The soul that Draco was gripping tightly didn't understand why Aria, who had previously stopped him, now allowed Draco to hurt others. Even Draco noticed this and turned to her. "Aren't you going to stop me? Didn't you say you would make me disappear if I didn't return?"Aria replied nonchalantly, "That was before. I treat those with merits differently. I can still make you disappear after you finish taking your revenge. But I'll tell you this—it's not worth it to waste your merits on a bunch of idiots."Draco's grip loosened slightly as he pondered her words, but the anger in his bloodshot eyes hadn't subsided. "They aren't innocent."Aria looked at him and replied, "I know they're not innocent. I'm just saying they're not the ones who bullied your daughter. You'll be making a huge mistake by killing them."The soul whom Draco was gripping quickly nodded. "She's right. Draco, we were wrong to spread false rumors online and do that to you. We're really sorry. Since we're all coll
"I'll eat them! We can talk this out. It's just eating a few people. I can do it! Once they return, I'll be waiting for them at their homes." The lizard was determined to prove its worth to Aria.The souls felt their feet going numb after hearing that, but Aria didn't spare them a glance. She turned to look at Draco instead. "When you wake up tomorrow, seek me out at Carver Group's. Does that sound good?"Draco thought for a moment before replying, "I believe in the Carver family."Then, he walked toward the Soul Lock Manifestation with half of his resentment gone.After he was gone, the other souls could finally move. None of them wanted to stay there, so they hurried forward and disappeared.Peace was finally back. The fog was also not as thick as before, and the skies in the city turned clear."It finally stopped raining." An elderly woman in the market sighed in relief, glad that the downpour had ceased. Continuous rain had made her joints ache, and she feared for the riverba
Aria asked the lizard, "Now that you haven't fulfilled his wish, what are you planning to do next?"The lizard appeared confused until Aria reminded it, "You made a pact. Breaking it will have consequences. Just look at your claws."As the lizard glanced down, it noticed the skin on its hand starting to crack. Its eyes widened in horror. "My skin is cracking! That old coot deceived me!"Nearby, Sam scoffed, thinking the lizard was overreacting. Once Aria deemed it useless, he would have a fine meal. There was no need for the lizard to treat its wound. A sprinkle of salt, and it would make for a delightful dish—Sam had become quite the connoisseur in food preparation.The lizard looked at Aria helplessly, "Miss, please help me!"Aria replied calmly, "It's simple. Become my spirit vassal and sign a pact with me. You've seen I'm a billionaire CEO in this world. I'm much more open than the person pulling your strings. He's probably not as wealthy as I am."The majestic lizard began t
Landon had never ridden a Tomahawk before; he usually preferred the comfort of cars. Lifting one eyebrow in curiosity, he swung one leg over the bike and straddled it.Seeing his uncertainty, Aria reached out and placed his hands around her waist. "Hold on tight. I go fast."As Landon inhaled the fragrance of her hair, a smile crept onto his face. The engine roared to life, and Aria leaned forward, her back arching gracefully. Landon tightened his grip around her waist with one hand, breathing in her scent—it was nothing like the overpowering perfumes that usually gave him a headache; she smelled like rain in springtime.Waiting at a red light, Landon's gaze drifted down to Aria's exposed waist. His eyes darkened, and he instinctively tightened his hold on her.Aria turned her head, eyebrows raised in confusion, as if asking him what was wrong through the visor of her helmet.Landon chuckled, his voice low and magnetic as it whispered in her ear, "How do you plan on dealing with
The bodyguards didn't suspect Lily at all. They had investigated her whereabouts and confirmed she had never been to the northwest.The butler also confirmed her words matched the videos the Dark Shadow sent. However, Landon was still missing, and he wasn't in any of the white cars they stopped.Titus didn't fully believe Lily's words, but he knew she could be right. Thus, he needed to be on guard.He paced around his study with his walking cane. Suddenly, he realized something. "If the car accident really happens, the problem isn't on the white car but the truck. Go and investigate the truck driver's identity."It was daytime; if Lily was correct, the truck driver would be key to causing a major accident during daylight hours.As the roadblocks increased, a truck driver named Damon Kirch began to feel anxious. He didn't want anyone to discover that he had been drinking. The road he was traveling was usually deserted, so he couldn't fathom why there were so many roadblocks today
Damon was so angry that his eyes were red. He rolled down his windows to scold Aria, but she beat him to it. "What's that scent on you?"Upon hearing that, Damon seemed nervous. "What do you mean? Do you even know how to ride a bike? Do you know that you're blocking my way?"The commotion quickly gathered attention from the surrounding vehicles, creating a bottleneck of cars waiting for inspection due to the roadblock.A driver rolled down his window and called out to Landon, "Young man, you should get your girlfriend out of here. Don't let her cause a scene. You're lucky there's a roadblock; otherwise, it would be dangerous to act like this on the highway."Landon removed his helmet. "She's not a busybody; she's saving you all." He then looked at the driver. "You should thank her."The driver shook his head in confusion. "He's quite handsome. It's just that he's not in his right mind."A young child was sitting behind the driver. "Daddy, what are you saying? When will we get to
The officer stood in shock after Aria revealed herself as 001, the elusive commander of the Highest Operations Unit who had investigated Nymeria's church. Her identity was highly confidential and known to few. This revelation carried weight, and the officer immediately focused on checking on Damon.It quickly became apparent that Damon wasn't just drunk—he was also transporting private gas. A potential accident involving such volatile materials could be catastrophic. The surrounding drivers started to break out in cold sweats, realizing just how close they had come to disaster."Dad, what happened?" the young boy asked after seeing how terrified his father was."Nothing much. We've met our life savior, that's all," the father replied, realizing how fortunate they were. Their car would have been trailing the truck for some distance. He also remembered a notorious intersection prone to car accidents ahead. Fortunately, the young woman had prevented the truck driver from proceeding.
Silas Braune, the usually composed butler of the York family, hurried inside with his phone, an uncharacteristic look of excitement on his face as he approached Titus. A few CEOs from the York family's business partners were there to fish for information about Landon. Their expressions shifted drastically upon hearing the news. They couldn't believe Landon had been located so quickly, especially given that the abductor's identity was still unknown. Exchanging knowing glances, they shared a common motive—to observe how the York family would handle the situation. If Landon was truly missing, they would have needed to consider adjusting their business terms with the Yorks. Naturally, they didn't dare to confront Titus directly, but they were prepared to pull some strings behind the scenes. This was why they came to York Residence to find out Landon's situation. However, their boldness now seemed ill-advised, and they regretted coming. They wondered if it was too late for them to
"Seeing Aria like this brings me so much joy." Georgina set down her fan and took a pill, her breathing gradually steadying. Landon observed her condition without surprise. He certainly saw more than Aria did. But fate's secrets were not meant to be revealed; everyone had their own path. All he could do was ask, "Should we tell her about your condition?" "And have her worrying about me while handling everything else?" As she spoke, Georgina waved dismissively. "Managing the Carver Group means there are countless employees depending on her. "Last time I saw her, she was falling asleep sitting up. She already worries too much about me, and I know why. It's because of my granddaughter Lily." Georgina lowered her gaze, smiling. "You know the situation with the Kents. I couldn't survive in Southbury then with everyone pointing fingers and calling me a wicked mother-in-law. They said I had blood on my hands. "But Aria stood by me without judgment. Only then could I come to Janovi
No one really knew how pitiful Sam had been back then. Nobody would have connected that filthy, weak, and skinny child to Chaos. Even now, only the skillful arcane seekers could recognize Sam as Chaos. That's because he had not fully awakened yet. Besides, his round, childish face showed no hint of threat. When Georgina first found him, it was raining. He looked less like a child and more like a stray cat, huddled miserably in a corner. He did seem fierce since he was watching everyone with dark, suspicious eyes. Some even suspected he was mentally ill and called the police. The police confirmed he was an orphan, with no records in any database. They planned to handle it as a case of missing a child since no orphanage would take him. Sam hadn't always been like this. He appeared quite dangerous and could not speak a word. He would stare people down intensely, so it was understandable that people would be afraid of him. He even bit the police officer who tried to take him. If
Aria glanced at Landon, impressed. His lie was far more polished than hers would have been. His face alone made the story believable, and she noticed how he showed no signs of deception at all. He even gave her a casual glance, showing how he was totally at ease. Sure enough, Georgina believed it. "I've heard of Mr. Bond. Sam is so lucky! Tell him to study well up there. I'll visit him in a few days!" "Of course. I'll go with you later." Aria did not want to upset Georgina. With her upcoming trip to Ludwiten, Aria insisted on having a meal at the mansion. She only provided occasional guidance on the clinic's direction now. She had left daily operations to professional managers. Even when she had lost her senses, Georgina had never given up on her. Even when she had not been herself, Georgina had not abandoned her. Aria knew the Kent family wouldn't change, especially Marshall, with his greed. She just wanted to ensure Georgina's twilight years weren't spent worrying about unw
The patrol guard met Mindy's gaze and gave a subtle nod. But a closer look would reveal an unmistakable respect in him for Mindy. This was not surprising since certain powers had their fingers everywhere. And the Furler incident was just one example. "Is that really what the Furlers said?" "Yes!" The visitor pushed aside the beaded curtain. Morlock wore wooden sandals, his eyes cold. "Everything was settled. Did that old fool from the Furler family decide he didn't want to extend his life?" "The arcane seems to have failed." The attendant frowned. "A Farshyan arcane seeker must have discovered it. In his condition, it would've been noticed eventually. The priests of Mount Dracotigris aren't so easily fooled." The visitor laughed. "No matter how powerful they are, they're still beneath you. Once Morwenna emerges and souls unite, our power will be limitless. Mr. Grimalkin, as you told me—Farshya's vast territory and population are both an advantage and a liability. "With so
June pulled out her phone after Mark left, eager to reconnect with her social circle. When she finally got into the group chat, she tried finding a hot topic to discuss. But she realized the entire conversation revolved around ways to connect with Aria. June froze. She had to private message her friends and ask about it. "What's going on here? Aria Carver is much younger than us—should we really be giving her so much attention? When Clare came back from Aralia, I didn't see everyone acting like this." Her friend caught the bitterness in her words and stopped her. "Heavens, keep these thoughts between us. Don't ever mention this in the group!" June's face reddened. "I just don't understand what's happening." "Mrs. Shobert, we've known each other long enough, so I know what you mean. As your friend of many years, let me warn you. Ms. Carver is both capable and kind. She understands the struggles of us housewives. "You better not think Clare's been overshadowed, and don't undere
"There's no need for us to meet anymore. I've made my decision. Yes, we won't have any collaborations with your team." After hanging up, the weight that had burdened Maxwell's shoulders for days suddenly lifted. His heart remained heavy. No one could stay unmoved by a family member's death. Yet Ashton's true nature, revealed at the end, left them all cold. Though other elite families remained unaware of the Furlers' situation, everything appeared calm on the surface. The ladies were particularly warm when seeing Aria out. The Janovin socialites who had waited to mock her now found themselves speechless. While they were still gossiping at their parties, their so-called "country bumpkin" had reached heights they could never attain. She did not need to socialize with them. With one move, she had brought the Lawrence family to their knees. Moreover, the high-society wives they desperately tried to please now treated Aria with so much warmth. They were practically worshipping her!
Aria's voice remained neutral. "We're not exactly friends. The Kents took me in once, and she tried to hurt me a few times back then. Let's just say we're well-acquainted." Maxwell's smile vanished, swallowing whatever he had planned to say next. "Don't worry." Aria's smile held hidden meaning. "I'm just curious how someone with mediocre medical skills suddenly became known as a genius doctor." Maxwell understood now. "But she is skilled. She cured my wife's illness." "Did she?" Aria probed further into the topic. From Maxwell's account, she pieced together the situation. Lily could indeed perform acupuncture, though with inconsistent results. Aria had not visited the mansion recently. Still, she doubted Lily's techniques came from Georgina. Moreover, according to Maxwell, Lily had once said, "The Wagners and Furlers will both prosper. Rest assured, Mr. Furler Senior will be fine." Her words revealed two things. Mentioning the Furlers made sense, but why bring up the Wagner
With that thought in mind, Landon's gaze drifted over. His mesmerizing eyes turned cold and distant. Ah yes, the boy did look rather pitiful with that fair skin and those innocent doe eyes. He remembered how Aria used to prefer men who looked just like that, unlike himself. She had commented on how Landon looked so delicate, easy to bully, and carried an air of fragility. Fragile? Hah. Landon's eyes darkened, his emotions masked behind his perfect façade. Lost in his grief, Ignatius had not even noticed how his constant hovering around Aria might be misinterpreted. After such events, it seemed inappropriate to continue their visit. Maxwell had already begun preparing the funeral arrangements. Ashton's service would need to be handled with proper dignity. But Landon stopped him. "Don't announce it today." "Why?" Maxwell looked confused. Though irritated by how Aria always softened at the sight of pitiful young men, there were important things Landon had to say. "It wouldn't
The true mark of maturity came with a bitter realization. Not all parents would love their children unconditionally. Some cherished only the status their children brought them. Others craved control, while some favored certain children over others based on outdated beliefs. Many struggled to understand why, but life rarely offered simple answers. Even the most devoted love for one's children could sometimes become stifling in its intensity. However, Ashton's relentless pursuit of immortality had eclipsed all else. Aria told everyone not to touch Ashton's body, and she wrote a talisman on the spot. "The body should be cremated this afternoon. And Ignatius, this room should remain vacant for now." Ignatius lifted his head at her words, his face marked by suffering. "Keep wearing this Charm Token." Aria eyed his shoulder. "Take medicinal baths more frequently. I'll write down instructions for you. The fastest way to remove the mark is through beneficence—good deeds often overcom