For a long time, people who were more educated used their knowledge to look down on those less educated, as if being well-read made them inherently superior. Yet, many of them owed their education to their parents' hard work.Knowledge was never meant to be a tool for bullying the weak.However, times have changed, and so have people's mindsets.Dylan shook his head politely. "Youngsters today can't handle a bit of advice. I don't mean any harm by it. You should just focus on proving me wrong, right? No need to get angry."Dylan then glanced at Mindy helplessly. "I don't understand the entertainment industry. Did I say something wrong?"Mindy gently tugged at Dylan's sleeve. "Mr. Soller, let's just focus on our own matters. I know how much you care about cultural relics, and I share your frustration about people taking advantage of them."But there's been a misunderstanding. I'm sure everyone here has the same good intentions in mind for participating in this show."Mindy even g
The production team was well aware of the audience's opinions, but they couldn't help but respect Aria. Though Dylan claimed to have a deep appreciation for antiques, his combative stance toward Aria suggested he was more interested in the attention. Yet, for the sake of the show's ratings, the production team had no choice but to invite someone like him. The show's host, Melody, quickly diffused the tension. "It's normal to have disagreements when analyzing artifacts. Don't take it too personally, Mr. Soller. Sometimes, young people understand more than we expect."She continued smoothly, "Let's not keep the audience waiting. I know the audience is just as excited about the appraisal! Let's begin with the first item on my left, a stunning wooden statue of Maelis from the 10th century. And with that, let the auction commence!"Excitement filled the studio as the show kicked off."Can anyone tell if this Maelis is genuine?""The first item is usually authentic.""Look! Mr. Soll
When Dylan saw the next item, he chuckled and confidently announced, "It's a finely crafted contemporary cigar glass. I'd definitely add it to my collection if I saw it elsewhere."After his words, everyone knew the item must be a fake. The colorful cigar glass and its lifelike design made one look at it more.However, this was an artifact evaluation contest; not everything was valuable enough to warrant a bid. Mindy smiled without raising her paddle. She could sense the fortune behind the artifact and recognize its authenticity by examining its texture. Those familiar with the antique world knew that genuine items never looked so new.The other team hesitated, but they slowly lowered their hands when they noticed no one bidding. Everyone assumed the second item would go without a bid. Melody was ready to move on to the third item when, unexpectedly, Aria raised her paddle and said calmly, "We'd like to bid on the second item, please."Dylan sneered inwardly. Leon's sister, jus
Owen had completely forgotten that he was Aria's father. He was obsessed with regaining control of the Carver Group and restoring his pride, so he was willing to watch Aria humiliate herself if it meant achieving his goals.It wasn't entirely Owen's fault—he'd long believed that Aria brought him nothing but bad luck. But Aria saw right through his schemes. A cold smile crept onto her lips as she spoke, "Leon, it seems Mr. Carver still hasn't learned his lesson. How about we give him an unforgettable experience?"Initially, Aria had no ill feelings toward Owen. But that was before she remembered how he had verbally torn into Leon and Fiona in her dreams, betraying the Carver family to sell out their generations of hard work to the Krowonians.Her anger only grew as she recalled how Owen had contributed to Warren's decline, eventually leading to his death. Owen didn't deserve to be part of the Carver family at all.When Aria narrowed her gaze, Leon could feel the intensity that oth
As Melody turned to reveal the details of the first antique, it became clear that, as predicted by most, the item was a fake. However, due to its association with a reputable family, it held value as a collectible. As expected, the other two teams scored two points, while Aria's team remained stagnant—solidifying suspicions that she was out of her depth and more interested in fame than competition.Dylan chuckled, his voice laced with amusement. "Oops, looks like the youngsters got their first antique wrong. Does this mean the amount they bet should be nullified?"A zero score would eliminate Leon from the competition, and his fans were baffled by Aria's actions. As Leon's sister, she had the chance to play her cards carefully. Even with her limited education, she should have known better. Instead, her recklessness was dragging Leon down—was she trying to help him gain even more haters?Dylan took pleasure in putting cocky youngsters in their place, particularly idols who relied o
Sitting in the VIP section, Don couldn't hold back and leaped to his feet. "What a load of nonsense! She's spouting complete rubbish! Where did you find this so-called cultural relic restorer? Aspiring, my foot! Who taught her to identify artifacts by staring at the artwork and guessing its era?"The audience knew nothing about his outburst, but the cameras caught every moment. The director quickly sensed what was happening and tried to calm Don. "Mr. Hendricks, take a breath. There are knowledgeable people here. Leon's team will set things straight."It took nearly five people to stop Don from storming the stage. He clenched his fists, realizing the advice was sound—maybe it was better to let Aria handle it.Melody took the stage and glanced at Dylan. "Mr. Soller, do you share the same assessment?"Dylan was brimming with confidence. "Mindy speaks for me.""Alright, that's their reasoning for not bidding. Let's hear why you're bidding," Melody smiled, turning to Leon and Aria.
The guests' reactions were clearly visible on the screen, and Dylan was no exception. When the audience saw his nervousness, they exchanged glances."No way. Could she be right?""I don't think so. How could an idol's family member know anything about cultural relics? She's just bluffing about it being from the 17th century. If it's truly valuable, it would be documented in books."Stubborn people like them would never accept reality unless they were proven wrong.Mindy also sensed something was off. Just as she was about to defend herself, the screen lit up again. It was too late.The ink painting displayed a cigar glass in a glass case. As the ink swirled, the piece's origins were revealed.According to legend, a foreign envoy visited Farshya in the late 17th century and was captivated by the region's craftsmanship, which was considered among the best in the world at that time. An expert immortalized the envoy's likeness in the cigar glass.It really was from the 17th century!
Aria looked up calmly. "I didn't want to take it this far, but Mr. Soller, I think it's time your credentials are questioned." Dylan's face twisted in fury. "What do you mean by that?"Aria flashed a sly grin. "Exactly what I said."Mindy quickly tried to de-escalate the situation. "Aria, we're filming a show. Please show some respect for your seniors."Aria shot her a cold glance. "Seniors? Whose seniors? Yours? That explains a lot. Birds of a feather, I suppose."Dylan, fuming, turned to Melody. "This is too much! I'm refusing to participate if she's still on the show. Deal with this. I don't understand why you'd invite someone so arrogant, especially someone who doesn't even have a degree. Or is it because her brother's a famous idol? Ridiculous!"Dylan was certain the production team would side with him. His status alone made that seem inevitable.Melody, caught off guard by the escalation, was about to intervene when Aria spoke again. "Mr. Soller, don't get so heated. It's
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