The majestic lizard had wanted to tell her that Landon was waiting for Chaos at its residence, but it suddenly remembered that arcane seekers harbored a deep-seated hatred toward Landon. Of course, it'd heard that from the grapevine. Younger demons like the majestic lizard hadn't had the chance to meet Landon before. The majestic lizard reasoned that Landon would prefer to keep his identity hidden; otherwise, why would he bother to disguise himself as a human?With this in mind, the majestic lizard resolved not to disrupt Landon's carefully laid plans. It was acutely aware that Landon could dispatch this arcane seeker without breaking a sweat, and it had no intention of letting her command his mount.The majestic lizard concluded that all it needed to do was lure Aria to where Landon was hiding, and once there, he would ensure her demise.The majestic lizard was quick-witted, but it also made a lot of assumptions. Meeting Sam's piercing gaze filled it with dread, and it quickl
How could it be such a coincidence? Just two days after Homer left, something strange happened to Landon.Various thoughts raced through Titus' mind, making him feel uneasy. At that moment, the phone in the living room rang. It was rare to see landlines in homes these days, but vintage items like that were common in York Residence, a symbol of their quiet luxury.Not in the mood to take the call, Titus motioned for his secretary to answer it.Unexpectedly, the caller's first words were, "I know where Mr. Landon is. I can give you some clues."The secretary's expression shifted. "Please hold for a moment," he said, covering the receiver and turning to Titus. "Mr. York Senior, it's a female college student. She claims to know where Mr. Landon is."Titus walked over, his expression tense, though his voice remained steady, revealing none of his rising anxiety. "Hello."The caller was momentarily thrown off by Titus' voice. She had seen the news about Landon's disappearance, which m
Titus instinctively wanted to frown upon hearing that Lily was from the Kent family, but when she mentioned her grandmother, he hesitated. He hadn't met Georgina, but he knew of her reputation. More importantly, she was the grandmother of his future daughter-in-law, Aria, with whom he was very pleased.Who would have thought that the doctor Landon had praised as a genius would turn out to be Aria? Even more astonishing was that she was later revealed to be the long-lost daughter of the Carver family.Titus could confidently say it was thanks to Aria that Landon was still alive.Knowing Lily was somehow connected to Aria, Titus held back any harsh words and remained silent.Sensing that Titus was holding back, Lily seized the opportunity to continue. "Mr. York Senior, I know you're worried about your grandson. "When I went out to restock medicine, I saw Mr. York in a car on the northwest side of the state. The car wasn't from Janovin; I could tell from the license plate. "I wa
Titus indeed viewed Lily with suspicion. He wouldn't have been so cautious if she had asked for something in exchange for her information. However, since Lily offered clues without seeking anything in return, it made him wary. His impression of her was far from that of a kind, selfless woman.Titus believed that some people could indeed tell a person's fate by merely observing their face—Homer was proof of that.However, such abilities were either innate or honed over years of cultivation. Could Lily possess such gifts? If she did, why hadn't she revealed them earlier?Titus was not someone who could be easily deceived, being both knowledgeable and cautious.Lily, knowing this, had prepared her script. "I understand my words may seem unbelievable. If you doubt me, you can ask the Furler family—I once helped them by predicting an event."But Mr. York Senior, what matters most right now is finding Mr. York. Once you do, make sure he doesn't ride in a white car and have him take a di
The rain splattered against the rocks, its sound echoing through the cave. The crow, ever alert to its master's mood, knew trouble was brewing. Its owner, Landon, was growing impatient, his protective cover tossed aside as he sipped coffee with a bored expression.If the majestic lizard didn't act soon, the crow feared everything in the cave would be destroyed. It knew Landon's temper all too well. As expected, Landon grew bored of his coffee. He stood up and gazed at the glass lights the majestic lizard had carefully collected. Without a second thought, he touched one, and it shattered.Landon turned his attention to the deepest part of the cave. His handsome face remained indifferent while the black mist swirling around him kept others at bay. He looked almost god-like. "Release the souls," he commanded."Yes, my lord." Feeling relieved to have something to do, the crow was about to take off when three figures appeared through the rain. Recognizing one of them as Sam, the crow
The majestic lizard narrowed its eyes, growing more curious about who Aria was in her past life. But before it could ponder further, a wooden stick prodded against its back—Chaos was warning that it would be dead meat if it didn't open the cell quickly.The majestic lizard obeyed without hesitation and opened the cell despite knowing it was unnecessary—Landon could have bypassed it easily. Everything that was unfolding now was far from what the majestic lizard had imagined."What happened to your hand?" Aria asked, noticing blood on Landon's finger. She immediately grabbed his hand to examine it, then shot the lizard a sharp look.The majestic lizard instinctively backed away. It had nothing to do with Landon's injury, and it silently wondered how Aria could dare touch Landon's hand. Didn't she know Landon hated practitioners like her the most? Aria was doomed!Yet, to the lizard's astonishment, Landon, who could control people's fates and regarded humans as insignificant, actually
The majestic lizard grew nervous at Aria's remark and felt compelled to convince her. "I've already eaten most of the young demons in the northwest district. I needed their power to ascend into a dragon, so I ate them."Aria listened without much emotion before coldly responding, "If that's the case, I should kill you to protect our environment."The majestic lizard froze, stunned by her words. He wanted to appeal to Landon for help, but Landon didn't even spare him a glance.Aria, cool and composed, took Landon's hand and strode forward, her demeanor natural.Landon, still as graceful as ever, couldn't help but smile. His presence remained strong, and the lamps lit up in his wake as they passed. However, Aria's attention was focused on the trapped souls nearby. It was no wonder they couldn't leave—Draco was watching them, and a Soul Suppression Plaque was in place.Aria recognized that the plaque was the work of someone from her field. Her expression darkened as she yanked the
Cameron had initially treated Aria with disdain, believing in Lily's manipulative tales. It wasn't just Lily's deceit; Cameron's poor judgment played a role. However, after spending time with his grandfather and learning more, Cameron began to admire Aria. He realized how capable and admirable she was, especially after seeing her on the variety show where she saved the heroic spirits. Now, Cameron aspired to be as skilled as Aria.Lily wasn't frightening in and of herself, but Malcolm was wary of the trouble she might cause, fearing that she could damage Aria's fortunes. Lily had a knack for charming people and making them believe in her, which left Malcolm feeling unsettled. There was definitely something strange about her.No matter how often Malcolm thought Lily was gone for good, she somehow always reappeared. He couldn't understand how she managed to gain the respect of the Furler family to such a degree.This was also the first thing Aria noticed when she received Malcolm's
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
Seraphina could not let her mind go there. Maybe she should've stayed in Netherrealm for a few more years. It was not so bad down there anyway. Landon barely spared her a glance, keeping his eyes on Jett with polite interest. "Won't you sit, Jett?"Sit? Jett could barely remember why he had come in the first place. Landon's voice snapped him back. "I... Mr. York, excuse me for asking, but what's your relationship with Ms. Virelle?""She works for me." Landon glanced at Seraphina. "Ms. Virelle? That's a new title."Jett stumbled over his words. "She works for you?""Yes," Landon said casually, like it was the most obvious thing. "Isn't it obvious?"Jett could not imagine the Yorks being in that kind of business. From Jett's expression alone, Landon could guess what kind of mess his people had made in Ludwiten. Since he had been dragged into it now, he figured he owed the Grishams an explanation. "I planted her in the Draycott family. The Yorks need a foothold in Ludwiten."So
Getting out of there wasn't going to be easy. Aria did not waste any time. She moved fast behind the suite divider, her laugh carrying a different note than usual. "What a shame."Landon's hand paused as he fixed her hair, his voice as smooth as ever. "I could have them leave.""Bad timing. My cousin's out there." Aria glanced at him, taking in that perfect collarbone of his. No wonder they used to call him the untouchable one, with all those socialites dying for just a smile.She had never given much thought to that kind of thing before. All those times working with patients, she had kept things strictly professional. But things felt different now, and she couldn't quite put her finger on why. Her gorgeous fiancé had a way of making her lose her head.Landon pulled his hand back while looking down. "We should meet with your cousin. I hear the Grishams like to evaluate their in-laws.""Huh?" That had not crossed her mind. He did not seem like someone who would care about app
Aria felt something wild coming off him. It was not hatred, but something close. She was too caught up to figure out what it was. She had never felt anything like this before; it was like she was floating. Her eyes were open, but she could not focus. Even his breathing felt like an invasion, starting at her ear and spreading through her whole body. When his fingers pressed into her waist, instinct made her try to push him away. That was a bad move—it only made things more intense. He lit her up like a match, heat spreading from her neck downward till she had to tilt her head back just to breathe. It reminded her of that hazy dream, the one in which she had been caught between sleep and waking, her pulse racing and her skin on fire. But it did not feel exactly the same because what she was feeling now was real. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught glimpses of the river through the massive windows. The view was blurry, but it was enough to remind her where she was. Unable t
Landon's warm lips brushed against Aria's. The touch was light as a feather yet utterly captivating. His kiss was so delicate it seemed to awaken every memory stored in her body. In that moment, Aria could swear she caught that same sandalwood scent from her dreams. Black mist and countless indiscernible inscriptions appeared, but he paid them no mind, gripping her waist as he whispered low in her ear. When he kissed her wrist without looking away from her face, his presence was impossible to ignore. His black leather gloves lay discarded to the side. To Aria, every place his hands touched felt like it was on fire. The sensation intensified when his fingertips traced the black mark on her neck. Something inside her screamed to take control, which made her grab his hand. He seemed to smile with his lips by her ear. "So, are you ready to pay the renewal fee?" Aria had never thought anyone could enchant her like this. But this was different. It felt just like seeing a fallen g
Landon asked, "You're getting water?" As his gaze drifted down to where Aria's hair fell, his voice turned rich and low. "Then why are your ears turning red?" Aria's hand froze mid-air. "It's hot in here." "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "It's only 70°F here." Aria wanted to tell him to stop talking so much. It was all because of what he had done in her dreams, making her imagination run wild now. Did he think having a handsome face meant he could do whatever he wanted? He even used all that binding stuff on her too. But she couldn't be sure it was even him. And even if it was, it must have been from a past life. As an arcane seeker, Aria knew what recurring dreams usually meant. But she had pushed those thoughts aside. A past life should not dictate their relationship in this one. At the very least, he wouldn't try anything like putting her in chains and locking her up now. That would be illegal. She would have him arrested and be done with it. Besides, her handsome fi
The atmosphere inside the room was totally different from the outside.Aria did sense the strange aura around Seraphina just now. Her beauty was otherworldly, almost supernatural. And there was something familiar about her presence—Aria felt she had encountered it before but couldn't remember where. Given how quickly Seraphina had withdrawn her hostility and turned gentle, Aria saw no point in making an issue of it. Besides, the way Landon was massaging her neck felt too good, making her mind feel hazy. As her blood flow slowed, she started to feel drowsy. The trio hiding in the copper coin did not dare show themselves; they were probably not even there. They had been especially quiet since arriving in Ludwiten, as if something here affected them. This was one of the things Aria wanted to investigate. The Wagners had used some unknown method to hide themselves after reaching Ludwiten. Even the Special Missions Unit failed to track them. All they had was that initial contact