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
Draco was not just consumed by resentment—he also possessed two rare Protection Shields. One came from himself, a defense born out of his past experiences, and the other was granted by a spirit who had sacrificed all their remaining fortune to create it for him.Aria hadn't noticed the shield before due to the presence of the Soul Suppression Plaque, but now she paused, observing the faint golden glow that emanated from his resentment. "Were you a soldier before?" she asked.Draco's eyes burned with fury. "So what if I was? They never treated us like humans. They deserve to die! All of them who bullied my daughter should die!" His anger boiled over as the Soul Suppression Plaque gleamed, feeding off his intense resentment.When Aria saw that, she released Draco. Some Protection Shields wouldn't just appear because one was a soldier. The presence of the Protection Shield meant that Draco was not an ordinary soldier but one with great merit.Aria didn't want to get rid of Draco. Ho
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
The woman in the evening gown kept glancing back as she left, words caught in her throat. Though she wanted to say something, she eventually lost her nerve. She had never dared disobey Landon's orders in the slightest. But besides Landon, other men did tend to fall under her spell.Jett had already stood up, clearly recognizing her. He was surprised and excited. "Ms. Virelle, what brings you here?"She was known to be hard to book. Despite working in nightlife, she carried herself with an elegant air. Even when major incidents happened at clubs, no one blamed her. After all, she was above the wealthy heirs' advances, caring nothing for expensive bottles or money thrown her way. She only went out with those who caught her interest.No one had figured out her criteria for choosing men. She seemed to act on whims, operating independently even from the Draycotts' influence. Eventually, everyone came to call her Ms. Virelle.Seraphina Virelle had planned to just walk past. She did n
Landon told Aria, "Rest on the couch while I wrap this up." He really had a way of making his suggestions hard to refuse. Aria hadn't wanted to know too much about the York family's business dealings. After all, it might get awkward if they ever became competitors."Is this appropriate?" Aria was reminding him to keep business and feelings separate. If she heard any good business strategies, she wouldn't let sentiment stop her from using them.Landon caught her meaning, his smile deepening as his voice took on a rich tone, his eyes soft. "There's nothing inappropriate. We're not discussing anything important."He removed his leather gloves and gently touched the dark circles under her eyes as he spoke. His gentlemanly gesture made it hard to believe he had just been in intimidation mode."Then I'll use your computer to work on some files. You two talk; don't mind me." Aria needed to review the Draycotts' recent moves to prepare for her next steps. Landon hummed in agreement,
At those words, the guard did not dare stop Aria anymore, fearing a misunderstanding. This was all Landon's doing; it had nothing to do with him. He could not understand why Landon had brought a woman back today. Their attire made them look rather intimate, and by sheer coincidence, Aria had arrived. The guard, who rarely showed emotion, now had his features twisted in concern. Seeing this, Aria fiddled with the amethyst pendant at her waist, raising an eyebrow coolly. "So, should I go in?" "Please, Ms. Carver, go right ahead!" The guard weighed his options. If Aria left without entering today, he might find himself fired before nightfall. It was better to let Landon handle his own mess. The guard stepped aside with swift decisiveness. Aria found this amusing—so her handsome fiancé could stir up trouble after all. Well, she wouldn't mind finding a new one. Though she would miss that face of his, she had no use for someone who had been tainted. But from what she knew of his
After the incident with the Katz family, the Fitzroys would certainly be restless. After all, not once during the entire event did Aria allow Jett to take any credit. Aria wanted to observe the Fitzroys' intentions and Laura's reaction. Human nature seemed the most unpredictable element, so taking preventive measures seemed wise. As for Jett, it was time for him to grow up. Otherwise, the Grisham family's situation would remain unsolvable. Jett hadn't failed to reflect. Today's events involving the Katz family had shaken him deeply. Before this, he had never truly understood what kind of enterprise his grandfather Clyde wanted to build. The concept of "national brands" had remained unclear to him. Many of the family's decisions had left him puzzled. But today, everything had finally clicked into place. He had even begun doubting himself, wondering if all those years abroad had been worthless. When he voiced this concern aloud, Aria responded, "Having a global perspective is
That was how certain things worked. They would initially seem insignificant until their loved ones brought them up repeatedly, causing doubt to creep in. Laura lifted her gaze. "Mom, I still think you're overthinking it. Clyde wouldn't ignore Jett and hand everything to Aria." "That's debatable." Magdalene glanced away. "After all these years, you must have forgotten. From the moment Aria was born, she stole all of Jett's attention. Even her first birthday celebration outshone the Grishams' eldest grandson. "Your late mother-in-law made poor decisions in her confusion. You can't allow the same here. Look at what happened with the Katz family. More people will support Aria, and where will that leave Jett? "As the Grishams' eldest grandson, how awkward will his position become?" With each of Magdalene's questions, Laura fell deeper into silence. She had never considered these things before. She had been happy that the Grishams and the Carvers were on good terms again. Moreo
Magdalene asked, "So Jett was just taken away without any explanation? They're practically treating him like a Carver family lackey by making him follow someone even younger than him!" She looked displeased when talking about this matter. "You're his mother, so you should be the one having control over his actions. This situation might be causing a stir, but what does it have to do with Jett? "No one even remembers he's the Grisham heir anymore!" The older generation valued reputation above all else. Magdalene selfishly hoped the Ludwiten business circle would remember Jett's success rather than the Carver family. There was nothing wrong with that desire, but the problem lay elsewhere. "Mother, you know the Katz family situation was handled entirely by Aria. Jett doesn't understand these matters, does he?" Jett's mother, Laura Fitzroy, was quite frustrated as she tried to explain things to Magdalene. "The Grishams were facing a huge crisis, yet Clyde never approached me becau