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
Sabrina snorted. "Just drop the act. What's with the slow walking? Why are you carrying all that stuff and pretending to be so weak? You're just like that daughter of yours!" "I'm not pretending!" Libbie's eyes flashed with anger. "And don't you dare insult my daughter! Everyone knows your husband is the problem. I've told you how he always ogles women in their dresses during summer!" Sabrina knew exactly what kind of man she had married, but there was no way she would admit to her poor choice. To her, it was always other women's fault. They were the ones being immodest and trying to seduce her husband. Why couldn't they just wear pants like decent people? Sabrina scoffed. "Whatever, I'm done with your excuses. You're married to a military man, so I know to watch my step. If Martha wasn't bringing you stuff, I wouldn't even bother talking to you." As Sabrina turned to leave with her child, Aria sent a silver needle whizzing through the air. Aria said calmly, "We usually bring
Martha panicked. She clutched her grandson as she pleaded, "Libbie, please say something. You know how Sabrina is—she's just tactless, not malicious. After all I've done for you, couldn't we just—" Draco spoke up, "No. Madam Berkin, no one can forgive these actions on Shirley's behalf. Not even me." Draco's fists were clenched tight. "You talk about being good to us, and you know exactly what kind of person my wife is. Yet you turned a blind eye to your son's behavior. Don't pretend you weren't part of spreading those rumors around the neighborhood." Initially, Martha had believed Libbie was the one flirting with her son. But after witnessing something herself, she realized her son was the real problem. She had tried being nice to the Pollards to keep things from escalating. She worried about her son's reputation and career if Libbie ever spoke up about what happened. That day, she had let her judgment slip when she mentioned to others how those from out of town loved dressin
The aged voice was filled with indifference. "It seems like she reached a dead end."Amos sneered. "I don't understand why these peasants like staying in the city. Still, it's fortunate for us. Otherwise, it'd be hard to get our hands on them.""Amos," the person cut in sharply, as if reminding him of his place.Amos only dared to speak so harshly when no one was around. If word got out, his image as the perfect secretary would be ruined.He quickly calmed down and fell silent. The caller didn't press the matter, simply saying, "You need to change the way you speak and act from now on."Since she's already agreed, give her the money. Don't treat her requests as a nuisance. The more requests they make, the less likely they are to cause trouble later."After picking her up tomorrow, send a few men to check if her grandparents need any help. Make sure everything is done properly."Amos nodded. "I understand. You always see the bigger picture. We'll continue looking after them."Poo
"I promise it won't happen again!" To an outsider, it might've sounded like Amos was talking about the cafeteria mishap. But the truth was much darker. What Amos really meant was that incidents like this could continue, just never publicly. Once the media's attention died down, they could go back to doing whatever they pleased. But for now, the performance had to be flawless.The man on the other end of the call seemed satisfied. Though his voice was flat and monotonous, there was a noticeable shift; it was now less stern."She's been manipulating the stock market," he said. "It's caused major damage to several of Luwditen's corporations. We can't let her walk free."Amos removed his glasses, a grim look on his face. "That's exactly what I told the Securities Regulatory Department. It doesn't matter who comes to plead on her behalf. Even if she's the late Mr. Barron's heir, she has to face the law."She's confessed. No one's going to let her off the hook now. You know what jail'
At first, Eden didn't understand what Aria meant. But as night fell, Aria lowered her head and started fumbling with something. When she looked up again, Eden was stunned—Aria looked exactly like her.Eden's eyes widened in disbelief. She'd only seen something like this in movies. But now, it was unfolding right in front of her. So there really was such a flawless disguise technique in the world."Aria, you…""Since I'm using your identity, I have to be you," Aria said with a soft tug of her mask, smiling. She had always been bold, yet precise. Working in the Special Missions Unit meant secrecy was second nature to her—this part was routine."Stay home and rest tonight. I'll leave first thing in the morning. Once I'm gone and the coast is clear, take your grandparents and leave."Eden opened her mouth, unsure of how to respond. She didn't even know when the people watching them would leave."My team will come get you," Aria reassured her. "What's important is that your grandparent
Eden nodded. "Okay. I'll do as you say, Aria."She sent the text just like Aria instructed. Moments later, her teacher replied—everything had been arranged. A car would pick her up from home. There was no need to return to school.A cold shiver ran down Eden's spine. They knew where she lived. They'd been watching all along. Not just the school—they were everywhere.Eden didn't linger at school. Outside the entrance, the main topic of conversation was the officials' arrival for an investigation and the school's public exposure.Everyone knew the cafeteria was a mess. Students had complained countless times, but each time inspectors came, the food improved just long enough to pass the checks. Then it would all revert. It had become the norm—something they were forced to accept.Eden was no different. She just wanted to get home. She needed to see her grandparents. She feared something might happen to them next.Every step on the way home, she stayed alert, scanning her surroundings
Eden listened closely, her brow furrowing. Her teacher wasn't speaking Farshyan. School was no longer a safe place, and Eden didn't know who she could trust. Her classmates were too caught up in mocking Aria to notice anything was wrong, all assuming Eden was lucky to have been chosen.She considered calling the police, picking up her phone, but then paused. What could she even say? That there was a mole at school? Her face turned pale as she remembered how close the principal was to influential people. The authorities might not believe her, or worse, they might be involved.Despite the headlines claiming Aria had been arrested, Eden felt a spark of hope. Aria had promised she'd show up if Eden ever needed her. Taking a deep breath, Eden dialed the number Aria had given her.She didn't expect anyone to answer. But then came a cool, familiar voice. "Eden? What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble again?"Eden's heart soared. "You're not arrested! The news is fake, isn't it? I knew
Lucas gave Amos a sidelong glance. "In that case, let's do as Mr. Lune suggested—punish everyone involved."Announce to the public that Oakvale Academy will be used as a test case. We'll be conducting surprise inspections in all middle and high schools."As for why Mr. Kelsey encountered two completely different scenes during his visits—well, that's easy to explain." Lucas' gaze swept across the room. "Someone tipped off the school before your visit. If any other school received advance notice, every one of you will be under scrutiny."Though Lucas spoke with a smile, none of the seven present—including the three officials—could return it. The smile, in this context, was more chilling than rage. This was a warning. Amos, in particular, felt deeply unsettled. He had come intending to redirect Lucas' attention away from Oakvale Academy. Instead, the incident had blown up. With public attention turning toward the school, transferring Eden would soon become impossible.Still, Amo
Now that Miguel, who was an expert in covering up, was gone, the long-standing issues in the school were exposed.The group stood frozen as they watched a cafeteria worker pour something into a large pot. A closer look revealed it was leftover mushroom soup. But that wasn't the worst of it. The soup reeked, clearly spoiled, yet it was still being reheated for the students.Things only got worse when they entered the kitchen. Hygiene standards were appalling. Not a single chef wore a mask, and some were even smoking while cooking.Amos' expression darkened immediately, even before Lucas could react.One of the chefs noticed them and slammed his ladle onto the counter. "What are you doing in here? Outsiders aren't allowed in the school—don't you know that?"Unlike other schools, Oakvale Academy had somehow always slipped through the cracks during routine inspections. When required to present something, they staged it well enough to fool a camera.So, the staff never expected a surp
Aria understood that this was all the person could offer. The real mastermind would never reveal himself so easily—not even to his most trusted subordinates.Those in power never needed to explain themselves. Those who understood them would earn their favor; those who didn't were destined to remain at the bottom.Her thoughts raced. She needed hard evidence to capture whoever was behind Amos. Baseless accusations would only alert the enemy and push them deeper into hiding.Allowing herself to be arrested had been part of Aria's plan. She needed the mastermind to lower his guard. After all, she had been too visible in Ludwiten lately. With eyes constantly watching her, she couldn't make any real moves. But she couldn't let the incident at Oakvale Academy go unresolved. Her instincts told her it was the key to everything.Before Philip found his family, she had to act—and that meant changing her identity to save Even.Just then, the person's phone buzzed. He turned the screen towa
"Boss!" Weston rushed over the moment he finished dealing with the other officers. Aria arched an eyebrow, flexing her wrists. "He's the mole?""Yes." Weston nodded. The Securities Regulatory Bureau, dispatched by the Securities Regulatory Commission, was tasked with auditing listed companies—particularly sniffing out insider trading and market manipulation.While not everyone in the bureau could be corrupt, it was common for a few to be compromised.The officer who had been interrogating Aria was of a minor rank, but the one Weston had just exposed held real power.Aria looked over at the trembling man. His legs had given out, sending him to the floor. His phone lay discarded beside him as he shook uncontrollably.They had met before—at a Chamber of Commerce meeting. To him, Aria had just been a clever heiress with some market luck, thanks to Landon's influence. No one would have expected her to single-handedly bring down the Draycott family.No one would logically believe