On the highway, a sedan sped past the other vehicles, its speed rapidly increasing.
Inside, a woman sat anxiously, desperately trying to reach her home after receiving alarming news about an impending threat to her family.
Aria had just learned that the Diego family was plotting something against hers.
While she had no reason to doubt Professor Aven's words, a lingering feeling gnawed at her—perhaps it was all a misunderstanding, perhaps even impossible.
After all, both families had maintained a good relationship, especially since her father had been closely associated with the head of the Diego family when they had organized the engagement between Aria and Lin.
Despite the doubtful thoughts swirling in her mind, the urgency of the information was too pressing to ignore.
Professor Aven had abruptly cut the call, which made her suspect he might be in danger.
She had tried calling him back multiple times, but each attempt resulted in the same message: his phone was turned off.
This prompted her to prioritize informing her family about the situation before embarking on a search for the professor.
{ A/N: Illustration of Aria in the comment }
"Please wait for me..." Aria murmured as she tightened her grip on the steering wheel, her focus laser-focused on the highway that led straight to Sector A, intentionally disregarding the other routes and concentrating only on the William family's estate.
---
"Young miss?"
The guards at the gate recognized the sedan by its distinctive number plate.
The face detection cameras scanned the driver, confirming her identity and automatically opening the gate.
As Aria's car sped past them, the guards exchanged puzzled glances, frozen mid-bow and scratching their heads in confusion.
---
"Young miss? What a surprise—" A woman entering the mansion halted, her greeting stuck in her throat as she spotted the familiar figure stepping out of the vehicle.
"Nanny, where's Dad?" Aria asked, her gaze fixed on the woman, who was none other than her nanny.
Dressed in a simple frock and holding a bouquet, the nanny appeared taken aback but refrained from asking questions.
Aria was already too focused on her urgent inquiry.
"Huh? Lord, he must be in his room—!" the nanny began, but before she could finish, Aria dashed into the mansion, urgency propelling her forward.
She raced through the grand hall and sprinted up the staircase, determination fueling her every step until she reached the corridor that led to her father's study.
Just then, she nearly collided with a man exiting the room, who was laden with a stack of files.
"Huh? Young Miss?" The assistant to the head of the family exclaimed, surprise evident on his face.
As he registered the girl standing in the corridor, curiosity glimmered in his eyes.
However, Aria did not pause to greet him; instead, she sprinted past him, causing him to halt in mid-sentence before he turned to watch her rush away.
She entered the room; he remained standing, sighing to himself.
'What a surprise; she never comes to see Master normally.' With those thoughts in mind, the assistant moved away, files in hand, to handle business-related matters.
"Dad!" Aria burst into the room, scanning her surroundings until she spotted a man standing near the balcony, lighting a cigar.
It seemed he was too late to indulge, as his eyes shifted towards the figure approaching him, causing a moment of surprise.
As if caught in the act of wrongdoing, he blinked, glancing between his daughter and the cigar, which he promptly hurled off the balcony.
Growing up in this world, she was acutely aware of the presence of the shadowy organization.
There had been countless instances where someone had hired them to eliminate her father.
Her family's considerable wealth often allowed him to outbid threats, granting her a sense of security.
But hearing that the Diego family was preparing to employ the Nightcrawlers, who had three times the assets of her family, sent a chill down her spine.
This time, the danger felt insurmountable.
'!?!'
Thud!
"Ouch, sorry for interrupting you, my Lord!"
"Hey, move! You eat too much!"
Both the assistant and the nanny, startled by those words from the young miss, stumbled forward, causing the door to swing open as their combined weight sent the assistant sprawling onto the floor with the nanny tumbling on top of him.
"...What are you talking about, Aria?" William was taken aback by his daughter's words, momentarily wondering if she had intended to hire the Nightcrawlers to target Lin.
He quickly dismissed the thought, recalling how much love she had always shown him throughout the years.
Confusion danced in his mind as he tried to comprehend her alarm.
"Dad... the Diego family wants to hire them for your assassination," Aria said slowly, backing away with her gaze focused downward, her lips bitten in nervousness.
Those words spoken by Professor Aven echoed in her mind, leaving her grappling with a mix of trust and doubt.
But that doubt wasn't strong enough to convince her to sacrifice her father like this, which compelled her to reveal the information.
'!?!'
"Aria, what are you—" William was taken aback by her revelation, prompting him to explain how unlikely it was for such a thing to be true.
Both the Diego and William families relied on one another for their business dealings.
Yet, before he could finish his sentence, the phone rang.
Tringg~
"No?!" Aria froze as the sound echoed through the room, her heart sinking.
A sense of foreboding washed over her as she recalled that every time there were attempts on her father's life, that phone always rang.
"Calm down, Aria. It's probably just someone else," William reassured her, noticing the assistant and nanny, both of whom were equally shocked.
Their wide eyes mirrored Aria's, all signifying their shared belief that this call was from the nightcrawlers signaling the start of the bidding.
"Hello..." William answered, raising the phone to his ear, his voice hoarse with tension as he clenched his fist, steeling himself for the possibility that Aria's fears were valid.
:: Head of the William family, you are hereby informed that the bidding process will commence in two days. Prepare to bid against the Head of the Diego family for your life. ::
badump
"N-no, D-dad," Aria stammered as she kept her gaze fixed on her father.
Silence enveloped the room, a heavy shroud of dread settling over them as the gravity of the situation sank in.
They all understood what was at stake: a frantic struggle against the Diego family, who possessed enough wealth and influence to overwhelm them.
It felt like an inevitable death sentence looming over them.