Chapter 374

"Please hurry, miss." The novice monk's voice carried impatience.

I relit the incense, but it snapped the moment it caught flame. Five attempts yielded identical results.

Once could be accident. Twice, coincidence. But fresh incense behaving the same way? That reeked of sabotage.

Business tycoons were notoriously superstitious. The abnormality sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.

The Roland family exchanged cold glances as the third stick shattered mid-burn.

"Enough!" Someone slammed the table.

"Miss Roland, stop wasting our time." A rival entrepreneur seized the opportunity to attack.

"Broken incense portends catastrophe! You'll bring misfortune upon us all!"

Murmurs of agreement spread like wildfire when someone hissed, "Harbinger of doom."

Sophia Roland opened her mouth to speak, but Sebastian Valdemar beat her to it. "No wonder your ventures stagnate. Too busy chasing omens instead of opportunities."

Two red-faced businessmen looked ready to combust.

"Get out!"

"Don't curse us!"

The mob surged forward like a tidal wave.

Edward and Alexander Roland immediately formed a protective barrier around me.

I examined the broken incense with a faint smile. "Perhaps you should inspect these sticks."

"What nonsense!"

"Clearly your ill fortune caused this!"

In the corner, Isabella Langley's fingers twitched.

The white-bearded abbot arrived, voice stern. "Young lady, this is a sacred space. Leave at once."

The novice monk scurried away like a pardoned criminal.

Under a barrage of mocking stares, I walked calmly from the hall.

Derisive laughter followed me out.

Whoever orchestrated this would pay dearly.