Lily went pale, unable to refute Aria's words. She never expected Aria to say this in front of everyone. Most people would have been too concerned about their image, but Aria was different. She didn't hesitate to expose something as humiliating as having her fiancé stolen!Seeing the CEOs glance her way, Lily thought she might still turn things around and clear her name.With a gentle and innocent tone, she explained, "My family made the decision. Aria, I'm sure you understand. The Kent family wouldn't allow me to go against them. I apologize for my actions. As long as you forgive me, I'll do whatever you ask."The more innocent she appeared, the more unforgiving and relentless Aria seemed in contrast. But Aria was no stranger to her pitiful acts.Aria responded calmly, "Are you saying your family taught you to steal someone's fiancé? If that's the case, they're quite skilled in educating you."Lily was stunned, while Landon couldn't help but smile slightly. Aria's sharp tongue wa
Titus added, "You must thank her, and so must I."The York family always taught their children to keep grievances and gratitude separated. Lily took advantage of this, sniffling as she said, "Mr. York Senior, it's alright. I understand Mr. York misunderstood me because of what happened back then. Now that he's safe, I should go back to care for Grandma."She made herself appear pitiable so that people would think the York family didn't appreciate her for saving Landon—and that even his fiancée was humiliating her.In Lily's position, anyone would feel wronged, and the CEOs thought the York family was being unreasonable.Before this incident, the CEOs regarded Aria as an effective leader for the Carver Group, even considering future partnerships. But now, they doubted she was truly behind its success. Aria was merely the acting CEO; Warren was the real mastermind.After all, it would be embarrassing if people knew that his granddaughter was an unsophisticated country bumpkin with l
Landon spoke indifferently, "Everyone, listen closely—especially you, Ms. Kent. First of all, I was never in a white car."A chill settled over the room. The CEOs exchanged puzzled glances, and Lily, who had been smiling, suddenly looked uneasy."Secondly, I wasn't initially in the northwest part of the city," Landon continued calmly.Upon hearing that, Lily murmured in disbelief. "Impossible! How could that be?"In her memory, the news had reported the car accident in the northwest part of the city.Landon said nonchalantly, "Didn't you know that, Ms. Kent? It appears your fortune-telling skills are quite sub-par."The CEOs cast uneasy glances at Lily, while Titus composed himself, deciding to hear Landon out.Lily took a step back, turning sharply to Silas. "He mentioned a truck loaded with oil tanks! That's true!"Landon chuckled, turning his cough into something that seemed mocking. "A truck and oil tanks? Trucks are common in the city's northwest, and many people sell oil
Lily decided it was time to leave after everything that had happened. She had no expectations from the York family, hoping they'd simply let her go. However, she'd underestimated Landon, the most ruthless figure in the business world.How could Janovin's most powerful man overlook someone trying to take advantage of him?That wasn't Landon’s style, especially since he despised blackmail. Moreover, the entire incident had been orchestrated to give Aria the chance to "save" him, providing him with a solid pretext to officially marry her. Yet Lily had taken this opportunity to try to con him.If Landon left things ambiguous today, rumors might spread that he owed his life to her—a notion he loathed.Before Lily could say more, Landon cut her off. "Ms. Kent, you can't provide a detailed explanation because you only guessed the location correctly. You failed to guess the other details."With that, Landon walked over to Aria and took her hand. "My fiancée was the one who saved me. She f
Lily immediately felt afraid. She glanced to her side anxiously and noticed the CEOs' expressions had changed dramatically. One of them, quick to adapt to the situation, sneered, "Liar! Only Mr. York could see through you!""She's probably fooled the Furler family, too. We need to inform Mr. Furler Senior!""Exactly. Mr. York, we'll be going now. This brat likely deceived a lot of people, including Mr. Furler Senior. We have to warn him!"The CEOs were eager to leave before Landon could make things difficult for them. Besides, they wanted to get back at Lily for deceiving them earlier. Looking at their harsh looks, Lily knew she was done for.The Furler family had been her stepping stone to the other prestigious families. Without their support, all her hard work would be for nothing. She'd invested so much effort into building a persona that convinced the Furlers she wasn't after their wealth. She appeared non-materialistic, claiming she didn't need anything in return, aiming o
Titus sighed. "Dr. Genius, you're finally willing to come back home with my grandson. I remember meeting you long ago and finding you incredibly talented and interesting. Little did I know you were the poor child from the Carver family."No one in Janovin knew Titus had met Aria long ago, nor that she was the only person he referred to as a genius doctor.If the CEOs who had left earlier discovered that Aria was the legendary Dr. Whiz, they would regret it for the rest of their lives.Aria retracted her gaze before greeting politely, "Mr. York Senior.""Don't call me that. Call me Grandpa." Titus walked over with a smile. The more he looked at Aria, the more satisfied he felt about her as his future daughter-in-law."I'm not exaggerating when I say you saved Landon's life. He used to struggle with something as simple as eating, let alone making it home safely after getting caught in the rain."As he spoke, Titus motioned for Aria to sit, then glanced at Silas behind him. Silas no
Titus didn't hesitate to reveal all of Landon's embarrassing moments. "Don't you think he's childish?"When Aria turned to look at Landon, she saw he had his lips pursed. Although he was still smiling, he didn't seem happy at all. "Grandpa, that was all in the past."Titus placed the coffee cup down. "Oh, right! That was back then! Ever since he knew he was engaged to Dr. Genius, he visits the Carver residence more than he comes home. I can barely stand to watch."Aria, his health improved after he met you, and he even regained his appetite. Our whole family was thrilled. We wanted to thank you, so we asked him who managed to help him recover. But he kept you a secret, worried we'd bother you. Now he's anxious, constantly urging us to send gifts to the Carver family."Titus continued, "Anyone who didn't know better would think someone in our family is desperate to get married."Landon raised an eyebrow. "Grandpa, drink your coffee. It's getting cold.""I don't mind cold coffee. A
Aria wondered why the conversation had suddenly shifted to her backing out. She looked up, meeting Landon's gaze. He was already handsome, but up close, he was even more striking.He gently tucked a strand of her long long hair behind her ear and said seductively, "You need to take responsibility."Seeing Aria at a loss for words, Landon raised his eyebrows with a small smile.Their closeness was obvious to anyone observing. Titus beamed, while Silas and the other housekeepers exchanged knowing smiles as they went off to prepare dinner. Despite working in York Residence for years, they had never seen Landon so tender toward anyone before."Ms. York and Ms. Carver seem to have such a good relationship.""Of course. Didn't you hear Mr. York Senior say Ms. Carver is the one who cured Mr. York?""I heard rumors about how capable Ms. Carver is. She's the one who brought the heroic spirits back home.""Not only that but even the Carver family…"Aria had only given Landon a ride, yet
Miguel had worked so hard to climb out of being just another underpaid teacher. Most people would have been thrilled to land a principal job, but Miguel got greedy. He never cared about shaping young minds. As he often said, "It's just a paycheck. Only losers pass up money to preach about education." That mentality might fly in small towns, but in the big city, these kids wouldn't stand a chance based on merit alone. Miguel wasn't exactly looking down on his students—he just knew the situation in each class best. Students with or without local residency permits would face different college admissions standards. Rich families already had their children's overseas education lined up, so there was no sweat required. Even if they had bad grades, it wouldn't be a problem. They could still go abroad and buy themselves a fancy degree. Money talked, and that was the harsh reality. Miguel needed that Department of Education position to set his son up right. It was pretty ironic for a
Aria would definitely have the principal of Oakvale Academy detained eventually, but not now. The moment Miguel was in custody, the people pulling his strings would smell trouble. Based on past cases, they'd likely cut all connections immediately. All their carefully gathered leads could vanish in seconds. So Miguel needed to stay free for now and even remain in plain sight. Aria said, "Don't tell your principal about what happened today." She looked at Eden. "When you go back, just attend classes like how you normally do. If Mr. Sonder asks about you, tell him you're still thinking it over. "Show how nervous you are about this, but also hint that you're eager to go abroad. You're just not quite ready yet. "Don't tell anyone about our conversation. I've added you as a contact. If anything seems off, text me immediately. "Someone will be protecting you 24/7, and your family too. So don't be afraid." As she spoke, Aria stood up. "Let's go. I'll take you back to school. They
"I don't know what Judy meant by that," Eden said as she looked up. "She never talked like that before." "Got it," Aria said, zooming in on the photo. By looking at the brand of the chocolate drink and the surrounding buildings, she could nail down the exact location. Without hesitation, she sent it to Sam for analysis. Something about this "interview" smelled fishy. She had to see firsthand what kind of meeting would change a simple and positive girl like Judy. "About those selected applicants—do you know exactly who they were?" Aria dug deeper with her questions. Once she had names, she could connect the dots between the students. These patterns would reveal what the buyers were looking for. Human trafficking was a high-stakes criminal business, and Aria did not believe this was just about exploiting young girls. The bar incident had been her wake-up call. She needed the full picture before making her move. She would just spook them if she jumped in too soon. Their oper
Aria needed to identify all the "buyers". Missing even one buyer could mean one more student was sold. "Do the selected applicants have anything in common besides their family situations?" Aria asked, and Eden shook her head. But she then added, "Everyone had good grades, so nobody ever questioned why they were chosen for scholarships. Nothing seemed fishy about it." Aria made a mental note about the good grades, then scrolled through Judy's Facebook feed. This kind of investigation was pretty straightforward for her. Even without being accepted as a friend, she could hack in easily. From her posting habits, Judy seemed like an optimist. She was a nice girl who rarely posted anything negative. But one post made Aria scroll back and look twice. The post was cheerful, with a sunny photo and a cup of chocolate. But the text caught her attention. It read, "About to start my new life! All my hard work has paid off. The interview was kind of weird, but no big deal. Let's go!" Ar
The person on the other end of the call didn't speak. He just nodded with a pouty little face from behind a computer screen. It was actually Sam. He'd been working behind the scenes all along, especially when investigating the Wagner situation. Having him tail Philip was the least suspicious option. Simon was available too, but his presence would definitely attract unwanted attention as a beast of fortune. Since they were dealing with an arcane seeker, bringing Simon would be like handing them a treasure. So Aria made the call to have Sam follow Philip, while Simon stayed with Landon. Aria was not worried about her handsome fiancé being in danger. It was only because Simon would be safest with him. The Yorks carried heavenly fortune. As long as there was no fated ordeal in play, anyone who tried to harm Landon would likely meet a bad end. After all, that purple energy surrounding him wasn't just for show. With Simon staying near him, Simon could mask Landon's aura while also
"Yeah, that's right," the rest of the burly men chimed in. The whole scene was painfully forced and fake. In reality, they just wanted to leave. But Aria wasn't about to let them off so easily. She figured she would return the favor since they'd been asking about her. She asked, "Oh, so the Draycotts owe your company money? Which company is that?" Viggo had not expected this question. He froze momentarily, then quickly replied, "Our company is small, so it's not worth mentioning. It's nothing compared to yours." "It's admirable how your company can sponsor students despite being a small one." Aria's compliment was delivered flatly. Viggo's scalp tingled with unease. "It's actually our investor. He doesn't just fund us but many companies. He came from a small town himself and wants to help these students get better learning conditions." "Now that's a rare and kind soul. I'd love to meet him sometime." Aria said casually, "Since we've had such a fortunate encounter, let's exc
The three men Aria had knocked to the ground were hurting all over, yet she had the nerve to talk about following the law. Viggo knew his men were losing their cool. After all, they'd never been humiliated like this in Ludwiten before. He quickly moved to block them, forcing a smile. "Yes, you're absolutely right. "Well, they say you never really know someone until you trade a few punches. You look unfamiliar, though. You're not from Ludwiten, are you?" Viggo was fishing for information about Aria. He needed to know who she was and why their operation had suddenly derailed today. But someone as shrewd as Aria instantly caught his meaning, so she smirked. Since things had already escalated this far, it did not matter whether she revealed her identity or not. Whoever was behind these men would investigate her anyway. It was better to draw all the attention to herself now while her senior and the Public Integrity Task Force gathered evidence behind the scenes. That way, they cou
Viggo tried to explain, "You've got it all wrong—we don't mean any harm. We were just told to pick Ms. Bohmer up for paperwork. "Ms. Bohmer's a top student, and her school recommended her for study abroad. Just ask her if you don't believe me." Viggo shifted the spotlight to Eden. He figured a student like her wouldn't know how to speak up. Indeed, Eden was terrible at lying. Under Aria's watchful gaze, she nodded. She then added, "But something about them felt off. Maybe I was just being paranoid when I asked for your help." She couldn't very well tell this stranger that everything was based on a hunch, that these people gave her the creeps. They hadn't crossed any lines yet, but something felt wrong. She just couldn't put her finger on what. Eden struggled to explain, but Aria cut right to the chase. "So are you saying you need eight beefy men to escort a girl like her just to fill out some study abroad forms? Can't the teachers or the proper agencies handle it? "Looking
Hearing this, Viggo frowned. The burly men exchanged glances too as they sized up the person in front of them. They'd been in Ludwiten so long but had never met anyone as bold as Aria. They all figured that she must be some out-of-town wealthy heir who didn't know the rules here. She was practically asking for trouble when she blocked their way. These people didn't follow the stock market much. If they had, they'd know that a certain young lady had arrived in town not long ago. And she was someone who was good at dealing with those who crossed her. "You should ask around about who runs things here before acting so cocky. Since you like it here, stay right here with your bike!" As they spoke, one of them walked toward Aria aggressively, raising his arm to throw a punch. The rest moved in at the same time. But before the man could touch Aria, his hand was suddenly caught. Aria moved fast. With one leg braced against her motorcycle as a pivot point, she lunged forward and droppe