Chapter 1

Callista Jadespark looked curiously at the man sitting on the couch in Fulton Mansion.

The man had straight eyebrows, starry eyes, and prominent facial features. He wore a black suit that further made him look brutal and merciless, yet cold, distant, and nonchalant.

This man was going to be her future husband. She had to marry him, no matter what.

Gregory Fulton narrowed his eyes at Callista as he sized her up. The young lady's long hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she had on a rather torn and dirty shirt. The shirt had obviously been patched up multiple times over its lifespan. At the very least, it was clean.

Gregory's grandfather, Lawrence Fulton, sat on the other end of the couch. Seeing that neither of the youngsters spoke, he chuckled drily and explained, saying, "Gregory, Callie is your fiancée. You have both been betrothed to each other since you were 12.

"Now that Callie is here to fulfill the betrothal, you should make preparations for the wedding soon."

Gregory replied coldly, "We're not living in the past, so why are we talking about betrothals? I'm going to reject it!"

Callista shook her head immediately. "You can't reject it! We'd already received blessings from our ancestors back when we first got engaged. If we don't go through with the marriage, we will both suffer a terrible fate!"

Gregory's face turned darker as he listened to Callista's excuses. "How could you come up with such ridiculous nonsense just to marry me? Do you even know who I am?"

People knew Gregory as a sly old fox in the business world. He was smart, cunning, and decisive, which also meant he was a ruthless and merciless man. Also, there were thousands of women who would willingly throw themselves at him for marriage.

Callista nodded, her head bobbing heavily. "You're Gregory Fulton. Grandma always told me from a young age that I had to marry you as soon as I grew up!"

Gregory felt as if his words had landed on deaf ears. In fact, Callista's answer made him want to laugh in amusement.

How could someone like Callista, who knew barely anything about him, dream about becoming his wife, the next Mrs. Fulton?

He massaged his temples in exasperation and got to his feet. Then, he looked at Lawrence and said, "I'm not marrying her!"

Lawrence's face grew cold. "If you refuse to listen to me, then you are no longer my grandson."

Gregory only frowned even deeper. He didn't buy Lawrence's threat at all.

Lawrence walked up to Gregory and said in an urgent voice, "You've already received the blessings from Callie's ancestors. According to the rules in Xeronia, that means you're already her husband."

Gregory scoffed in laughter. "That's the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard, and all because you want me to marry her?"

Lawrence was so mad that he swore he was about to have a heart attack.

When Gregory was little, he used to have a very weak body and would fall sick every other day. At the age of 12, he had had a high fever for days and was on the verge of death. After consulting an expert, his family finally found the elusive and mysterious Xeronia tribe.

The old witch back then had only one requirement, and that was the betrothal between Gregory and Callista.

On the night of the betrothal, Gregory's illness mysteriously disappeared. And from that day onward, Gregory had never fallen ill ever again.

Every time Lawrence told Gregory about this, Gregory would think that Lawrence was lying to him because he had no recollection of the past.

Callista's brows were still furrowed together in thought. Suddenly, as if she'd just gotten an epiphany, she took out a scroll from her bag and handed it to Gregory.

"Look, this is our marriage contract!"

Gregory took the scroll from Callista with a doubtful expression on his face. He opened it up and briefly glanced at the words inscribed on it.

The scroll was filled with words. However, Gregory only read a small part of it.

"This marriage contract is presented to the heavens, officiated by the saints of the three realms, and witnessed by the grand masters of the earth. Heaven and earth bear witness to this union, as do the sun and moon in harmony.

"To betray the chosen one is to deceive the heavens; should the chosen one betray, it defies the divine will. For the sin of deceiving the heavens brings death and the dissolution of the spirit."

The contract had been signed by both Gregory and Callista at the bottom of the scroll.

Gregory stared at the grandiose words on the scroll as a scornful laugh hung at his lips. He returned the scroll to Callista and didn't say anything more. Then, using his work as an excuse, he hurried out of the room.

Lawrence looked at Callista in an embarrassed manner and said awkwardly, "Callie, maybe you should just stay with us in the meantime. I'll handle this matter myself. You just need to wait."

There wasn't anything else Callista could do other than agree.

Lawrence arranged for Callista to stay in the room right next to Gregory's. Her new room had nearly everything she needed in it except for a few daily necessities. Luckily, Callista had brought it all with her.

Her bedroom was beautifully decorated and exuded a sense of warmth. Callista was in the middle of unpacking her things when the door behind her was suddenly thrown open. A young woman, looking to be in her early 20s, then barged carelessly into the room.

Anna Fulton raised her chin as she looked down at Callista in a haughty manner. "Oh, so you're here to be my brother's wife, aren't you? You're still young, but you've sure got the guts to dream such ridiculous dreams!"

Callista stopped unpacking and turned around to look at Anna.

Anna was dressed head-to-toe in designer clothing and luxury items. Callista figured that the jewelry on her fingers and neck had to have cost an arm and a leg too. Also, Anna had a beautiful face that was further made more elegant with a layer of makeup, making her look like a princess.

However, despite looking like an elegant princess, Anna's attitude and expression were anything but. She glared at Callista with a bloodthirsty look.

Callista wasn't the least bit affected by Anna's taunting. Instead, she sat down elegantly on the couch and looked at Anna. She said in a nonchalant manner, "Shall we make a bet?"

Anna replied disdainfully, "A bet? For what? Bet that you're going to be my future sister-in-law?"

Callista took a glass from the table and poured herself some water. Then, she smiled at Anna and said, "Bet that you're going to suffer a terrible fate tonight."

Anna immediately lost it when she heard what Callista said. Her eyes grew round as she glared at Callista. "Are you placing a curse on me?"

Callista shook her head. "Nope. I forgot to introduce myself to you, by the way. I'm the only living descendant of the Xeronia tribe. I know a bit of fortune-telling, physiognomy, tarot-reading, geomancy, and even exorcism.

"I'm just giving you a kind reminder about tonight's happening since we're most probably going to be related to each other soon."

Anna didn't believe Callista at first. However, when she looked into Callista's eyes which were deep, dark, and solemn, she suddenly realized that Callista didn't seem to be joking with her.

She then started scrutinizing Callista again once more.

Even though Callista was dressed in rags and didn't have a single valuable item on her, she still gave off a clean, tidy, and somewhat ethereal feeling. Callista's eyes were especially brightly shining like the sun's rays.

Anna realized that she felt at ease whenever she looked into Callista's eyes. And she was mighty shocked at the sudden revelation.

She blushed as red as a tomato. "Why should I believe you? It's the 21st century, so why are you still trying to trick us saying you know astrology? I'm not going to believe in your hocus-pocus!"

Callista set down her glass and leaned back on the couch. "You can choose not to believe me, but you'd better not regret your decision later tonight!"

Anna felt herself suddenly growing anxious.

Initially, she'd only heard about a random woman who wanted to be Gregory's wife and thought that the woman had to be out of her mind.

If anybody were to be Anna's sister-in-law, she had to graduate from a prestigious college, look prettier than a flower, have a wonderful personality, and be a smart and talented person all around.

A person like Callista, who was poor and backward-thinking, would never be good enough for Anna!

However, one of the first things Callista had said to her was that Anna would be suffering from a terrible fate that very night.

Damn it! Who wouldn't panic in the face of such words?

Anna gritted her teeth and tried to comfort herself. She told herself that this was just one of Callista's ways to threaten and intimidate her. She couldn't possibly believe what she said!

She had to get out of there as quickly as she could.

However, after leaving Callista's room, Anna still felt anxious about everything.

Was she really going to get into a bad accident later on?

Chapter 2

Callista didn't seem to mind that Anna had left her room. She just continued unpacking.

The bag she brought with her was tiny. However, because there was a dimensional talisman in the bag, it allowed the tiny bag to hold a lot of things in it.

First, Callista took out a huge painting and hung it up in the middle of the room where it was the most obvious.

As soon as the painting was unrolled, the ghastly figure of an old woman floated out from it. It was Marianna Nordstrom, Callista's grandmother.

"It seems like you've managed to get into Fulton Mansion, after all, Callus. Don't you think I did a good job picking a really handsome husband for you?"

Callista then took out a candlestick and placed a candle on it before lighting it up.

"Sure, he looks fine, but he doesn't like me. He also refuses to marry me!"

Marianna smiled angelically at Callista and said, "But my Callie is such a pretty and brilliant young woman. Just because he doesn't like you now, it doesn't mean he won't like you in the future."

Callista didn't feel like wasting her breath anymore. After lighting up the candle, she then brought out a slice of cake as an offering to Marianna.

Marianna floated in the air, her legs crossed in a sitting position, and inhaled the offerings on the table. She felt sated and satisfied at once.

All of a sudden, Marianna raised her head and said, "That Fulton young lady is back, and she's looking for you. I'm off!"

Callista raised her head and looked at the door. As expected, Anna stomped haughtily back into her room after making a brisk U-turn.

"You said that I was going to suffer a terrible fate tonight, right? So how do I get rid of it?"

"You can buy a protective talisman from me for 80 thousand dollars," Callista answered emotionlessly.

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Anna's face fell. "You're crazy! You've only got money on the brain, don't you?"

Callista raised her head leisurely and said, "The fate you're about to suffer tonight is terrible. Horrible, in fact. And the 80 thousand dollars I'm offering you is already factoring in a discount. Take it or leave it!"

She was talking a lot more haughtily than Anna ever did to her.

Anna was so mad that she stomped her feet in anger. She kept telling herself that she'd be completely out of her mind if she were to buy Callista's protective talisman.

However, half an hour later, Anna left the house with Callista's protective talisman on her, feeling as light as a feather.

She was going to see if that wretched talisman was going to actually be of any use tonight!

If nothing happened tonight, then Callista had been lying to her all along. And if that time came, Anna wasn't just going to reject Callista as her sister-in-law. She was also going to make sure Callista's life became a living hell for however long she stayed at their mansion!

After Anna finally left, Marianna floated out of the painting once more.

"Callie, you've never taken so much money from other people in the past. What's the matter with you today?"

As the pillar of the Xeronia tribe, they were not supposed to place their focus on earthly possessions like money or power. This was a rule that had been laid down by their ancestors for centuries.

Callista just flipped a book open and leaned back against the couch as she began to read. "Of course, I've got to earn my living here. I didn't ask for monetary gains back then because I wouldn't be able to keep them even if I got them.

"But now that I'm living under the Fultons' roof, I suppose I could also ride on Gregory's luck when it comes to money."

Marianna's face fell when she heard Callista's explanation. "Callie, how many times have I told you that you're not supposed to be so materialistic? It's only going to bring you misfortune!"

Callista didn't think it was a big deal. "I've been poor for 20 years of my life, Grandma. I've been earning merits every single day to the point I'm sure it's starting to overflow. I'm just going to see how much misfortune my greed for money is going to bring me.

"By the way, Grandma, I hope you know that the cakes you like to eat all cost money too!"

Marianna wanted to refute it at first. However, she stopped herself from saying anything after realizing that her favorite cakes had indeed cost a lot of money.

Moreover, Marianna also knew that modern times differed a lot from the olden times, and people's views on consumption had changed a lot since then.

…

Anna went out in the evening to hang out with her friends. It wasn't until the sky turned dark that she finally bade her friends goodbye.

All the way, Anna had been extremely cautious. She was worried that something bad would happen to her. However, she had already reached the door of Fulton Mansion, and yet, nothing bad had happened.

As soon as she got home, Anna stomped up to Callista's door and rapped angrily.

The door swung open.

Callista was no longer wearing her tattered shirt. Instead, she was wearing a silk nightgown and looked like a petite little princess who was about to go to bed.

Anna got mad thinking that Callista bought these clothes with the money she'd cheated out of her.

"You said that I was going to suffer a terrible fate tonight. So, where is the terrible fate?" Anna demanded.

Callista leaned against the door frame and watched as the bloodthirst on Anna's face grew bigger and stronger. She just grinned slightly and said, "It doesn't matter whether or not the terrible fate materializes today. However, keep in mind that the goods sold are non-refundable. You can return that talisman to me if you don't want it."

She then held out her palm toward Anna.

Anna gritted her teeth and nearly blew her top. She yelled, "I've never met anyone as shameless as you! It's bad enough that you cheated me out of my money, yet you continue acting so arrogantly with me!

"I'm going to tell Greg and Grandpa to have you kicked out of the mansion this instant!"

Callista just shrugged and said, "Go ahead. Be my guest!"

Anna was raging mad. She slapped Callista's outstretched palm away but didn't return the protective talisman to her.

After all, she'd bought that talisman with her own money. Even if it had been nothing but a farce, she still wasn't going to return it just like that.

She was going to show Gregory the talisman as proof of Callista's cheating.

With that, Anna stormed off in anger. She was just about to tell tales to Lawrence when her phone started ringing loudly in her pocket.

"Anna! I've found that Jared Ziegler is at Club Royale now! Quick, come here and meet him!"

Anna wasn't in the mood to stay mad at Callista anymore. After hanging up, Anna then flew out of the door like a happy songbird.

She stepped on the gas, driving as quickly as possible as her luxurious Ferrari zoomed down the road.

Suddenly, at a corner of the road, a truck suddenly rushed out toward her, completely out of control. It rammed into the Ferrari's driver's seat and shoved it along for at least 50 feet before the truck finally managed to come to a stop.

Everyone could see that the entire front of the Ferrari had collapsed into itself. They had a terrible feeling about it.

Even if the driver of the Ferrari was not dead, they would have to be very severely wounded.

People started screaming and shouting. Some of them called the police, and some of them rushed forward to help the driver out of the Ferrari.

Just as everyone neared the wrecked Ferrari with a heavy heart, the door to the front passenger seat was suddenly pushed open by a thin, fragile arm.

Anna coughed as she crawled out of the wrecked car. She felt extremely dizzy and couldn't tell which way was up or down.

Just a while ago, her vision had gone completely black. Everything around her became slow and blurry, and her car was also out of her control.

She couldn't remember anything that happened after that.

After crawling out of the car, she stared at the driver's seat that was no longer intact, and suddenly, it hit her like a ton of bricks.

She couldn't believe that she'd managed to escape death from such a deadly car crash.

But what just happened?

Anna suddenly thought of something and started petting around her body for the protective talisman. She remembered tucking it into her pocket after purchasing it from Callista.

However, when she brought it out of her pocket, the talisman had turned into gray ash. The talisman itself had long gone missing.

Anna was completely stupefied as she stood there, stunned, for a couple of seconds.

She hurriedly patted her face, her arms, and her nose. She was alive and well, with not a single scratch on her. Even her body was also left unharmed.

It was just unbelievable.

That meant the protective talisman Callista sold to her had indeed been of use. Had she not been cheated out of her money after all?

…

Back in Callista's bedroom, she was lying on the bed while Marianna continuously nagged in her ear. "Callie, aren't you going to get up? Your fiancé's life is in grave danger. He's going to die if you don't save him."

Callista rolled her eyes and said, "He never died after so many years of me not being by his side. So, why is it that he's going to die as soon as I show up?"

Marianna was long used to Callista's sharp and witty tongue.

"Some things can't be explained, just like how you were not destined to be rich. Your destiny and his have long been entwined together. So, do you still want to live a life of riches after this?"

Callista sighed and got up from the bed in resignation. She could still remember how Gregory treated her, and she wasn't quite willing to waste her time on someone who refused to appreciate her.

Chapter 3

Gregory sat on the couch in Club Royale, his knees slightly bent, as the faint overhead lights cast a soft glow on his ethereal looks. From the side, he looked the epitome of a cold and ruthless person.

The people around him were all some of his best friends.

Hector Nelson said, "Greg, I heard that your grandfather is trying to get you to settle down and the person he wants you to marry is a random chick from the countryside. Is that true?"

Gregory opened his eyes and looked at Hector coldly. His tone was hard like nails as he replied, "I will not marry her!"

How could he marry someone after only meeting them for the first time? That was just ridiculous!

Harry Summers rubbed his fingers against his wine glass and grinned slyly. "Don't say that too early on. If you do end up marrying her, you can't blame us for making fun of you then!"

Leo Nottingham closed his eyes as he enjoyed the limited free time he had. "I love watching people die on their hills only to regret it later."

Meanwhile, Samson Jacobs piped up, "Your grandfather isn't going to be easy to pull a fast one on."

Gregory didn't answer him. There was a deep look in his eyes, however, but nobody knew what he was thinking.

Just as they were in the midst of drinking and chatting, the door to their private room was pushed open.

A short, young woman, with her slender figure clad in a tattered shirt, walked in.

Callista's gaze swept across everyone in the room. Finally, her eyes fixated on Gregory.

Gregory was wearing a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up, exposing his biceps. He was leaning back casually on the couch, looking like a picture-perfect main character of a show—noble, elegant, yet arrogant.

Since he had been chatting to his friend sitting next to him, his side profile was showing, and the dim light glowing on his skin made him look even more handsome than celebrities in movies.

Gregory sensed the hostile gaze from Callista. He turned toward her so that their eyes met. He was surprised to see her.

"Callista?"

"Come home with me!" Callista exclaimed rather angrily, marching up to Gregory.

Everyone in the room was stunned when she uttered those four words. Was she ordering Gregory around?

They quickly turned their heads to look at the woman who had such courage to do that.

Callista's facial features were pretty and refreshing under the dim lighting.

Gregory's lips curled upward in a cold sneer. His eyes turned dark as he replied in a domineering tone, "Are you telling me what to do?"

Callista nodded, her starry eyes meeting Gregory's dark ones. She didn't seem the least bit afraid of him.

"You must go home before midnight."

Gregory sneered again. "Why should I listen to you?"

Callista answered coldly, "It's fine if you don't want to come home with me. But if you want me to save your life later, it will cost you two million dollars."

Gregory looked into her eyes and suddenly grinned mischievously. "We'll talk about that again when you actually have a chance to save me."

Callista was the last living descendant of Xenoria, after all. She should have a few tricks up her sleeves.

Gregory wanted to know what exactly were those tricks Callista had up her sleeves. He wanted to see if she was as good as she said she was.

The party cooled after Callista barged into the room. The atmosphere grew a little tense and awkward with her around.

Leo was still leaning against the couch when he realized everyone else had stopped talking. Callista looked unconcerned about everyone else, but they seemed rather conscious of her. So, Leo looked at Gregory and said, "Why don't you introduce her to us?"

Gregory scoffed nonchalantly and said, "I don't know her that well."

Callista knew that he said that on purpose. So, she introduced herself instead. "My name is Callista Jadespark, and I'm the last living descendant of the Xenoria tribe. I know everything there is to know about astrology, physiognomy, fortune-telling, and the like.

"So, if there's anything I can help you with in those aspects, you're all welcome to present your requests to me."

"Pfft!"

Just as she was done introducing herself, someone in the room started laughing in a shrill manner. She couldn't tell who exactly was the one laughing at her even if she tried.

Samson tried to hold in his laughter as he said, "Ms. Jadespark, your job aspect seems rather interesting."

In other words, he thought of her as nothing more than a fraudster.

Callista didn't lose her temper with him. Instead, she fished out her business card and handed one to everyone. "Take this. It might come in handy someday."

The business card only bore her name and contact number.

Hector put the card on the table and looked up mischievously. "Since you've put it that way, Ms. Jadespark, why don't you read my face? You said you knew physiognomy, didn't you?"

Callista smiled and nodded. "Of course. That'll be 800 dollars." She then retrieved a QR code from her bag and showed it to him. "You can pay by scanning this code."

Leo couldn't stop himself from laughing aloud this time. He turned to look at Hector and said, "If you've got money to spare, why don't you give it to me instead? I'd never turn 800 dollars down!"

Callista then looked at Leo.

Leo was six feet tall. He had a square jaw, thick eyebrows, and prominent facial features. However, there were imperfections in his facial ratio, telling her that he had lived a life of luxury before he turned 18. As soon as he became an adult, however, his luck started running out. In fact, he was most probably going to lose his life within the next three days.

Callista's lips turned upward. She said to Leo, "Mister, would you like me to tell you your fortune? If I get it wrong, I'll pay you back the 800 bucks instead."

The smile on Leo's face disappeared. He spoke with disdain, "Sure, go ahead and tell me about myself. But let me tell you that you better not try to bluff your way through by telling me my name, age, family background, and so on.

"They're all open secrets. Anyone could easily obtain the information if they paid enough attention to it!"

Callista then took out a tarot deck and shuffled it before showing him the deck.

"If that's the case, then let me do a tarot reading for you," Callista said. "It's the easiest way. It's also the most objective way of telling you about your future situation.

"And let me tell you once more, I am not interested in your name, age, or family background whatsoever either!"

Callista said it with much confidence.

Leo started looking at her in a new light. However, he was still rather skeptical of her abilities. He didn't think that she had any actual abilities.

First of all, astrology was nothing but a hoax.

Secondly, Callista looked like she was young enough to still be in college.

It would be fine if she was just doing this for fun and having people fall for her tricks, but actually wanting to cheat them out of their money like this?

They weren't all just born yesterday!

Leo wasn't the only one with this thought on his mind. Everyone else in the room thought the same thing too.

Meanwhile, Callista didn't seem the least bit anxious when met with their wariness and disbelief. She still wore a smile on her face.

Leo thought that Callista was an interesting young woman. He reached out and drew a card from the deck she held out to him.

Then, he handed the blank card back to Callista.

"Here you go, Ms. Jadespark. What does it say?"

Callista took the card from Leo and took a good look at it. The card was completely blank.

She looked up at Leo and clicked her tongue. "You've got quite a lucky draw, mister. You were supposed to experience a life-threatening situation and die within the next three days. However, you managed to draw the Nobleman card."

It seemed as if fate had changed its mind. Maybe this was a sign that the heavens wanted her to save Leo's life.

Leo started laughing aloud. "Wait, are you telling me that you are the noble person I'm supposed to have met today?"

Callista nodded as she put the card back into the deck. "That's right!"

"Hahaha!"

Harry thought that Callista was just too amusing to watch. She certainly had her way with them. Things weren't happening the way he thought it would play out at all.

Chapter 4

Leo's face turned black when he saw Harry laughing at him. He felt embarrassed about the situation.

Leo looked at Callista and said in a hostile tone, "Ms. Jadespark, I do not believe in your hocus-pocus astrology. Also, you're very obviously trying to cheat me out of my money. You'll not get a single cent from me."

Callista nodded as she looked at the space between Leo's brows on his forehead.

She could literally see the dark ball of death energy getting bigger and darker, spreading all across the rest of his body and limbs.

If Leo had refused to draw the tarot card because he chose not to believe her, then Callista would have had nothing to do with Leo's imminent death.

However, he had to go and draw the Nobleman card, of all cards.

Callista wanted nothing more than to give herself a huge slap in the face. Why did she have to go and try to prove herself to these people anyway? Now, she got herself entangled in their fate. She was only giving herself more trouble than necessary.

She picked a glass of wine that was pink in color from the table and took a sip. It was tart, sweet, and tasted delicious. Just the right drink to calm herself down.

Callista looked at Leo again. Her eyebrows furrowed cutely as she said, "Wanna bet?"

Leo thought that Callista was still trying to mess around with him. He didn't want to continue playing along with her anymore. So, he said, "I'm not betting anything unless the conditions are enticing enough."

Callista finished the wine in her glass and took out a pearl as large as her fist from her bag. As soon as the pearl appeared before everybody's eyes, the entire room was bathed in a faint green light.

She looked at Leo and said, "What about if I bet this Midnight Pearl, the ultimate antique of the millennium, on it?"

Leo's eyes gleamed when he first saw the pearl. However, a split second later, disbelief was written all over his face.

"Ms. Jadespark, are you sure you didn't just get this from the wholesale market? The legendary Midnight Pearl has long disappeared centuries ago. I've lived for a while, and I've never seen it appear before."

Harry grinned widely. "Maybe she got it from an online shop for ten bucks, free shipping thrown in."

Callista made up her mind just then. If anyone from this group of people were to ask her for help in the future, she was going to charge them ten times her usual price.

After making up her mind like that, she instantly felt a lot better. She then got up and went to turn off the lights in the room.

At once, the room was filled with a blinding light that felt like the sun's rays.

Callista turned to Leo and said, "This Midnight Pearl is the largest and most perfect pearl preserved today. It's completely natural and can continue glowing forever.

"If you still refuse to believe me, you're absolutely welcome to get it appraised professionally."

Gregory's cold gaze landed on the Midnight Pearl in Callista's hand. He frowned.

It was possible for a man-made pearl to have a similar effect as well, but the pearl Callista held in her hand somehow felt different. It shone and sparkled brilliantly like a magic lamp.

Harry grabbed his phone and called an appraiser he knew. About half an hour later, an old man hurried into the private room. He was dressed in a light gray button-up shirt.

The old man was Shawn Lindt, a professional antique appraiser. He first greeted Gregory and the rest of the people there. Then, he reached out to take the pearl from Callista's hands.

It only took one look for him to get serious. Shawn held the Midnight Pearl in his hands and kept observing it closely. A while later, he looked at Callista with an awed expression on his face.

"Ms. Jadespark, may I know where this Midnight Pearl came from?"

Callista smiled faintly and said, "It's a family heirloom from centuries ago."

Shawn held the pearl in his hands as he admired it over and over. "That explains it. This Midnight Pearl is larger and much more brilliant than the pearl the queen used to own. It is indeed a priceless heirloom.

"I never thought that I would still be able to see and hold such a priceless treasure in my hands in my later years. I can die with no regrets now."

Gregory narrowed his eyes. A storm was brewing in them. Shawn had nothing but praise for this Midnight Pearl.

What was the deal with Callista Jadespark? How could she dress in such tattered clothing but own such a priceless item?

Callista then looked at Leo and asked, "So, what do you say? Is this enticing enough for you?"

Leo never thought that Callista would bet on such a treasure. His attitude turned solemn as he said, "Fine, what are we betting on?"

At a time like this, Leo figured that he wouldn't be considered a man if he were to back down.

Seeing that Leo agreed to the bet, Callista calmly flicked her sleeves and said, "It's easy. I observed some death energy on your face and I believe that you will encounter a life-threatening situation within the next three days that will claim your life.

"However, since you drew the Nobleman card just now, that means fate decided to protect you, and I will save your life."

Leo thought what Callista said made sense, but the frown on his face deepened even more.

Callista continued, "I just want the details of your birth chart and three strands of your hair. You can just go about your business in the meantime.

"Three days later, you have two choices. You can take away the Midnight Pearl, which means that I lost the bet. Or, you can admit that I was right and acknowledge me as your master!"

Although Callista didn't quite know who Leo was, she figured that he should still come from a reputable background since he was Gregory's friend.

With him following her around next time, whatever Callista went through today wouldn't be in vain anymore.

Leo was still rather doubtful about the situation. However, he looked at it, and the conditions of the bet seemed favorable to him, especially with the Midnight Pearl as collateral.

In other words, there was no reason for him to refuse.

"Fine!"

Leo then provided Callista with his birth chart and three strands of hair as requested.

Moments later, his phone started ringing in his pocket.

After picking it up and hearing the other person speak on the line for a while, his expression turned grim.

The call lasted for more than ten minutes.

Leo's eyes showed a conflicted expression when he finally hung up. Then, he had a word with Gregory before excusing himself from the party and leaving.

Leo was a member of the National Special Forces. Today was one of his rare days off, so that was the main reason why he'd come out drinking with his old friends tonight.

He never thought that Callista would interrupt their little gathering or that things would end up like this. Of course, he still didn't quite believe what Callista told him and never took it to heart.

After all, he refused to believe that Callista would be able to save him from thousands of miles away just because she had a few strands of his hair with her.

Leo preferred to believe that fate was in his own hands. If astrology were real, then it wouldn't have ended up as a myth.

But that call just now was from his superiors, telling him that he was being urgently recalled to the army for a mission. And since he was from the Special Forces, that meant every single mission he was sent on was very risky.

After Leo left, the atmosphere in the private room turned quiet. Gregory had a serious look on his face. He looked cold and arrogant as he sat there in silence.

Meanwhile, Harry and Samson exchanged looks before falling into deep thought. They concluded that Callista was very good at deceiving people. However, they were also looking forward to three days later. They wanted to know if anything was going to happen to Leo.

If nothing happened to him and Leo came back safe and sound, would Callista really be willing to give up her priceless Midnight Pearl?

Callista didn't look like she cared about what the rest of them were thinking about her. She collected her things and put them in her bag. Then, she looked at Gregory and asked, "When are we going home?"

It was close to 10:30 pm. Gregory rubbed his nose and said coldly, "The party's over!"

Everyone had gathered initially to chat with Leo. But now that Leo had left, there was no reason for them to stay anymore.

Callista heaved a sigh of relief.

…

In the basement car park, Gregory first got into the car, followed by Callista.

Gregory looked sideways at her and frowned. "Why are you following me?" He sounded impatient.

Callista sat down next to him. "I'm going home with you. I caught a cab here just now, but you can't possibly expect me to do the same to get back. Don't forget that I came here just for you!"

Gregory's eyes were full of disdain. He'd never seen such a shameless and thick-skinned woman who tried so hard to justify sticking to him like glue.

The luxurious Maybach started moving. Gregory said to the driver, Sean Thyme, "To Eclipse Trove!"

Callista looked up at once. She didn't look happy. "Aren't we going home?"

Gregory leaned back nonchalantly and grinned very slightly as he looked out the window. "I just realized I had some unfinished business. If you want to go home, you can get out of the car now."

Callista looked at him in bewilderment.

Fine. He never believed her in the first place.

Eclipse Trove was located in a secluded area on the outskirts. It took them an hour before the Maybach finally slowed to a stop.

One of Gregory's subordinates opened the door, and Gregory stepped out of the car.

The night breeze suddenly picked up, making their bodies shiver in the wind.

Chapter 5

After getting out of the car, Gregory was approached by two of his subordinates. They greeted him politely and said, "Mr. Fulton, Zach Wagner has been apprehended."

Gregory's eyes turned murderous at once. "Where is he?"

"Hanging by the tree in the back."

Gregory immediately followed his subordinates to the tree, taking long strides as he hurried after them.

Callista followed them to an open area. There was a huge silver birch tree by the side, and a badly beat-up man was tied up and hanging from a tree branch.

Gregory stood at the bottom of the tree and looked up at Zach. He then spoke to his subordinate and said, "Has he still not admitted whom he got his orders from?"

"No, Mr. Fulton," the subordinate said, shaking his head.

Callista stood behind Gregory and looked up at Zach as well. She couldn't help sticking out her tongue in disgust.

The moon was shining brightly that night. Callista was able to see the man's face quite clearly under the moonlight.

Zach had a pair of snakelike eyes bulging from his sockets. The sides of his eyes were red in color, and people with eyes like these were known to be cold and cruel like a snake. They were evil in all sorts of ways and would also treat their parents like trash.

In other words, Zach wasn't a good person.

Gregory's tall and slim figure in the dark gave off a dark and mysterious aura. Just staring at his back was enough to make anyone feel the suppression. Of course, Callista also knew that Gregory wasn't a good person either.

"Bring him here. Since he refuses to talk, he won't be talking anymore," Gregory ordered.

After loosening Zach's constraints, Gregory's subordinates then threw Zach at Gregory's feet.

Gregory narrowed his eyes and glared at Zach. "I'm giving you one last chance. Tell me, who was the person who told you to mess with my car?"

Zach had been tortured and beaten up for hours. But no matter how much he was suffering, he still refused to talk.

After a short while of Zach still not talking, Gregory smiled coldly and said, "That's fine. You're quite the loyal dog, so I'll make your death a quick one."

Zach closed his eyes, looking as if he welcomed death.

Meanwhile, Gregory had long lost his patience. "Bury him alive!" he said coldly.

His subordinates immediately sprang to action. They grabbed Zach's arms and were about to drag him away when Callista suddenly sighed and stopped them.

"Wait, let me ask him for you."

Gregory looked at her from the side of his eyes. Callista looked soft and gentle, her face bathed in the cool glow of the moonlight.

After thinking for a while, Gregory nodded nonchalantly.

Callista then fished a lilac crystal pendant from her bag and dangled it in front of Zach's face, making him look at it.

"From this second onward, you will answer all of my questions truthfully and honestly."

A sudden lilac-colored ray of light appeared from the pendant before disappearing into Zach's eyes. Callista then got back on her feet and looked at Gregory. "Okay. Try asking him again."

Initially, Gregory thought that Callista was going to use a hypnotic spell on Zach. He didn't think that she would do it in such a half-hearted way. To him, everything Callista did felt like she was just trying to fool a kid.

Maybe she was just treating him like a kid after all!

As soon as Gregory's subordinates heard that they could try asking Zach again, they grabbed his collar and asked fiercely, "Tell me, who was the person who told you to mess around with Mr. Fulton's car?"

Zach's whose eyelids hadn't been moving for a long while, suddenly quivered.

His gaze was foggy and his voice was small, but he spoke with much clarity. "It was Fred Ferguson."

Gregory immediately turned and looked at Callista.

Callista raised her head up high and said haughtily, "You're welcome."

She hadn't used hypnosis on Zach. Instead, she had used a soulcatcher spell. The lilac crystal pendant wasn't an actual crystal, but rather, a soul-catching device that had been handed down to her from her ancestors.

The name of the crystal was the Necro stone.

Marianna once told Callista that the pendant had been made from a stone under the Necro Bridge. Because it had been used for a long time, its initial black color had gradually lightened into this lilac color.

By the time the color completely faded, that would mean this stone would have also lost all of its powers.

Gregory's gaze landed on the Necro stone in Callista's hand. Callista immediately put the stone back inside her bag. This was her most prized and precious possession, even more important than the Midnight Pearl by a hundredfold. She wasn't going to let anyone set their sights on it!

After hearing Fred Ferguson's name being mentioned, Gregory racked his brains for a good minute before finally remembering who he was.

Fred was a bastard child born out of wedlock. After he turned into an adult, he returned to his birth family and killed every last descendant in the next seven years. He then made himself the master of the Fergusons.

He wasn't just an ambitious person. He also knew how to scheme and strategize his moves to take advantage of situations.

In fact, Fred had tried getting closer to Gregory at a few events and charity dinners they'd both attended, but each time, Gregory had completely ignored him.

So, Fred had gotten Zach to mess with his car because he couldn't stand Gregory ignoring him and embarrassing him in public during those times?

Gregory never once thought that he'd have someone like Fred as his enemy. Had it not been for Callista, he wouldn't even have suspected Fred at the very least.

To authenticate Zach's answer, Gregory's subordinates continued interrogating Zach. "What did you do with the money he gave you?"

"They're all with Millie!"

"Why did you choose death over exposing him?"

"Because Millie is sick and needs the money. If I betray him, he won't pay me anymore."

Callista never thought that a person like Zach would do such a thing for other people's sake.

Gregory narrowed his eyes once more and shouted at his subordinate, "Take him down!"

Callista interrupted him again. "Just let him go. You've already found out who the main perpetrator is. Fate has a way to deal with people like him. There's no need for you to commit a sin for this!"

Gregory hated it when Callista kept intercepting his orders like this. However, what she said did make a lot of sense.

…

On the way home, Gregory kept sizing Callista up in the car.

The young woman seated next to him was demure, quiet, and a stunning beauty. Even though she dressed plainly in tattered clothing, she still exuded a certain aura of elegance.

He looked at her, mesmerized, as he got lost in his thoughts. When he finally snapped back to the present, however, he hurriedly averted his gaze. He thought that he must be mistaken.

He'd seen many beautiful young women before. Someone like Callista was only average-looking compared to them.

Just as the situation started becoming a little weird, there was a sudden loud bang coming from the car. What followed was the loud screeching of tires against the road.

Sean gripped the steering wheel in shock. He exclaimed, "Mr. Fulton, the car tire just blew out. I think we're being ambushed!"

As soon as Sean was done speaking, a bullet whizzed through the glass windows and embedded itself in the middle of Gregory's forehead.

Everything happened so quickly that Gregory hadn't even had the time to duck. He only felt something hitting him in the head before a numbing pain spread all over his body.

Callista looked aghast. She hurriedly held her hands together and chanted, "Revert the passage, restore the past, by one, two, three… six!"

When Callista counted to three, Gregory watched as time began to rewind before his very eyes. The bullet that had flown toward his head stopped right before his eyes. He could see it clearly under the moonlight.

By the time Callista counted to six, Gregory felt himself being tugged down to the seats. He fell down just as the bullet whizzed past his ear, barely missing him.

At the same time, Sean grabbed hold of the steering wheel and did everything he could to get the car back under control before stopping by the roadside.