assistant, Maddy Simpson, lowered her head. "Okay."Lisa, who was normally used to Clary's easygoing nature, was stunned. "Clary, you can't do this to us. Think about our family—"Clary's anger flared even more. "The biggest mistake I ever made was letting you people into this company! Wait, Maddy—don't just fire them. They've been with Leon for a long time. Check their phones."Maddy knew Clary wasn't going to be lenient this time. With the Farshyan variety show set to premiere soon, Clary had to put things in order. However, if they fired the staff too abruptly, Leon could face another wave of public backlash.Suddenly, the door burst open. "Ms. Danton, Leon's fans are demanding we restructure the company. Look at these screenshots—they show conversati
Clary seemed distressed after the incident. "I'm not a qualified manager. Ms. Carver, you can deal with me however you like.""That's not necessary." Aria glanced at her and placed a hand on her wrist. "My brother's career is all thanks to you. You even hired my mother back then. You aim to provide jobs for women and those from the countryside. You're not responsible for their evil actions. However, by doing so, you're fostering nepotism."Aria neither fully criticized nor praised Clary. Instead, she calmly analyzed the pros and cons. "Your personality is better suited for handling public relations. "You should leave the back-end operations to professionals. I doubt Carver Group and York Group would struggle to manage a large celebrity company."I'm sure you've noticed that Leon is growing. We'll soon need to address the international market. Now is the right time for you to remove those incompetent employees with ill intentions." Aria placed a hand on Clary's back as she spoke an
Philip chuckled. "No! I just saw a lot of negative news about you online. Aria has been getting a lot of attention too. You two should take care of yourselves and watch out for those around you—especially—Oh, I'm going through a tunnel now. I'll get cut off. Bye!"Leon furrowed his brow as Philip abruptly ended the call. It was clear that Philip had more to say, but what had triggered this sudden change in his demeanor?Yet, Leon had no time to dwell on it. He needed to ensure he was well-rested for his recording tomorrow."Exploring Farshya" was not like other variety shows. There was so much for Leon to learn. He couldn't just rely on Aria to answer everything; he needed to hold his own and make her proud!Leon pulled up numerous photos of cultural relics on his computer. After labeling each one, he began memorizing them. Warren had mentioned some previously, and they had others at home, but Leon focused on the older items that he needed to study more closely. Even if they were
Ordinary people understood the harshness of reality. Brent, having lived in poverty for most of his life, had been looked down on more times than he could count.Poor people like them could die unnoticed at home, and no one would care, let alone offer help without expecting something in return.If something really happened to Eden, Brent doubted he and his wife could do anything to save her. Judy was a prime example. Her father, Alec Lanez, had even given up selling bread just to look for her.Every time Alec went to the school, he was met with the same cold response."It has nothing to do with us. Your daughter ran away and refuses to acknowledge you. So why are you coming here? Peasants like you should know your place. Without us, people like you could only dream of going overseas. How filthy!"Brent had heard the school's representative say those exact words when he accompanied Alec. Both of them could only stand there, humiliated and speechless.Alec's back was sore from how m
Eden immediately opened the windows after hearing that. "Did Ms. Carver send you here? Is she in any danger? I'm really worried about her. Should I call the police? I'd feel horrible if anything happened to her."Weston remained calm and indifferent. "Calling the police will only make them suspicious. My boss is amazing, and there's nothing she can't handle. She has a plan. Right now, my priority is to bring all of you to Heartbound Hall in Janovin so your grandfather can receive treatment."The respect in Weston's voice when he spoke of Aria was unmistakable."Pack up your things and come with me," Weston ordered.Their team had already checked the surroundings and ensured nothing would go wrong. Anyone watching would think Eden's grandparents were simply collecting bottles and preparing lunch as usual, not leaving the house until the afternoon.Without wasting time, Weston picked up the elderly couple's luggage. His most important task now was to get Eden and her grandparents to
"We followed the address, so this must be the place. Sir, isn't that the girl?" It was the same group of people as before. After failing their last mission because of Aria, they were being extra cautious this time."We can't afford any more mistakes. Treat her kindly so that she won't suspect anything.""Yes, sir."When they saw a young woman in a school uniform appear right on time, they were convinced she was the right person. After all, Aria looked exactly like Eden.They rolled down the car window and waved. "Ms. Bohmer, over here."Aria looked up and recognized several familiar faces. She grabbed her bag and walked toward the car."Ms. Bohmer, we meet again," The driver greeted Aria warmly. "Let's go."The team had prepared for a difficult encounter. They'd even been authorized to use force if necessary, as long as they avoided surveillance cameras. But to their surprise, Aria simply opened the car door and got in without resistance.Aria glanced at their puzzled expression
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo