The sun was shining brightly the next morning. Before Aria had even gotten up, the clinic was already bustling.Sam came in twice and gestured beside her. However, Aria couldn't even be bothered to open her eyes. Finally, her grandmother's voice cut through the haze. "Aria, it's Thursday. Why aren't you in school?"With a groan, Aria sat up and shuffled out of bed. Despite the lack of sleep, her bare face held an undeniable beauty. "I don't have class in the morning."Georgina, a woman with a keen eye, wasn't fooled. She let out a sigh that spoke volumes. "If catching up is a problem, just tell me, dear. It's no big deal. Sarah mentioned there are supplementary classes available. Why not look into those?"Sam's eyes widened at that suggestion. A faint smile touched Aria's lips as she secured her long hair in a simple ponytail, the action revealing a small mole at the corner of her eye. "No need, Grandma. I'll handle it."Aria smiled and tied her long hair in a ponytail, making t
Absolute silence was required when checking the pulse. Thus, Solo didn't dare to say anything despite seeing Aria so close to Landon. Besides, Landon didn't resist.Releasing his wrist, Aria muttered, "It's only been three days. Why has your condition reverted back so quickly?"Landon coughed again, his voice hoarser than before. "I've always been like this. No need to blame yourself."A lazy smile played on Aria's lips. "Blame me? I'm not as virtuous as you think. I just want to understand why. Your condition shouldn't have worsened so soon."Landon's thoughts turned to the discarded aromatherapy diffuser, his expression darkening.Aria turned to Solo. "Tell me everything he's eaten, when he slept, when he woke up, in as much detail as possible."Solo immediately reported to her.Aria went silent after hearing that. "It looks like there isn't any problem with your diet."Landon clenched his hand into a fist and croaked out, "Uh-huh."Aria glanced at him. "Next time you're fre
The unexpected visitor turned out to be Joel. His face lit up with relief the moment he spotted Aria. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he approached. "Dr. Genius, I've been searching for you. Kenneth and the others were asking why you didn't come to Elmer Square for consultations yesterday."Being retired cadres, the elderly in Elmer's held significant sway, and Joel couldn't afford to offend them.Since they had asked about Aria, Joel had to seek her out."I've decided to reopen my grandmother's clinic here," Aria announced, handing Joel a piece of paper with a practiced smile. "So, I won't be continuing my consultations at Elmer Square anymore."Joel nodded, wiping his brow. "You understand Kenneth's condition and Mandy's heart..."As they were not alone, Joel was too embarrassed to say that Elmer needed her. Thus, his expression appeared strained. Aria smiled casually. "I was planning to inform them. Now that you're here, please let them know they're welcome to visit her
Upon hearing the words, "invitation letter", Solo glanced over.Landon remained indifferent. "You could say that."There was a twinkle in Aria's eyes. "Are you aiming to do good deeds anonymously?"Landon coughed lightly, his voice still rough. "My health isn't optimal. The invitation would go to waste on me. Since I can't attend, I thought it best to gift it to a deserving doctor."Aria raised an eyebrow. "Didn't it cross your mind to try your luck? The York family invited numerous renowned doctors. Perhaps one of them could help cure you."Landon lowered his gaze, his long eyelashes casting a shadow below. "I thought of it before. But I don't think there's a need for that after meeting you." His words left everyone stunned.Solo fumbled, dropping the bucket, while Aria accidentally tilted her coffee cup.Sam, who had been squatting, stood up abruptly, staring at Landon.Landon realized the intimacy of his words and hastily clarified, "I meant in terms of medical expertise.
Aria seemed oblivious to Landon's fluster, her long eyelashes casting a veil of shadow over her eyes. Landon, on the other hand, found himself averting his gaze, his voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. "So, what's the plan for the clinic?" he rasped. Aria's smile widened, lifting her head to reveal the mole beside her eye more prominently. "Still working out the details. Grandma's vision is to provide treatment opportunities for everyone. So, gaining recognition from yesterday's event wouldn't align with that."Landon muttered a response, initially considering ordering Solo to assist with the clinic's operations. However, Aria appeared to have her own agenda, implying she might not want his involvement.Grateful he didn't press further, Aria raised her cup in a toast. "Please support me when the time comes."Solo pondered if Landon's support was lacking, considering he practically lived in the clinic. Yet, he refrained from commenting.Landon even forbade them from driving the
"Let's just say they weren't exactly welcoming," Aria replied with a nonchalant shrug, picking a few choice examples from her previous encounter. "The bodyguard barred me from entry, and their secretary looked down on me. 'Respect yourself,' they said, as if I was some street urchin."It turned out Aria had long suspected Troy's identity. It was just that she said nothing about it.Given the close ties between the Jepson and Layne families, Troy likely recognized her from the party. This could explain his condescension while she administered CPR. As for the occupant of the exclusive Maybach, it didn't take much deduction to guess who it was.The person capable of commanding Troy's deference must be the rumored tycoon dominating the business world—the heir to the York family.Aria refrained from disclosing how the heir had assisted the HOU in tracking her closely. Her current guise as a "fake heiress" was her most effective disguise.Solo's expression darkened upon hearing Aria's a
Aria, oblivious to Solo's hint, maintained her smile. "I might have been influenced by those rumors as well." Solo breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that. Thankfully, Aria knew that she had misunderstood.However, Aria added, "Rich people can be quite unpredictable, though. I can't say for sure about that Mr. York."Solo was exasperated, avoiding Landon's gaze. He wished she had skipped that remark.Meanwhile, Landon stood in his white shirt and black pants, his eyes holding a hint of indifference and danger.Aria straightened up, pouring him another cup of coffee. "I was only joking earlier. But from a medical standpoint, his aversion to physical contact might indicate allergies or sensitivities."Solo was once again taken aback. Aria had managed to deduce Landon's condition without even meeting him. Though she might not excel in conversation, her medical acumen was undeniable.Upon hearing this, Landon offered a half-smile. "Indeed, Mr. York experiences discomfort with
Landon straightened up, offering a genuine smile. "Okay," he said. Their interaction felt natural. It was like they were old friends catching up. However, Solo couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the vibe. Plus, he'd never seen Landon act like this with anyone—he seemed to be flirting with Aria. It was quite rare to witness Landon behaving that way. One would find it difficult to take their eyes off Landon when he tugged at his collar, smilingly under the locust tree.A wild thought struck Solo. Could Landon be falling for Aria? He didn't dare dwell on it, though, and kept his gaze downcast.Meanwhile, Georgina had finished boiling water and called them over to cook some herbs. Georgina was happy that Aria's friends were staying over for dinner. While pondering what else to buy for dinner, she headed out with Sarah. This time, Sam joined them.Aria turned up the heat in the treatment room and asked Landon to lie down while she researched something onlin
Miguel said, "How are we rushing things at all? The list came out ages ago, so you're already behind schedule. "We need to handle your paperwork, clear things with your family, and get you seen by the scholarship committee before you miss this opportunity." Miguel made it sound like the spot was incredibly rare. "They picked you because of your top grades and all-around excellence. Once you're there, whether you impress them enough to get the scholarship is all on you." After hearing this explanation, Eden felt a little less worried. Her grades were definitely impressive since she was in the top one hundred of her year. Oakvale Academy was known for getting kids into good colleges and had solid connections with schools abroad. With Eden's academic record, being selected wasn't that surprising. What she did not realize was that Miguel said all this just to ease her suspicions. He needed her to let her guard down and follow him. Security cameras lined every school hallway. If
Laura believed that once she and Jett met face-to-face, he would surely give in at the sight of her condition. After all, no child in the world would abandon their mother, especially not Jett! As his mother, Laura understood Jett well. But after hearing her words, Nisa shook her head. "Laura, if you asked me to arrange a meeting with Mr. Grisham, I might try to help. But if you drag Jett into this, the Grisham family will hold me responsible. "I won't do anything that foolish. You should forget about any thoughts of using your son too. You'll only make the Grishams think keeping you in Ludwiten is simply troublesome." Nisa was a clever woman, though somewhat blunt. She really wanted no further contact with Laura. She couldn't even handle her own husband, let alone manage someone else's problems. The socialites had kicked Laura out of their circle, and there was just no way they would let her back in. Today, Laura finally had a taste of how cruel people could be. She had nothi
The person next to Durand widened his eyes. "Mr. Guetta, are you hiding something from us?" "Not at all." Durand kept his words guarded. "As businessmen, we need to understand what we should and shouldn't touch. The Fitzroy family's situation makes that pretty clear. "Let's see if Aria will be so lucky when facing similar circumstances." Lucky? Everyone knew the entire Fitzroy family had been arrested. Magdalene faced multiple charges with no hope of getting out. She had tried to send messages to that mysterious, powerful man; she believed her past connection with him might help. After all, that person had climbed so high due to many factors. Magdalene couldn't believe he would just watch as both the Draycott and Fitzroy families fell. Because if they did, he might not be able to retain his position too. Yet no one responded to her, and she finally experienced what it meant to have no peace. Every day, she heard Dorian cursing her for doing such terrible things. In just two
Whether in traditional business or more speculative industries, Aria had her own plans and strategies. She was truly a genius among geniuses. Today, Philip finally learned that this brilliant woman had dedicated herself to serving her country long ago. None of the people here would have ever guessed she had this kind of background. Otherwise, they wouldn't have dared to go after her or the Grishams the way they did. Even when Yonah was alive, he spoke of her with contempt. Kenny thought she was nothing but a joke. Looking back now, Philip thought that it was really ironic. They had all lived in their arrogance and were too used to looking down on others. After all, they grew up privileged. Philip thought he understood everything about Aria, but in reality, he probably didn't even know a fraction of who she really was. Just like any other young man, he had dreams of being a hero and to become someone special who could serve their country with their life. The excitement dulled
"Good," Aria said while looking at Philip with approval. "I'll remove all protection from you and leave only Nyx by your side. I'll know immediately if anything happens." Philip nodded. He understood that for all this time, he'd stayed safe only because of Aria's careful protection. That was why the Wagner family hadn't found any trace of him until now. Aria had used arcane on him and borrowed items from the Dracotigris Order to hide the negative energy coming from his body, keeping spirits away. In the past, Philip would often be followed by spirits. This hadn't happened lately because of the chain he wore on his wrist. Once all these protections were removed, he would be easily tracked down again. It might not happen right away, but with time, they would find him. With his birth signs in the Wagner family's possession, it would be even easier for that person to locate him. And if Aria stayed by his side, he wouldn't make effective bait. Philip wasn't like Leon. If something
With a smile full of pain, Philip clenched his fists. "Aria, this is unbelievable. I've spent my time in nightclubs and driving fast cars, but I never once thought my great-grandfather betrayed our country." Aria knew Philip for his honesty and passion. He was someone who would collect miniatures of their national heroes and hang their flag in his race car—he clearly loved his country more deeply than most people. She wasn't good at comforting others. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your special constitution protects you from all this. What your ancestors did doesn't change the fact that you're a good person." Philip felt a mix of emotions. Knowing these things brought nothing but pain. Without this knowledge, he would have lived forever in what he thought was truth. He had never told anyone about the Wagners. Each time he returned to their home, he felt the sad decline of what was once a great family. "I'm making slow progress right now." Aria looked up. "So I need t
Aria continued, "My senior is coming to investigate economic crimes and corruption. We don't have to worry about the state authorities causing us troubles too—he might become the governor of Ludwiten." This was Aria's speculation, but she had good reasons backing her guesses. The Chamber of Commerce was important yet heavily corrupted. Those in power wouldn't ignore this, especially with the lieutenant governor involved. The personnel changes happening now were surely related to these matters. Everyone in the Special Missions Unit knew Aria had been assigned a senior colleague. Those authorities might not know Aria's true identity, but the Murray family had enough influence to handle things here. If all else failed, there was always Landon, who was the head of the York family. Simon had caught a glimpse of him from a distance once and found him even more mysterious than rumors suggested. Simon thought he'd stay hidden well, but Landon spotted him anyway. It was eerie—he seeme
The driver had been taking his time to drive before he got the call. But as soon as the student stepped out, she watched in amazement as he suddenly floored it, showing off driving skills smoother than a professional racer's. The car moved so fast that it kicked up wind, leaving her no time to process what had just happened. The cab driver was Stormhowl, the tracking specialist from the Special Missions Unit. His codename sounded like something from a video game and didn't match him at all. Nobody would have thought this ordinary-looking middle-aged man with a goofy smile and thick accent was someone feared by international spies. "Boss, what do you need me to dig up?" Stormhowl walked in with a cigarette between his lips, his smile growing even warmer when he saw Aria. Everyone knew that while the Special Missions Unit members didn't always see eye to eye, 001 was someone they all looked up to. This included Stormhowl, regardless of the age gap. "I'll cut to the chase. An
Suddenly, Aria looked up at the bas-reliefs. Some sources did mention that The Serpent's Succession ritual required a specific manifestation. Many thought soul transfer was easy, but that was not true. The human body had three internal flames; as long as these burned, spirits would find it nearly impossible to possess someone. Random possession wasn't possible unless there was a blood connection or, in Philip's rare case, an unusually receptive negative constitution suited for arcane practice. Based on the person's methods from the manifestation, they definitely found a compatible body and used The Serpent's Succession ritual to transfer themselves. This blood was the key. Aria's eyes darkened. This wasn't ordinary blood. Blood from the living differed completely from blood of the dead—and this was from the living. The source was impossible to trace now. After all, this place had been abandoned. Whoever did this wasn't here anymore, and the low temperature would cause profess