Don said, "There are some old items I've always wanted to restore, but I'm worried I might damage them with my poor eyesight and trembling hands. Could you come with me after the show if you have time?" No one could believe those words came from Don's mouth.Stunned into silence, the people on stage didn't know how to proceed. Unable to interrupt the two heavyweights, they looked at Leon, their eyes silently asking if he realized how remarkable his sister was.Leon, however, maintained a composed expression. As a top idol, he had to stay calm in any situation. Yet, underneath the table, he was texting furiously."Did you guys see that? Mr. Hendricks actually called Aria his senior! This is the Don Hendricks we read about in textbooks! And what does Aria mean by knowing a thing or two about cultural relics? Thanks to her, I have a feeling I'll be headlining the entertainment news tomorrow!"Leon appeared cool and elegant on the surface, but his text message was far from that image
A new comment appeared online. "He didn't fake his qualifications, did he?"Dylan was sweating profusely on stage. The pressure was overwhelming. When he saw Owen preparing to leave, he called out in desperation, "Mr. Carver, can you help me out? You were the one who asked me to help Ms. Mindy deal with this."Online comments quickly escalated."What does he mean? Is there some inside story here?""I suspected something about Mr. Soller when he acted so dismissively earlier. Today, he seemed determined to undermine Leon's team, especially targeting his sister, as if he wanted to paint them as uncultured.""He's so ruthless! Thank goodness Aria is capable enough, or he'd use his status to manipulate anyone he pleased.""Most importantly, he's calling on Mr. Carver! Is the Carver family involved in this?"The cameramen now focused on the audience, and when Owen noticed, he raised his hand to block the shot.His demeanor had shifted dramatically from when he'd confidently exited t
Ivan didn't dare speak his thoughts, even if he had guessed the truth. Landon's power and presence were undeniable, and his very appearance said it all.Owen, after all, was supposed to be Landon's father-in-law. Yet Landon showed him no mercy.Ivan shivered at the thought. He vividly recalled Owen's request to give special treatment to Mindy. Luckily, Ivan found it troublesome and declined. If he hadn't, he might now be on Landon's blacklist.He silently praised himself for sticking to his principles. Regardless, the production team still had to explain the situation to the audience.…Meanwhile, Dylan was still shouting. "Mr. Carver, don't go! Mr. Carver!"Aria chuckled. "Mr. Soller, are you trying to get Mr. Carver to use his family's legal team? There's no need to trouble yourself." With that, she took a step back and said, "I've already called them here." Footsteps echoed from behind the curtain, and the cameramen quickly panned toward the source.Standing in formation
Things were not going as Mindy had hoped. The Carver Group's legal team didn't show up without a reason. They came armed with evidence proving that Dylan had faked his qualifications. But that wasn't all—he had also exploited his position as a lecturer to gain personal benefits from students.Take Mindy, for example. Her talent in cultural relic restoration paled in comparison to most of her peers. Yet, because she paid off Dylan, she received opportunities that should have gone to more deserving students, including prestigious awards.In their field, awards and competitions were everything. Mindy could have funded her own exhibition, but instead, she chose to steal opportunities meant for others. Worse still, she even claimed credit for work done by her group members—with Dylan's help.When Don saw the incriminating documents, his hands trembled with fury. "Do you even understand what cultural relic restoration is?" he yelled, throwing the papers at Dylan.Don was passionate abo
Barty came from a small town and was celebrated as the top graduate of his county's high school. His parents and the entire village pooled their resources, hoping that his university education would bring prosperity to their community.However, once Barty started studying under Dylan, he realized how harsh reality could be. For students like him, coming from humble backgrounds, achieving success was far more challenging than expected.At first, Barty believed he could endure until graduation. Dylan was his mentor, and he convinced himself that persevering through the hardships would pay off. He even imagined that once he had juniors under his guidance, he could help them avoid the same fate.Barty had planned to quietly blend in, graduate, and leave. But Dylan had other plans. Dylan became more oppressive after securing a connection with the powerful Carver family. Every achievement Barty and his team earned was attributed to Mindy, who took all the credit, even their awards.Dyl
Upon seeing the students, Dylan almost collapsed to the floor on stage. Aria glanced at him before turning to the stage. "I did what I promised you. Also, you don't need to worry about your degree certificates. Mr. Hendricks here will ensure that you're treated fairly."Don had already gotten an approximate idea of what had happened. He nodded. "I'll be in charge of helping you."None of the seven students expected this from Aria. Not only did she not resent them for accusing the Carvers of doing something they hadn't, but she'd also carefully considered their futures.Don was a real scholar, one they'd never dream of talking to. "Thank you, thank you!" they said in unison. Barty bowed first, and his juniors followed.Aria didn't forget who had tried to ruin the Carver family's reputation. Warren and Barron had always supported students from poverty, and they'd never tried to take the life someone rightfully deserved away from them. The Carvers would even put more resources int
It was normal for different people to approach a topic differently. Some of those excessively kind people would always have excuses ready. The line between good and evil was blurry for many people to start with, and things had changed now compared to the past. Although Mindy wasn't a daughter of the Carver family by blood and had done many evil deeds, numerous folks still found her pitiful.The support offered by those people would usually be converted into fuel for Mindy, enabling her to borrow more fortune. She'd wanted to manipulate the public's way of thinking like how she'd always done, but it didn't work because the crowd was huge. Also, she couldn't make use of the fortune surrounding her no matter what she did. Was it because of those students whose prospective careers she'd taken for herself? Mindy realized that this was a pivotal aspect of it. She turned to look at the students.Was their appearance here not purely coincidental? Did the country bumpkin also arrang
Carver Group's legal representative was present, and he told everyone else that Owen had been kicked out of the Carver family. Mindy, the sponsored student, also had nothing to do with the family from now on. They had only succeeded in doing those evil deeds in the name of the Carvers because the average person had no way of knowing the family's internal affairs.It wasn't as if the Carvers could tell everyone that something was wrong with the previous head of the family. He'd insisted on adopting a student they sponsored, stirring up dissent within the family. Now, through this variety show, everyone finally came to realize that Owen was a useless man who kept on bringing down his own biological daughter, Aria. His so-called adoptive daughter was also guilty of more despicable wrongdoings. Everyone, whether through the Internet or in person, demanded justice for those who were wronged.Mindy shuffled toward the exit, her face covered, but she failed to leave because of the
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
Now that Miguel, who was an expert in covering up, was gone, the long-standing issues in the school were exposed.The group stood frozen as they watched a cafeteria worker pour something into a large pot. A closer look revealed it was leftover mushroom soup. But that wasn't the worst of it. The soup reeked, clearly spoiled, yet it was still being reheated for the students.Things only got worse when they entered the kitchen. Hygiene standards were appalling. Not a single chef wore a mask, and some were even smoking while cooking.Amos' expression darkened immediately, even before Lucas could react.One of the chefs noticed them and slammed his ladle onto the counter. "What are you doing in here? Outsiders aren't allowed in the school—don't you know that?"Unlike other schools, Oakvale Academy had somehow always slipped through the cracks during routine inspections. When required to present something, they staged it well enough to fool a camera.So, the staff never expected a surp
Aria understood that this was all the person could offer. The real mastermind would never reveal himself so easily—not even to his most trusted subordinates.Those in power never needed to explain themselves. Those who understood them would earn their favor; those who didn't were destined to remain at the bottom.Her thoughts raced. She needed hard evidence to capture whoever was behind Amos. Baseless accusations would only alert the enemy and push them deeper into hiding.Allowing herself to be arrested had been part of Aria's plan. She needed the mastermind to lower his guard. After all, she had been too visible in Ludwiten lately. With eyes constantly watching her, she couldn't make any real moves. But she couldn't let the incident at Oakvale Academy go unresolved. Her instincts told her it was the key to everything.Before Philip found his family, she had to act—and that meant changing her identity to save Even.Just then, the person's phone buzzed. He turned the screen towa
"Boss!" Weston rushed over the moment he finished dealing with the other officers. Aria arched an eyebrow, flexing her wrists. "He's the mole?""Yes." Weston nodded. The Securities Regulatory Bureau, dispatched by the Securities Regulatory Commission, was tasked with auditing listed companies—particularly sniffing out insider trading and market manipulation.While not everyone in the bureau could be corrupt, it was common for a few to be compromised.The officer who had been interrogating Aria was of a minor rank, but the one Weston had just exposed held real power.Aria looked over at the trembling man. His legs had given out, sending him to the floor. His phone lay discarded beside him as he shook uncontrollably.They had met before—at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. To him, Aria had just been a clever heiress with some market luck, thanks to Landon's influence. No one would have expected her to single-handedly bring down the Draycott family.No one would logically believe