Aria straightened up, ignoring Dorothy. She grabbed her black bag and stood there with a cool and aloof demeanor. "Frank, let's go. No need to deal with people like them."Frank, on the verge of a heart attack, stammered, "Aria, please listen. That woman doesn't represent the entire Carver family. You—""Mr. Levin." Suddenly, a gentle yet elegant voice interrupted from a distance. Dorothy immediately adopted a respectful demeanor. "Ms. Carver, why are you here?"Mindy, with her flowy dress and graceful demeanor, looked ethereal. Her long, fair hair was elegantly pinned to one side with a diamond clip, and her face had a notably pale complexion that tugged at one's heartstrings. "What do you mean by that?" Mindy asked, her voice soft yet firm. "The Carver family raised me, and I intend to repay their kindness when I have the opportunity."Dorothy shot a glare at Frank, irked by his verbosity.Frank didn't hold back. "Ms. Carver, I'm merely explaining to Dr. Genius. After all, t
Dorothy stomped on her feet. "How arrogant! Who does she think she is?"Mindy furrowed her brows and grabbed Dorothy's arm. "Dorothy."Dorothy seemed intimidated and muttered, "I just think that brat doesn't know what's best for her. Ms. Carver, you've already apologized to her in front of everyone, yet she refuses to accept it."After Aria left, Frank could no longer contain his anger. "You're the one who doesn't know what's best for you! Anyone who wants my position can have it. I resign! I can't keep cleaning up after your mistakes. Why did you summon a doctor if you're not even ill? Are you just playing games?"There was a glint in Mindy's eyes at Frank's words. "Mr. Levin, please calm down. It's not worth losing your job over a doctor.""Not worth it? Ms. Carver, do you realize how highly your grandfather regards her? In fact, you should be the one to break the news to him. Dr. Genius isn't kidding. She won't change her mind about not treating your family." Frank seemed fearl
"I don't care what you do; just make sure I don't see her in Southbury anymore!" Karen angrily terminated the call, disgust evident in her eyes. She hadn't intended for things to escalate to this level. After all, Aria was someone Karen had raised. She couldn't bring herself to be so cruel to her.Regardless, it was Aria who refused to stay away from her!Suddenly, Karen recalled something and sent a text message. …As Aria parked her vehicle, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, cloaking Clearwater Alley in darkness. Back then, the functionality of the streetlights wouldn't have fazed her in the slightest. Unbeknownst to her, a few figures had followed her into the shadows that evening. Aria carried a black bag and had a half smile on her face. The half-smile didn't quite reach her eyes, hinting at a deeper emotion beneath the surface indifference. Suddenly, a tall figure emerged from the shadows at the corner, bathed in the faint glow of the second working streetlig
It couldn't be anyone from her past. Aria had meticulously hidden her identity. Whoever had followed her there had struck a nerve, especially considering her grandmother lived there.The thug's voice wavered with fear as he spoke. "I-I honestly don't know. Please, I beg you. We just take odd jobs. We'll do anything for money. I swear, I don't know who ordered us here!" The guy's speech was all jumbled up, barely making any sense. Aria, however, wasn't buying it. "Illicit work, is that it?" The thug hesitated, glancing nervously at his leader sprawled on the ground. Aria saw that and casually planted her black boot on the man's hand. A yelp of pain erupted as he curled into a fetal position."Yes, yes, alright!" he conceded through gritted teeth. "We do illicit work!"Aria released her foot, her gaze turning to the pale-faced man. "You seem to be in charge here. Tell me more about this job.""They wanted us to force you out of Southbury, no matter what. Think about who you mig
"My name is David Simmons. Miss, we only intended to scare you off, nothing more. We thought you'd leave Southbury if we just threatened you a bit," the lead thug confessed, displaying remarkable honesty and no intention of escaping. "That's right. We didn't expect you to beat us up!"This was the most absurd situation they had ever encountered in their line of work. Aria had heard enough. "You did manage to scare me, so I need you to compensate for my mental distress."The thugs exchanged nervous glances. Who exactly was the one who seemed shaken here? They were the ones sporting broken bones and bruised faces.Aria smiled. "Are you not willing to compensate? Okay, then. I can call the police, and you'll have a criminal record.""Don't! We're willing to pay up. How much do you want? We'll pool our money and even give you a cut of every future job!" David reached out his hand, hissing in pain.Aria's tone remained indifferent. "I'm not interested in your money. Since you disru
Those were the only two thugs Aria hadn't fought. David was stunned upon hearing that. He wondered how Aria knew they were doing this all because of those two. Aria said, "Whether you take on jobs or my tasks, it's all the same. Why not consider working for me? At least it's legal."David had taken on many jobs—catching cheating spouses, intimidating mistresses, even immoral ones. He had once forced an elderly man to relinquish his house for his scheming daughter-in-law. They did all sorts of things, and most people reacted with fear or at least a healthy dose of wariness. No one regarded David and his crew as good people. This was the first time they failed to intimidate someone, even getting their tables turned on them. David muttered, "We refuse to do anything too outrageous.""I'm just a doctor who treats patients. What's so outrageous about that?" Aria smiled.David opened his mouth to refute her claim, but Aria cut him off, her voice calm and collected. "That one got
"Heartbound Hall?" David found the name familiar.Simon reminded him, "It's where we got a massage last time."Aria's eyebrows shot up. "What a coincidence! You guys visited before."David was stunned. "But I recall that it was an elderly woman who had massaged our legs…"Aria remained calm. "That would be my grandmother. It used to be a massage parlor, but it's becoming a clinic starting tomorrow. How funny that you guys didn't look into your target's background." David turned red. "We were just trying to make a quick buck. Don't worry, though. We won't do this again."Aria set down her black bag. "Call me Boss from now on."David was stunned. "What?"Simon was quick on the uptake. "Boss." Aria waved her hands in satisfaction. "Just be here on time tomorrow. Now, get going. Don't let anyone from Clearwater Alley see you."Unfortunately, it was too late.Just then, Sarah roared up on her motorbike, heading for her night shift. When she saw the group of burly men, she shudd
It was obvious that Aria didn't want to continue on that subject. Aria strode forward, her long legs carrying her with practiced ease. The click of her black boots echoed in the silence, her unbound hair catching the faint breeze. Landon's gaze, however, remained fixed on her right hand."What happened?" he asked abruptly, reaching out to examine it.Aria offered no resistance. "Just a scratch from a tree branch. I wanted to avoid hitting the wrong person. It's nothing major. I'll just head back and…"She suddenly stopped halfway through her sentence.Landon, with an air of sudden elegance, dipped down. His lips brushed the angry red wound on Aria's wrist. The touch, though undeniably seductive, held a surprising gentleness. It wasn't a kiss on the hand, barely a graze, yet the cool press of his lips soothed the burning ache in its wake.Aria, unused to such closeness, instinctively recoiled. But before she could pull away, he tightened his grip on her, his gaze locking with h