Ian hid his nature too well. If Owen had not failed, he would have stayed perfectly invisible behind the scenes. This made Aria suspect he had hidden his playing cards, especially given how unusual this place felt. That was why she chose a gradual approach rather than confronting him directly. Ian said naturally, "Aria, stop being stubborn and have some hot food with your friend first. And who might this be?" "He's from Southbury." Aria pulled Simon closer. "My little brother from the back alley. Grandpa hates it when I associate with Southbury people. Even Grandma would only let them stay in courtyard houses instead of the main residence. "He got upset about this friend too. He said I was making him lose face by not following his orders." Ian could not recognize Simon as the beast of fortune. While those in the back garden would know, they were still recovering and waiting for William. They had no idea Aria would brazenly bring their target right to them—normal people would ce
A loud crash echoed from the back garden. The loud sound revealed how furious the intruder was. Aria stopped eating and asked, as anyone would, "Granduncle Ian, what's happening back there?" Ian glanced at Edwin, who quickly covered, "Nothing serious, they're just training an incompetent household staff." "Did they steal something?" Aria asked naturally. Edwin stumbled before nodding. "Yes! Ms. Carver, you're quite perceptive!" "They need proper punishment." Aria set down her fork and wiped her mouth. "Our family suffered because of that useless Dorothy. I got kidnapped because she let criminals in. "Granduncle Ian, you should fire disobedient staff. You can't go easy on them. If they conspire with outsiders to steal, they might even drain all of the Carver family's fortune. "Some people are born ungrateful. Even if you feed and care for them, they'll still bite the hand that feeds them." Aria's eyes fixed on Ian as she spoke. Though Ian's expression didn't change, Aria k
Aria thought to herself that that was exactly what she was trying to do, but she feigned shock. "Granduncle Ian was adopted? Grandpa never mentioned this! He doesn't treat Granduncle Ian like an adopted brother at all." "Mr. Carver Senior has always valued brotherhood," Edwin responded naturally, then realized he had praised their enemy. "Besides, there's a good reason for this. When the Carvers faced trouble back then, it was Mr. Ian who stepped up and protected Mr. Carver Senior." Aria doubted this version of events. Ian had let the Krowoians drain their land's energy through the Carver name. How could someone like him risk his life to save anyone? There must be other interests involved. Aria really wanted to understand how he received the protection of the Carver family's ancestors if he was not a true Carver. The house had problems, but they were not inherent. Something else was at play. As she pondered on this, her fingers tapped the table. Meanwhile, William could barel
William trusted their carefully cultivated agent would be absolutely loyal to their empire. Though not Krowonian, he had been given all the promised benefits. William could not imagine anyone would give up such opportunities. Most importantly, these were people chosen by their saintess! He blocked Ian's path with a dark tone. He looked at Ian. "I hope you won't regret this later." Ian gestured for them to leave. William said nothing more, but today's losses were severe enough to require higher authorization. People like Ian prioritized profit. Once that was gone, relationships naturally crumbled. Aria's earlier words were not casual, just as her suggestion to take a walk after eating was not random. Edwin thought nothing of it as long as she avoided the back garden. Aria chose the exit path. She left Simon behind to prevent his aura from being detected. As for herself, the spy she had let escape was from the perimeter and would not recognize her. Thus, she encountered William
Aria would wait for the mastermind to show before revealing her full strength. If not, they might retain hidden forces. The wooden doll's location remained uncertain. Aria worried about the numerous vessels and heavy vengefulness. It might lead to escaped targets and chosen ones like the Pollard family. This could not be random. The pattern reminded her of the Earthbound Manifestation she had encountered when Krowonians tried infiltrating through schools. They were possibly using similar but more subtle methods now. With life force and fortune involved, she had to take it seriously. She needed to inform her senior apprentice who was returning to Janovin soon. The Dracotigris Order must be notified too as evidence suggested they had internal problems. Aria withdrew her gaze, appearing normal as if just taking a post-meal walk. Perhaps only Simon resting upstairs would understand her true purpose. Now, she was the only practitioner in the house. No one else could sense his aura
The night deepened. The back garden appeared flawless, at least from an esoteric perspective. It was facing south with auspicious energy flowing from the east. But its perfection masked something crucial. Every piece of land had its destined fortune. It was not just humans that had souls–every blade of grass and tree had a spirit too. Nature would distribute what each deserved fairly. This layout disrupted that balance. While the house's fortune was excellent, it blocked the eastern winds. This meant the fortune of the entire wealthy district could not flow upward and would stop here instead. Aria studied the surroundings. With cameras everywhere and Sam absent, she would have to hack the mainframe herself. The security room now saw only yesterday's night footage. Ian focused entirely on Fergus. Finding a valuable new puppet was crucial to him. He underestimated Aria, while Edwin thought she was just playing around. They had opened several wine bottles, with loud party sounds
Fergus sighed deeply. "Enough about her. Let's discuss our matter." He was playing his part perfectly for Aria's plan by doing things he would normally avoid. "Granduncle Ian, Grandpa has always disapproved of Poeta. Only you can persuade his stubborn mind." After some thinking, Fergus still decided not to hold Poeta's hand when he told Ian, "I want to marry Poeta." Poeta's heart raced with excitement. She could barely conceal the greedy gleam in her eyes! "Ferg, you finally—" Catching Ian's warning glance, Poeta quickly changed course, "Bringing up marriage now will only strain things with your grandpa. I can wait, so don't fight with him because of me." Fergus gazed at her deeply. "It's not for you. It's for myself." He left those words hanging. He had to thank Aria for letting him witness everything firsthand. Ian had always protected them from Warren whenever Warren was being strict, even saving Fergus from drowning once. This planted a good impression of Ian in Fergu
Ian set down his teacup as if making a grave decision. "I'll talk to Warren. But stay calm and don't argue with him. Mind his health—he's had difficult years. "Aria has only just returned, so there's much to handle inside and out." Ian added casually, "Some shareholders think she's too young to manage things. As you know, they are all seasoned businessmen. Will they really accept Aria? I doubt it." Ian sighed. "Warren must worry about this too. I need to ask him why he'd give such a huge enterprise to Aria instead of you." Ian patted Fergus's shoulder. "I know your struggles overseas. You're best suited for business in the Carver family. Regardless of whether you want to lead Carver Group, Aria would be overwhelmed by having control over so many employees. She's still just a child." He sounded concerned with the bigger picture, but he actually aimed to stir conflict between the siblings, just as he had done with Owen before. But he overlooked one thing—Fergus was not the same a
After returning to the hotel, the first thing Aria did was tell her mother about what had happened at the Grisham residence today.When Fiona heard this, she couldn’t even sit still. "How could your grandfather’s health suddenly deteriorate like this? Was it a medication error? Or something else?"Aria could tell her mother was anxious. She comforted her, saying, "Mom, don't worry. Grandpa will be fine. The medicine is already on its way. I want to talk to you about the misunderstanding between you and him from before."Also, after you recovered, you clearly wanted to return to the Grisham family several times, but it seems like neither Grandpa nor my uncles knew anything about it. This isn't just the Draycott family's doing. There must be others meddling behind the scenes, too."Lowering her gaze, she continued, "Come with me tomorrow afternoon to the Chamber of Commerce. We'll enter separately. You can use the invitation, and I'll find another way to get in."Fiona, who had alre
Waymond immediately asked, "What about that doctor who came today by mistake? Can she really cure your illness?"He worried that his father might be putting on a show just to get rid of Cecil."Of course she can." Clyde smiled. "She did impersonate Dr. Woody's assistant, though I'm not sure why she felt the need to do so. But that child must have her reasons."Eamon sensed something unusual. "Dad, you seem to trust this doctor a little too much. Earlier, you wanted to say something but didn't want to in front of others. What is it?""That's right. What I wanted to say is that I've known this young lady for a very long time."Waymond was puzzled. "You've known her for a long time?""Didn't I tell you before? Back when the infectious disease outbreak happened, I went to donate supplies. There was a little girl who gave me a few pills. It was because of those pills that I didn't get affected."Clyde chuckled. "If you think about it, she's already saved my life once before."Eamon
"The entire team of doctors at our hospital diagnosed Clyde's condition. It's not something that can be cured so easily. Even if it's traditional medicine and acupuncture, the practitioner should at least have a recognized reputation. Mr. Grisham Senior, may I ask, did this person say who they were?""No," Clyde replied, fixing his gaze on Cecil with a sharp look that carried the imposing air of someone in authority. "However, from this conversation, I've come to realize something."Your Saint Mary's Hospital is living up to its name a little too well. Hospitals are meant to save lives, yet from the way you're talking, it seems like you'd prefer I didn't recover."Cecil's face turned pale as he scrambled to explain, "Clyde, that's not what I meant. It's just that the CT scans show…""CT scans? All you do now is rely on machines to decide whether a patient lives or dies. I remember the hospital's original mission statement. 'We do not determine life or death. We strive to save every
Eamon found it strange. His father's attitude was unusually calm, as if there was something else he wanted to say. Regardless of the situation, it was best to let Cecil do a follow-up examination first.However, half an hour later, Cecil's expression visibly turned strange. He double-checked with his stethoscope, listening again.The noise in the lungs had noticeably decreased, and Clyde's breathing wasn't as labored. On top of that, the infection seemed to have subsided.What was going on?Eamon noticed Cecil's expression and assumed the worst. "Dr. Woody? Has my father's condition worsened?""Worsened?" Before Cecil could respond, Clyde, relaxed as ever, chimed in, "It should be the opposite. My symptoms have improved, isn't that right, Dr. Woody?"Cecil instinctively nodded but then realized both of the Grisham brothers were staring at him.Opening his mouth, he couldn't bring himself to lie and instead opted for a safer response. "Mr. Grisham Senior's condition is indeed bet
Waymond paused for a moment, his eyes blank with confusion. If it weren't for the fact that the sky wasn't fully dark yet, he might have thought he was dreaming.What was going on here?Clyde was meditating but stopped when he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Looking up and seeing his son, he wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, "What's got you in such a rush?"By this time, Eamon had also arrived. He didn't understand why his younger brother was in such a panic and turned his gaze to the side to observe.Waymond, having calmed his breathing, didn't immediately bring up the matter of the doctor. Instead, he asked, "Dad, wasn't your body weak, with no strength in your limbs? How are you suddenly able to meditate now?""I've recovered, of course," Clyde said cheerfully, clearly in a good mood. "I'm feeling pretty strong today."Waymond frowned. "Recovered? Dad, let me tell you something. The doctor who treated you just now wasn't Dr. Woody's assistant. She deliberately
"And what about my job?" Wendy immediately declared, "I can head to the Draycott residence right now!"Priscilla frowned, wishing she could hold the phone farther away from herself. What was wrong with this woman?She wasn't even with the Grisham family anymore. What use could she possibly have? She was as dumb as a rock."Oh, I'm not at the Draycott residence right now. How about this? You go back and rest for now. There will be work for you in a little while."Priscilla finished her sentence and hung up directly, not even bothering to feign politeness. She wouldn't have said even this much if she weren't worried about the maid running her mouth outside.However, Wendy acted as if she had gained some huge advantage, a smug expression plastered all over her face. "Just you wait. Let's see when the Grisham family finally bites the dust!"As she made these declarations, little did she know someone nearby was recording everything on their phone.The person taking the video was none
Aria's smile held a touch of mischief. "Your concern is unnecessary—my practice has always been reliable. See you the day after tomorrow." Robert was speechless; Aria had managed to offend all the right people in one visit. His face darkened considerably. After all, Wendy had been his recommendation. Now, with Wendy gone, he had lost a collaborator. As Aria predicted, Wendy wouldn't quietly accept her dismissal. Wendy had taken her grievance to Waymond. "Mr. Grisham, I don't understand what kind of doctor she is. She started using needles on Mr. Grisham Senior. And when I simply asked about responsibility, she told me to get out. "Then Mr. Grisham Senior dismissed me. I just..." Wendy lowered her head, crying with apparent distress. "All these years serving the Grishams, I never complained about the work. I was always there when he needed care at night. "Mr. Grisham, I just wanted to wait for your approval before trying new treatments. How could Mr. Grisham Senior be so fooli
But never mind. There would be other chances of meeting Aria. Clyde felt much lighter after seeing his old friend. Perhaps it helped to have someone talk through his troubles, or maybe the acupuncture worked. He just felt better than he had in ages. "Since that's settled, I won't keep you. But how should I handle your fee?" Clyde hadn't missed her attitude, suspecting she had tension with Cecil. He assumed she was new to Ludwiten and facing workplace bullying at the hospital, so he wanted to support her. Aria paused at the mention of payment. Noticing her reaction, Clyde smiled and said, "Whatever it is, you can tell me freely. The Grishams have connections at the hospital. I know the director quite well." The hint couldn't be clearer. Aria finally understood, caught between amusement and awkwardness. Sam had been keeping his distance by following orders to protect Clyde from his energy. Seeing Aria's conflict, he bounded over and pulled out a new phone, showing Clyde his b
Wendy stood frozen, never imagining she would lose her position over something so trivial. Her years of "experience" had led her to believe she deserved higher status in this household. To her, this young doctor was merely an assistant who knew nothing and was covering until Cecil arrived. How could Clyde fire her over this doctor? Wendy could not accept it. As security escorted her out, she kept shouting and glaring at Aria with venomous eyes. Aria paid no attention. She carefully sterilized her needles before inserting them into Clyde's acupuncture points. "These points help relieve coughing. Have Robert prepare sweet snow pears for you twice daily. It'll significantly help soothe your throat and suppress coughs." Aria gave instructions while working, and the needles took effect quickly. Though they would not cure him immediately, Clyde felt unprecedented relief, as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders—a comforting warmth spread through his abdomen. Beyond acupunct