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
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