"Yes, but this person has great ambitions. She was behind what happened to the Lodge family back then.”"You mean... the Light-Shadow Killers?" Lily frowned as the memories from the past came rushing in.Although Henry was filled with wishful thinking and had many things planned, Lily had always felt that someone was always controlling him from behind the scenes. She had told Justin about this back then, and he said that he would look into it. Later, he became so occupied that he pushed this matter aside, and she did not pursue it any further. Now, she found out that Heather was behind the Light-Shadow Killers! "That means she manipulated Henry into trying to take over the Lodge family and make him her puppet?"Alexander nodded. "I supposed that was her plan, but who would've thought that even someone like Henry couldn't be so easily manipulated? While she was using him to gain the power of the Lodge family, he was also using her to seize power. Their only downfall was that they
Alexander’s mood instantly changed when he saw her laughing. ‘How can she tease me like that?!’ He looked at her smile and immediately grabbed the back of her head and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.The couple was out of breath when it was over, but their body heat soared.Alexander had been extra meticulous ever since she was pregnant. Not only did he not do anything intimate, he also tried his best to avoid kissing her. According to him, they should not play with fire as it might get out of control.However, this time, it was obvious that both of them were on the verge of losing control."Alex…" Lily called out softly with a hoarse voice. That voice had an extra bit of charm and seductive power to it.Alexander quickly raised his hand and put his finger on her lips to prevent her from talking again. He was afraid he might not be able to control himself. Faced with his abstinence, Lily found it both funny and heartbreaking. She blinked and suddenly stuck out her tongue to l
When Alexander was about to withdraw his hand, Lily grabbed it. He raised his eyebrows as she asked quietly, “How about…” Her cheeks were flushed as she bit her lower lip lightly. “Let’s do it.”Alexander's eyes flashed with shock. Of course, he wanted to. He had to suppress his lust every time he hugged her to sleep. It was torture, but he knew he must resist for her body and their child's health.Although Lily spoke directly, her eyes quickly moved away with a shy expression on her face. Alexander laughed and lowered himself to kiss her forehead, cheek, and lips.His lips just touched hers quickly and left again. Lily opened her eyes and looked at him."Silly, we have a lifetime to do it. Now none of this matters for your health. Understand?" Alexander said softly."Hmm," She responded softly."Good night!" After kissing her forehead again, Alexander got up and got dressed.Lily looked at him and asked suspiciously, "Aren't you coming to bed?""I still have something to take
Although Hannah hid in a corner, how could Heather not notice her with her years of experience practicing kickboxing?"Come out!" Heather yelled sharply as a thin body staggered out from the corner."H-Heather, I..." Hannah flinched.Heather felt annoyed by just looking at her. How could someone who looks exactly like her but acts so weak exist? Her existence made Heather feel shameful."Come here!" Heather ordered after taking two deep breaths to calm down.Hannah obeyed habitually and walked toward her sister. Then she stopped, shrugged, and lowered her head as she dared not look directly at Heather.She stood there, letting Heather look at her from head to toe. Heather’s eyes paused when she saw the gauze wrapped around Hannah’s earlobe. She thought about the earring two days ago and felt uncomfortable. "Are your ears better?"Although Heather’s voice was blunt, her tone was at least caring, making Hannah flattered. She suddenly raised her head to look at Heather. Her eyes re
Of course, he was feisty!Heather was annoyed that Ralph could not tell the difference between her and this b*tch. ‘Do me and Hannah resemble each other that much?! Besides our faces, how am I the same as her?’Hannah was inferior to Heather regarding temperament, character, and capability, so Heather wondered how Ralph could not tell the difference between her and her sister."Ah!" Hannah did not expect Heather’s hand to exert force suddenly, and there was a tingling pain on her lips. She exclaimed as tears instantly filled her eyes."Do men like your soft look?" Heather found her sister’s face annoying even though it resembled her exactly. She relaxed her hand abruptly and turned around before continuing, “You’ll return to our home tomorrow!”The tingling sensation on Hannah's lips had not subsided, yet she looked on in surprise and could not believe what she had heard. "H-Heather?"‘What did she say? She wants me to go home?!’ Hannah did not want to go back there yet.Althoug
After staring at Hannah for a while, Heather's eyes softened. She raised her hand and patted Hannah's shoulder lightly. "Alright, you—"Before she could finish her sentence, a maid came in. "Ms. Heather, there’s a visitor for you. His surname is Russell.""Russell..." Heather looked over after a while and saw Hannah's eyes light up. Although it was only for a moment, she did see it.‘Hannah did fall in love.’Her thoughts changed again. "Go back to your room. Don't come out without my order!"This was expected, and Hannah pursed her lips. "Okay!"She turned and walked toward the basement. She trotted away and disappeared around the corner. However, once she rounded the corner, she could not resist pausing and turning to face the other way. ‘Is it him?’"Let him in!"Heather was still wondering whether it was Ralph or Alexander. She sat down again and called someone to clean up the table and brew a pot of tea.When the tea was served, Alexander walked in. Seeing that it was him
"Isn't this why you came to my house? What’s wrong? You dared to visit my wife, but you don't dare open it?”At this point, it was clear that he knew Heather had attacked Lily. Even so, Heather did not intend to admit it. She let out a light chuckle and said, "I don't think I understand what you’re talking about. Why did I visit your wife? When did I go? Your house? Oh, you mean the Russell Estates? Your uncle and I are about to get married, so it makes sense to go to your house. You must refer to me as ‘Aunt,’ while we're on the subject.”Watching her deny it, Alexander did not force her anymore. His sight fell on the box. "That needs to wait till you officially marry my uncle. You won't open my gift because you think I've messed with it or that you won't like it?”Heather looked at him. It was the first time she had given this legendary man a serious look.She did not think of Alexander as an opponent. For her, kickboxing was the most important thing. She had been obsessed with
Heather did not even finish speaking when she pounced forward and grabbed Alexander. She was swift, and her hands were around his neck in a moment. Although her movements looked fierce, Heather did not use her full strength. She only wanted to test how strong he was.Even so, she was confident in her kickboxing skills. After all, she had practiced it for years and had beaten countless people. Although she did not use all her strength, she did not think he would escape.However, he did.Heather’s mind went blank when she noticed her empty hands. She missed the most crucial part of how Alexander escaped her grasp. She was unsure if Alexander had even moved as he stood there with a faint smile. Heather felt like he was mocking her.‘That smile of his is a mockery!’"You! You've been lying to me!" Everything was starting to make sense now that she was thinking this way. Alexander was indeed from a family that practiced kickboxing!Since he knew how to kickbox, it meant the Russells w
Lily tilted her head up to fight back her tears, saying, “There’s something I find strange.”“What is it?” Mike asked after comforting his son.“Instead of detaining Prince Ross, Her Majesty has sent him back to Yudonia. If so, why couldn’t we reach him?”After some thought, Mike answered, “There are two possibilities. It’s probably due to poor signals, or he doesn’t want us to contact him.”The two shared a look, knowing what each other was wondering.‘Why can’t we contact Ross? Is he planning something?’…Three days later, Lily inserted the last needle into the queen’s leg and looked up at her, saying, “You should start feeling your legs tomorrow. Still, it’ll take some time before you can stand.”Suddenly, Lily chuckled.“Why are you laughing?” Yasmin touched her legs. She had begun to regain sensation in her legs over the last two days. She then began to believe that she could get up. However, the queen was hesitant when the queen heard Lily chuckle.Lily shook her head
Lily straightened up and said without resentment, “Of course, you wouldn’t.”“That’s… quite a pity,” the queen murmured thoughtfully.“Well, there’s a price to pay for everything. That’s how the world balances itself,” Lily continued, “I can’t stop you if you must carry on with R10. Still, I won’t witness whether or not it succeeds. I just wish the outcome isn’t something you’ll regret.”Lily smiled and turned to head out the door.Rick heard their conversation as he stood guard outside. After exchanging looks with Lily as she brushed past him, he entered the room and saw the needles in Yasmin’s legs. “Your Majesty, those needles—”The queen waved dismissively. “It’s okay. Lily will remove them later.”Even so, Rick was wary. “You’re being too careless, Your Majesty. What if that woman—”“She wouldn’t,” Yasmin interjected, shaking her head."Why do you trust her so much?" Rick asked despite himself. The queen fell silent. If Rick had not asked her that, she would not have rea
Lily took out a cloth and unfolded it, revealing a row of silver needles inside. Yasmin was surprised she carried the needles with her.“Tell me. What do you want?” The queen took a deep breath to calm herself. She then reminded herself that she could always say no to Lily’s request. Still, Yasmin was cautious about Lily trying to trick her.Lily casually said, "I left because Prince Ross wanted to help me. I hope you don’t punish him.""That's it?" Yasmin thought she had misheard Lily. 'Is she trying to talk terms with me just so that I won't punish my son?' she wondered in disbelief."Ross is my son. I won't harm him. Don't you think you've wasted an opportunity by making such a request?" The queen shook her head. "I wasn’t sure if you’d blame him, but he did rescue me once. If I don't do anything, it would be ungrateful of me," Lily said gently, "Also, didn’t you already lock him up?"Yasmin was puzzled. "No, I only sent him back to Yudonia. He kept trying to get me to sto
"Three days," Lily replied.“That’s it?!” Yasmin was in disbelief. She thought Lily would try to buy some more time and suspected she would say the process would take several months or even years.‘I haven’t felt my legs for over a decade. I wouldn’t mind waiting for three more days.’“Are you sure I can get up and walk in just three days?” Yasmin pressed her legs hard but felt nothing. She would have treated her legs long ago if it were that easy.The queen had visited many famous doctors from various countries, but they could only stop her legs from getting weaker. However, Lily confidently told Yasmin that she could fix her legs so quickly.Yasmin wanted to believe it.After some consideration, Lily said, “I can’t guarantee that you’ll walk as fast as you once could. After all, you haven’t used your legs for a long time, and your muscles have atrophied. Still, you’ll recover slowly.”Yasmin nodded repeatedly, thinking it was good enough. She never dreamed of walking as well a
“Because only our opinions matter." Lily thought of something and said, "Unless you choose to believe Rhea.""I… don't trust anyone." Yasmin’s expression stiffened as she turned her wheelchair away."Your Majesty, I know you're dedicated to the experiment, but there are other things in life. Have you ever considered letting go of your burden to sightsee? You’ve done enough as a queen over the last few decades. Aren’t you tired of living a lonely life?”Lily gently spoke as she gazed at Yasmin’s back.The older woman caressed her knees with both hands and stared down at her legs, murmuring, “Sightsee, huh? I’ve forgotten what that’s like.”Yasmin had not used her legs for many years. Initially, she could still stand up and sometimes took a few steps. However, she could no longer get to her feet.She had grown accustomed to sitting in a wheelchair, but she felt a pang of sorrow after hearing Lily’s suggestion.Lily asked, “What if I can help you stand again? What if you can walk a
"Yes, I returned not just for him but also for you," Lily said, "I'm sure you were anxious for my return, weren't you?"Yasmin scoffed dismissively. "Why would I be? I have my bargaining chip. Besides, did you honestly think I couldn’t bring you back?""Bargaining chip? Do you mean Nick?" Lily shook her head with a smile. "Don't forget that he's not my son. Do you think he'll be much of a bargaining chip to you if I choose to ignore him for my three children?"She did not wait for Yasmin to reply and continued, "Besides, Nick still has a father who’s willing to die for him. If Mike decides to take drastic action against you— Yes, you're a queen, and you don't care much about an insignificant businessman.“However, don't forget that his business spans worldwide. There's no guarantee what he might do. Who knows, he might spread information that can affect Your Majesty and Yudonia's reputation?""You…" The queen was exasperated but could not retort.Lily noticed it and casually said
Rick could only remain silent at that moment.Yasmin then turned her wheelchair around and blandly said, “Bring Lily over. I’d like to see what excuses that sly woman can come up with.”"Your Majesty?" Rick was puzzled. "You know she'll just lie to you. Why must you—"Yasmin interjected, "I'd like to hear what she has to say."Rick had no choice but to leave and do as she said.As Lily was about to doze off, she heard noises from outside and opened her eyes. Immediately after, the door opened, and Rick appeared. He glared at her and spoke coldly, “Her Majesty wants to see you.”Lily glanced at Rick calmly and stood up as if she had expected his appearance. On the other hand, Mike rose before her and headed out.However, Rick stopped him as he reached the door. “You stay.”"But we came together!" Mike glanced over his shoulder at Lily, signaling her to persuade the man. Rick added, "The queen doesn’t wish to see you. Just stay here!"Lily patted Mike's shoulder and said gentl
Everyone was shocked when Lily returned to the embassy with Mike. One of the staff members quickly left to report the news to Queen Yasmin.Meanwhile, Lily saw people peering at her and Mike from the corner. Afterward, several guarded-looking men appeared. Lilt recognized them as the queen’s attendants. They brought Mike and Lily inside and then gave the duo a thorough search.The men only relaxed after finding nothing suspicious about the duo. Even so, Lily could not see the queen as the men told her to wait in an innermost room instead.After returning to the embassy, Lily felt a sense of strange familiarity. Although she knew the place well, her mindset had changed.She previously hated the embassy and simply wanted to escape. However, she had returned with a critical mission. Not only did she have to complete it, but she also needed to leave the place in one piece.While she was calm, Mike was somewhat anxious. He clasped his hands on his knees and glanced around as he sat dow
"I promise I'll do anything you want, okay?" Mike begged. He was desperate to see his son, so he decided to follow Lily when she insisted on returning to the embassy.Mike continued, “If any of you go with her, they might stop or suspect you. They won’t do that to me. It’s natural for me to want to see and rescue my son. I’m the best candidate because it makes sense for me to sacrifice myself for him.”After a short silence, Lily said, “You’re right.” She then looked at Alexander, who pondered before slowly raising his head and saying, “Me too.”Dominic tapped the table. "So do I."Cameron thought for a moment before saying, "I've no objections."Seeing this, Austin spread his arms and said, "Since you all agree, what else can I say? Let's do it!"It did not matter whether or not he agreed, but he just wanted to support Mike. The latter nodded and became emotional, saying, “Thanks, you guys!”"Why are you thanking us? Just be careful, and don’t be rash like you promised," Aust