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
"As a top international school, our students are very united. Some just face more academic pressure than others." Jenny changed her tone as she was trying to avoid conflict. "Kids nowadays overthink everything. When parents aren't attentive to their mental health, there's only so much the school can do. "Shirley's death devastates me too, but we should examine why this happened. Maybe her parents put too much pressure on her." Jenny pointed to the surveillance camera outside. "Two weeks before she jumped, she had a fight with her mother. As teachers, we can't say much about this. Sometimes parents are too harsh and may embarrass their children in public. Kids can break under that pressure." Her words were clearly manipulative. Aria tapped her phone screen and smirked. "So you played a part in this too then." "What part?" Jenny protested. "I'm just analyzing—" Aria cut her off, flashing a police badge. "Save the analysis. Given your leading testimony, we'll take you in directl
Just as Tiffany was about to laugh, the door flew open with a bang. Jenny's anxious voice called out, "The principal isn't here right now. Any questions will have to wait until she returns— "Ms. Wagar, why are you making such a fuss?" Tiffany stood up irritably. Looking up, she saw someone else besides Jenny at the door. Seeing it was a young woman, she did not bother hiding her arrogance. "Are you looking for my mom? She's not here. People these days have no manners when asking for favors." Tiffany examined her nails with disdain. She assumed this was just another person seeking her mother's influence. Aria studied the middle schooler before her. There was not a clean spot on her soul. She reeked of corruption and darkness that oozed from within. This kind of person was rare. Though the sacrifice did not know it, Pahana had the ability to amplify one's true nature. Someone as fundamentally evil as Tiffany was worse than the undead spirits in some ways. "I'm not here for
"Got it, boss. And so did Ms. Wharton behind me." The call had been connected the whole time. At the other end was Julia Wharton, the principal of Summers International School whom Aria had already arranged to be brought into a police car. She had been called in for questioning unexpectedly. But instead of an interrogation, they had simply placed a phone on speaker. At first, Julia did not understand what they were doing and stayed silent. She knew how to deal with such situations, so she waited for her lawyer as usual. But when she heard them mention her daughter's name, she started to panic. She tried to leave, but they locked the car doors. "A reminder, Ms. Wharton—our Highest Operations Unit answers to no local authority. Your connections mean nothing to us. If you hurt yourself struggling, that's on you." Julia regretted not getting out earlier. "This is entrapment!" Julia screamed toward the phone. "Tiffany, don't talk to her! Tiffany!" She screamed herself hoarse,
Hearing that, Tiffany felt her whole body go cold. "You have no right to take my phone, you—" Tiffany's protest was cut short as Aria pulled out her badge. "Undercover operation. I have every right to do so." That was when Tiffany realized she had been played. The officer was so young and carried herself more like someone from the streets than law enforcement. It was why Tiffany had not been on guard. Aria had provoked her on purpose to show her true colors. Knowing she was in trouble, Tiffany mimicked what she had seen in movies. "I need to contact my parents. I want our family lawyer present." "Go ahead." Aria was unfazed. "But first, you are a primary instigator of school bullying who systematically harassed and tormented Shirley Pollard. As a result, she suffered severe psychological trauma and took her own life. I have the legal authority to question you." When Shirley's name came up, Tiffany felt a moment of fear. But she quickly regained her composure. Everyone at scho
Despite being one of the Four Perils, Sam had his strengths and limitations. His vocabulary was not exactly expansive, so it was hard for him to describe what he found. So, he simply forwarded the chat logs between Radley and Tiffany to his boss. "You slept with that skank, didn't you?" This was Tiffany questioning Radley. He replied with a shrugging emoji, "You're imagining things." "Don't deny it. I saw all of it. The three of you even took pictures of her." Radley seemed annoyed. "Just drop it, Tiffany. Let me take you out for afternoon tea." "She's dirt poor, and you still went for her. Radley, don't forget you're still my boyfriend! Of all people, why Shirley? You know how much I hate her!" Then came Radley's attempt to coax Tiffany, "I was just having fun. She's already damaged goods. You should be happy about that." Aria gripped her phone tightly. Though she had expected things to be dark, seeing it firsthand still made it hard to contain her rage. "Find them all.
Gordon laughed incredulously. "You couldn't stop them? This is a school! It's crucial exam season now! Who's going to take responsibility if this disrupts the students?" "Yes, you're absolutely right, but the investigator..." the principal hesitated. He did not quite know how to describe someone he had not met but whose presence was incredibly intimidating. Gordon scoffed. "No one can conduct investigations like this by completely disregarding the consequences. Let's see who's being so disrespectful of protocol!" Just as he finished speaking, he rounded the corner and saw a man drinking tea outside the classroom. A pear tree below the building was shedding its blossoms onto the ground. When Gordon recognized the man, he froze mid-step. Before he could react, Landon barely lifted his eyelids. His voice was cold yet melodious. "It's been quite a while since I've left school, so I don't really know the school protocols. "Perhaps you could educate me on how to abuse one's posit
Cold sweat broke out on Paxton's back as realization hit. Percy was here. Judging from Aria's attitude now, could Percy be handling the divorce case? Panicking, his earlier confidence crumbled. Paxton hurried toward the parking garage. Daisy yelled at him from behind. She was crying so hard she lost a shoe. "Dad! Dad!" Paxton suddenly exploded and said, "Stop following me, you useless waste! You can't even repeat simple instructions! All that money on your education, and this is what I get? Where's your brain?" Daisy froze, her face draining of color. She had never seen her father like this. Though rarely home, he always brought her dolls and chocolates from abroad. Her classmates envied her, and Amara called her Daddy's princess. As she uncertainly reached for his shirt, he shoved her away. "Go find your grandmother! Idiot!" Daisy stood stunned. Paxton had not even noticed her scraped foot bleeding. Her eyes widened in recognition. This was just like how things were with Ama
"I... I..." Daisy faltered as she was unprepared for Aria's words. Paxton and Daisy had come hoping to manipulate Lettie as they always had. In marriages, visible violence might draw outside sympathy. But such psychological torture of exploiting Lettie's maternal love, pushing her boundaries, and destroying her self-worth was far more terrifying. As a doctor, Aria's expertise went beyond healing bodies. She specialized in psychology. Lettie's condition wasn't just trauma; it was long-term emotional abuse. Aria had seen Lettie's sleeping pills. With her pregnancy affecting hormones, they needed to address her emotional pain. If not, Aria worried Lettie might break. Aria touched her amethyst pendant. Sometimes, abandoning all illusions was the only way to start over. For mothers, children were their deepest attachment. It was better to see clearly now than suffer endless emotional manipulation. "I'm not going back with you two. I want a divorce, and I will get one." Lettie's ha
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