Just as Draco was about to explode with anger, Aria gestured for him to stay calm. She then moved Charles' hand aside. Charles felt his stomach drop. He still remembered how this master had appeared in his dream. Aria bent down with a curious look. "Could you tell me why you call Shirley poor?" Seeing this pretty woman who wore designer shoes, Molly let her guard down. "It's obvious. Everyone at school knows they're from out of town with no money or connections. What else would you call that? "Our school isn't for just anybody. I don't even know how someone of her status could get in. Of course she did not fit in." Molly spoke casually while flexing her numb arm. Aria smiled. "So you're saying anyone who doesn't fit in is poor?" "Obviously." Molly nodded. "We have very clear divisions. Everyone knows who's who. Some people know their place, but Shirley had zero social intelligence!" Middle schoolers today really spoke with more confidence than adults. Aria noticed the poo
Molly's words shocked Draco. "What do you mean she offended someone she shouldn't mess with? Aren't there teachers watching you at school?" "Sir, are you really this naïve or just playing dumb?" Molly muttered under her breath, "So what if we're at school? Nobody really cares." Draco's head snapped up. He had been to the school countless times. After what happened to his daughter, he went there almost daily. The teachers told him that since it happened during class hours, they immediately called both the police and ambulance. A few students had broken down crying as they had no idea why Shirley jumped. They cordoned off the scene and even canceled classes for a day. The teachers looked devastated too. They mentioned how they had even arranged a scholarship for Shirley. Draco pounded his head. "I asked if anyone was bullying Shirley. They said no!" "Draco." Libbie cried, hugging him. "Please don't." "She lied to me!" Draco gritted his teeth. "She was lying! Someone was bully
"Wait." As Aria turned to leave, Libbie pressed a bank card into her hand. "I'm not sure what you do exactly. Everyone calls you Ms. Carver, and you seem like a lawyer. Everything about my daughter's case needs money. "The school tried to give us money as compensation, but I never touched it." Tears rolled down Libbie's face. "I couldn't just accept that Shirley was gone. They kept coming to me, thinking I'd be the easier parent to deal with. But neither of us signed anything. "There isn't much in this account, but please take it. My daughter can't just die without anyone knowing why. I need to know what happened to her in those final days. They claimed she had depression, and said she'd been seeing the school counselor. "But I knew my daughter. She was our little ray of sunshine. Even if something was bothering her, she wouldn't just vanish like this. Right before she left for school that last time, she was talking about the birthday cake I promised to make her the following w
Molly's face suddenly drained of color. She forced a smile while trying to cover her panic with a weak excuse. "That's just a classmate. It was my birthday party, so I invited everyone." "Strange that it's your birthday, yet she's in the center spot." Aria gave a meaningful smile. "Interesting, isn't it?" Molly looked anxious. "That's... That's just how we take photos." "Molly, I'm giving you one chance. Point out who's responsible." Aria's voice was eerily calm. "Do that, and I'll let you off. Otherwise, remember what I said. I can destroy your family's life and send you to juvenile detention easily." Molly bit her lip. She was clearly struggling to make a decision. Aria did not urge her either. "This game should be familiar to you. Just like how you guys choose the scapegoat each week, it's all about reading the room and being smart about it, right?" At the mention of the scapegoats, Molly cracked like a whip. She instantly said, "It's Tiffany Karken! Her family invested in
Molly froze. She stared blankly at Aria's retreating figure. Charles pulled at his daughter's arm. "Why didn't you tell me about what was happening at school?" "We can't afford to offend the Karkens. What's the point of talking about it?" Molly bit her lip. She hesitated, then suddenly ran downstairs after Aria, who was putting on her helmet. "I'm sorry! I'll apologize to Shirley's parents! I defended her online with a burner account because I was too scared to use my main. You saw my Instagram posts, right? "When people said she had an abortion, I stood up for her! I even tried to investigate what happened to her, but my burner account got attacked." Aria held her helmet, glancing sideways. "Got it." "You can't take on the Karkens." Molly struggled to explain. "They have powerful connections!" A slight smile crossed Aria's lips. "What a coincidence. So do I." "I hate poor people, and you've probably figured that out. I didn't particularly like Shirley, but her mom's cr
The motorcycle's engine roared to life. Standing there, Molly was lost in thought. Meanwhile, the apologizers had dispersed from Draco's home. No one in the building dared whisper about Libbie's character anymore. The truth had finally come to light, but it came too late. Draco lay bound to the bed by the invisible threads of the Emperor Coins. Those threads were invisible to Libbie's eyes. But as his wife, she had noticed the changes in him lately. It was more than just the fever. He used to be so cheerful. No matter how much overtime he worked or how much office politics he endured, his eyes would light up when he got home. He would always protect her and Shirley in public. He believed that as long as they were happy together, they could endure any hardship. After Shirley died, his eyes went hollow. He kept insisting something was wrong. He tried to investigate, only to face troubles and get thrown out. Looking at her husband crying even in his sleep, Libbie noticed his sho
Ian could not believe it. Landon had actually returned! And that made Ian the most vulnerable target. He had planned to clean up all loose ends, but now the Yorks were investigating everyone he had dined with. Landon moved too damn fast. He had not shown his face yet, but he had managed to throw the entire business world into panic. Everyone was watching their backs, wondering if they would be the next target. "Grandpa, someone's calling you." His favorite grandson's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Ian grabbed the boy's arm. "You went to that address the master gave, right? Are you absolutely sure it was empty?" "It was just a damp cave. Nobody could survive in there. I checked everywhere inside and there was nothing." Ian lost his composure. Standing up, he lowered his voice. "Tell our people to cut all contact. If the Yorks come asking, just say we only heard rumors about Mr. York's disappearance." "Got it." Once his grandson left, Ian called William into his stu
"For years, I've only heard your messages. I don't even know what the master looks like. It's either you don't trust me, or the master's identity needs to stay hidden." Ian spoke slowly, "Either way, now that things have gone sideways, I need to meet him face to face!" "I'll relay your request to the master," William said. "Once things cool down, a meeting shouldn't be a problem." Ian dropped his thoughts of destroying everything, including William. "Make sure your cleanup is thorough. Don't let the Yorks trace this back to me." "Of course, sir." William bowed. But his face twisted into a sneer the moment he turned away. This fool was getting too big for his boots. Just because he called him "Mr. Carver", Ian really thought he was somebody. Without their help, Ian would still be the Carver family's servant. He was just an adopted son, after all. They had only invested in him because the Carver name made their work easier. If he became useless, they would have no problem disca
Landon cast a glance at Aria, curious about how much she actually knew about the stock market. She had always been modest about her knowledge, but he suspected there was more to her than she let on. The only one oblivious to Aria's true capabilities was Jett. Yet, he dared not refuse any request she made. Without hesitation, he tapped into his social circles, pulling strings where needed.Less than an hour later, Orion received word. A slow, chilling smile spread across his face. "So, the Grisham family wants to dip their hands into real estate too?"Arlo handed him a report. "Just as you predicted. It's not just real estate—Ms. Carver's making moves in the stock market as well. Fortunately, you already set a trap for Mr. Jett in advance."For the first time in days, Orion’s tension seemed to ease. A dark glint flickered in his eyes. "Fine. Let them struggle their way in. I don't care how they do it, but make sure the Carver family is crushed in the stock market.""Understood." A
Jett asked, "What exactly are you after? There's no need to bring down the Draycott family so quickly. It's not like you can win. Didn't you join the Chamber of Commerce to take things slow? You just arrived in Ludwiten. Why the rush?""Am I in a rush?" Aria asked. She wasn't after the mastermind behind the Draycott family. If she were, she would've tied Orion to the financial building and let people take pictures all day—no need for mind games.The situation was too tangled, too many people involved. The Draycott family had managed to cover up something as blatant as that incident at the bar. Someone had to be cleaning up after them.Finding a few scapegoats would have been easy, but Aria wanted more. She wanted to uncover everyone who had spread rumors about Fiona in the past.And for some reason, despite their focus on the Grisham family, it felt like they were up against the Carvers. Whoever was behind this didn't want the Carvers to regain control of the Chamber of Commerce.
Jett grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his hands as if he wanted to tear Owen apart. Aria promptly stopped him. Otherwise, passersby might think he was an escaped patient from Ludwiten's mental asylum.Owen had done many foolish things, which Aria only discovered after arriving in Ludwiten and conducting her own investigation. Warren carried guilt toward Clyde because of Owen. And while Jett was normally timid, his words weren't wrong.When Owen first came to Ludwiten, he thought he could make it big, recklessly using the Grisham family's funds and resources. But he had been deceived by several people and lost everything.Not only was he foolish, but he was also malicious—leaving behind a disaster for the Grisham family to clean up. "Jett, calm down," Aria said. "I know Owen dragged the Grisham family down. He's already been punished and won't be coming out anytime soon."You and I both despise him, but let's stop dwelling on the past. He's not worth it."Jett had never
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