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
The employees in the broadcasting headquarters slowly opened their eyes one after another. When their family members asked if they were feeling well, they gave no response, remaining lost in their thoughts.One of the employees, Charles Grub, who often bullied others at work, had been feverish and incoherent for the past two days. His wife suggested, "Why don't you take a few more days off? Let the intern cover for you."She made the suggestion lightly, knowing how often he did the same for others. In his feverish state, Charles nodded instinctively. However, he thought of something the moment he lay down. "Did you go and visit Draco?"His wife looked at him, perplexed. "Draco? Didn't you say he was stingy and useless, someone who couldn't read the room? You even told me to stay away from him."Charles seemed slightly guilty. "I mean, he went through a serious accident. You share the same hometown as his wife, so it would be natural to visit him."His wife's confusion only grew. "
When Charles heard Molly's words, he tensed up. Before he could speak, a snake slithered into the living room.Molly went pale and almost fainted, while her mother's face lost all colors. With no other choice, Charles clasped his hands together and prayed to the snake. "Don't worry. I'll definitely fulfill my promise from the dream. I'll go and apologize to Draco later. My daughter is still young. Please don't get mad at her. I'll make sure she learns her lesson."Molly thought her father had gone insane, unaware that other families were also finding snakes appearing in their homes.These snakes were offerings from the Pahana, enabling him to locate souls through their resentment.…Meanwhile, in an old apartment building, no one dared to approach Draco's house. His neighbors avoided it, pitying his family but fearing their bad luck might be contagious.An old lady knocked on Draco's door. "Libbie, please eat something. I made extra roasted ribs today. Have some. Don't take what
Aria said meaningfully, "It's nothing much, but I found a witness."Witness? Landon looked at Sabrina.Without hesitation, Aria pulled Sabrina along, handing a child over to Martha. "Ma'am, please come with us. We need to confirm some things with your daughter-in-law."The "we" included both Draco and Libbie.When Sabrina realized she was being dragged into Draco's house, her face turned pale. "I don't want to go to their house! Stop!"Libbie had kept the door slightly ajar; she wasn't expecting anyone to enter their house. Just as she was about to shut it, someone grabbed her wrist.It was Draco, who had been bedridden with a fever for days. Libbie's eyes widened as tears streamed down her face. "You're finally awake! They are—"Aria met Draco's gaze through the small gap, still holding onto Sabrina. "I'm here to fulfill my promise, Mr. Pollard." Draco was taken aback, wondering if he was still dreaming. He hesitated to rise, unsure of how he would explain himself to the Carv
Indeed, Lettie hesitated. She looked at her daughter instinctively. After all, blood ties could not be easily broken. Paxton seized this moment to step forward and hug her. "Lettie, I knew you couldn't give up on our family. I've really learned my lesson. We'll move out and keep Mom from interfering. Please?" His movements were too quick for Lettie to react. Aria sat there with a smirk, her gaze drifting to the window. It was a great photo spot indeed. It would be a perfect picture of an adorable daughter, a caring husband, and a forgiving wife. This would become a narrative of quick reconciliation that would betray the public's support. Aria had even thought of headlines for Celestia's post. Too bad she hadn't come inside. If she had, seeing Aria's face might have shaken her confidence. Lettie didn't let Paxton's embrace last. Once she recovered, she shoved him away. Then, came the slap. "You're absolutely shameless!" Lettie could not believe his act, even now. Glancing a
As Amara stood there trembling, it drew stares from onlookers. She could not believe her son would speak to her this way. It was Paxton who had begged her to help, saying Celestia wanted to meet Daisy. He even asked her to arrange it so the girl would accept them when the divorce happened. That way, Don would not interfere too much. As a mother, how could she ignore her son's troubles? He had gone on about Celestia's background—how cultured she was and how her parents were prestigious lawyers in Ludwiten. Amara had been impressed. A simple housewife like Lettie could not possibly compare to a Ludwiten socialite. Through Amara's investigation, she found out that the Norwoods were renowned in legal circles. Daisy's grandfather was even a senior judge. That was the kind of woman worthy of her son. She had done everything to help him seize this opportunity, but how had she become the villain? Amara clenched her fists. She understood what Paxton meant now. He was making her the sc
"Now more people would hate mothers-in-laws like us." "My daughter says this isn't over. Just wait; she'll get what's coming to her." Amara had planned to go to the supermarket but ended up hiding at home, afraid to go downstairs. Don was still at the university studying his latest archaeological finds, unaware of everything. She trembled thinking about what he would do to her when he found out. Panicking, she grabbed her coat and followed them. "Paxton, let me come with you. I'll make sure you don't get taken advantage of." "Mom!" Paxton's tone became impatient. "Look how many people are outside waiting to mock us! If you come, our whole family will end up all over social media. I could take Daisy to the café unnoticed, but not you. People can't stand the sight of you right now." Amara gritted her teeth. "They can't stand me? These people have nothing better to do than meddle in our family affairs! What's wrong with our family not wanting Lettie anymore?" "Mom! How can you
Celestia still had no idea what awaited her. She had been a bully since middle school, and her family would always clean up her messes. To her, Lettie was just some washed-up housewife who couldn't possibly understand how to harness social media's power, unlike herself, since this was her bread and butter. She knew the online community craved plot twists upon plot twists. Before leaving the car, Celestia gripped her phone, nervous about all her hidden misdeeds. But if she could destroy Lettie's image, she could profit from this viral outrage. Paxton picked up Daisy, who couldn't stop crying. "Dad, is Mom really divorcing you? Everyone online is attacking me. They're saying I'm a terrible daughter and not worth keeping. Even my classmates are laughing at me. Dad, please make up with Mom!" Paxton massaged his throbbing temples. "Daisy, that's why I'm here to pick you up. You have to make up with your mother. To stop the online hate, you need to act in a way that makes your mother
Then, Celestia could immediately post a video claiming she never knew he was married when they met. That would be the best way to shift the narrative. Paxton thought about it and said, "Fine, I'll go sweet-talk her." They needed to reconcile, or the book "Voices" would no longer be his. He could lose his job, but not that book.Nobody in Farshya knew how much money it was making overseas. It had earned 50 million in annual royalties, and film studios were already showing interest. He would never give up this book! Paxton lowered his gaze. "I'll bring Daisy along. Lettie can't stand seeing our daughter suffer, so she'll back down for her sake." But this time, Paxton's calculations would surely prove wrong. Celestia stood up. "I'm coming too. I'll wait outside." She could not stay here anyway. Paxton frowned. "Don't let her see you." "I'm not stupid. I'll take photos of you two making up and post them online. That will make it credible." Celestia knew her game. "Remember, d
In that moment, Paxton felt real fear. His throat became too tight to speak. Kaiden's voice hardened, "I don't care how you do it, but contain this matter. Your personal drama is causing too much negative publicity. You can forget about that promotion. As for Mr. Hendricks Senior, you can explain this to him yourself." Kaiden did not want to get involved, but Don was once his mentor, guiding him when he needed it most. It was through family connection that Paxton's career had advanced so smoothly. His mind was in chaos now. The higher he climbed, the harder he would fall. "I'll explain everything. Don't worry! I'll apologize to my wife right away!" Hearing this, Celestia exploded. "Apologize? What about me?" Her shout drew stares across the hotel lobby. Terrified of attracting more attention, Paxton covered her mouth. "Please, keep your voice down!" Kaiden heard the commotion too. "Who's with you? Where are you now?" "I..." Paxton tried to lie. But Kaiden did not want t
Celestia's face turned white with panic. Terrified that her photos would be screenshotted, her fingers moved faster than ever, but she couldn't keep up. She posted nearly three times a day, and now, the floodgates had opened."What do I do? What can I do?" Celestia was so anxious that she pulled at her hair. "Private account! I'll set it to private right now!" But it was too late. People were already taking screenshots and screen recordings, and within a minute, comments flooded Paxton's page. "I knew I recognized this homewrecker—I've seen her content!" "You've seen her content? What do you mean?" "She's a fashion influencer! She does street style and promotes clothes, bags, and beauty products! Her handle is @CelestiaNorwood." "No way! Didn't she just preach about women's independence and not relying on men? How the tables have turned!" "Wow! Her private account shows quite a different life!" "This can't be true. No influencer would date such an old guy." "Honey, tha
Lettie had always put Paxton's needs above her own, easily melting at his sweet words. But now, she dared to play him for a fool!In a fit of rage, Paxton slammed his phone, cracking the screen. He paced back and forth, his agitation palpable. "After all these years of supporting her, she's forgotten who she really is! If it weren't for me, she'd still be stuck working at her parents' grocery store. How else would she have become a rich man's wife?"Now she's even trying to trap me with her words. Hah! If she won't accept my kindness, fine! I'll divorce her right now!"Paxton angrily grabbed his things. Celestia beamed at his words. "Why waste time arguing with someone like her? She's just after the book royalties now that they're rolling in. That speech was probably the best she could come up with after racking her brain. The judge won't base a ruling on just one statement."Don't let this affect your health—you need to quit smoking and stay calm. Remember, we're planning for a
"Everything proved that I was just deluding myself. All these years without a career, I've been treated as less than everyone else. "On the surface, I should accept my fate. After all, only those who create economic value have a voice. Everyone around me says I married well and that I should be grateful for my life."I don't understand what's so good about it. I've tried to convince myself to compromise. Yes, I don't have a job, I'm ageing, and I've lost touch with society. These days, HR departments have an unspoken rule—34 years old is the cutoff age. "So where can I go? What kind of work can I do? Must I stay this way and keep being treated as inferior? Does being a stay-at-home mom really create no value? "Even hiring a live-in nanny in the city costs at least 15 thousand dollars a month. Stay-at-home moms don't just do a nanny's job. We're teachers, social coordinators and managers of everything inside and out. "Yet, we can't say a word, because if we do, it sounds like w