Not expecting him to kiss her in front of so many people, Hannah blushed. She got to her feet and ran out, worrying that her photos might be taken.With little preparation for this, Ralph merely stared after her.“Hey, your fiancée got shy. Go after her!” Someone yelled at him. Catching himself, he smiled. “You bet I will!”He strode after Hannah. Having prepared the suite upstairs, there was no way he would just let her go.Unfamiliar with the surroundings, Hannah ran to the lift and stopped. Pressing the button, she waited there.Having contradictory thoughts, she kept glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the restaurant. She wished he would come after her, but she had no idea what to do if he did. She had to leave, despite herself. Even if she did not want to, her sister would send someone to bring her back. It was not meant to be. No matter how pretty a bubble appeared, it would burst. She understood it perfectly but could not bear to leave and wanted to spend
Ralph and Hannah had not expected to see Alexander and Lily coming out from the lift. The four took a moment to respond as they faced each other.“You?” Ralph frowned, not expecting to see him here.Alexander was also surprised. Since he finished work early, he thought Lily must be bored from staying home for so long and decided to take her out to dinner. Still, he did not expect to bump into these two.He glanced at Ralph casually and looked at Hannah. ‘There’s a strange vibe about them.’Somehow, he felt that “Heather” looked slightly different than usual. However, he could not pinpoint what was different about her and did not overthink it since he had not met Heather that many times.Alexander instinctively stood in front of Lily. ‘This woman is violent. Who knows when she might launch a sneak attack?’Hannah only knew that the man before her had fought and seriously hurt her sister. She took a step back in fear, which took Alexander by surprise.“What do you want?” Ralph saw
Lily looked at Heather. Although Heather wore a mask when she attacked Lily, Lily sensed something different about Heather and that she no longer gave off an oppressive feeling.Ralph mistook Lily’s gaze as being hostile and shouted, “Hey, I’m talking to you. Did you hear me? Alex, is this how you teach her to behave?”“Well, I don’t know how.” Alexander nodded and continued before Ralph could make fun of him, “Why don’t you show me how you would do it?”Ralph was speechless. ‘Teach Heather how to behave? Are you kidding me? I’m lucky enough that she doesn’t beat me to death. How am I supposed to tell her what to do?’However, he could not admit he was afraid and simply coughed. “You know Heather has suffered an injury thanks to you, and yet you’re playing games with me? Apologize now!”Alexander looked at him and then at ‘Heather.’ “Sure, he said as he suddenly took two steps toward her.Hannah saw him moving closer and felt overwhelmed by his imposing manner. She even had goose
Having thought of that, Hannah turned cold, and her previously pink face grew pale. “I’m fine. I think I should go back.” She answered coldly.“Go back? So early?” Ralph was astounded. He had made many arrangements to make sure they would make love, but everything would go to waste if she went back now.“Yes.” Hannah strode out of the lift and planned to call someone to pick her up, as her car was still at the office.Ralph noticed she was serious and hurriedly held her wrist. “Annie, what’s the matter? Didn’t you say we’re going to spend a romantic night together? You…”Hannah looked away, worried she would change her mind if she glanced at him. She knew if she stayed any longer, her sister would get angry. She shuddered as she thought about the possible consequences.Ralph felt her shiver and quickly took off his jacket to put it on her. “Are you cold? It’s freezing out here. Why don’t you have some rest in my cozy suite upstairs? I’ll drive you back later.”“No, I can’t stay a
Ralph recognized the man to be Heather’s assistant and the car belonged to the Riggs family. However, he did not bother about it. ‘If Heather refuses to leave, so what if the car is here to pick her up?’ He waved the man off. “I’ll take her back later. Go home and wait for further instructions.”He tried to put his arm around her waist but missed. Biting her lips, Hannah took a step forward, and Ralph’s jacket fell off her shoulder to the ground. “Annie…” Ralph whispered in surprise and wanted to hold her back. However, Hannah simply looked over her shoulder at him with a forced smile. “Go home, I have to go. Let’s… keep in touch.” She got into the car and the door was shut. “Annie! Annie!” Ralph rushed forward to open the door, but the assistant blocked his way. “Please behave, Mr. Russell.” The man got back into the front passenger seat, and the car swiftly moved away. Standing where he was, Ralph could only stare as the car disappeared from his sight. He
Wanting to spend quality time with his wife, Alexander did not expect to bump into the two people when they arrived at the hotel. As they had made a reservation beforehand, the dishes were served quickly after they were seated, and they ate quietly as if they were hungry. However, they were not gobbling up the food. After a moment of silence, Lily asked despite herself, “Don’t you feel that there’s something off about Ms. Riggs just now?”“You felt it too?” Alexander looked up at her, not surprised by her observation. ‘It’s not odd that she shares my thought, as she has an observant eye. What’s bizarre is that Ms. Riggs was somewhat different than what she used to be.’“So I didn’t get the wrong impression.”Having her observation confirmed by him, Lily nodded. Since she was not close to Heather and had never met her before, she assumed she was imagining things. However, since Alexander agreed with her, then the woman was indeed different. “She did not have that threateni
Alexander grew thoughtful. ‘Is she getting jealous?’Seeing her smiling eyes, he knew she was just teasing him.He patiently cut off a small slice of steak that was of the perfect size and offered it near her lips with his fork. “Which type she belongs to has nothing to do with me. What I do know is that if I don’t feed you well, you’re going to cry that you’re hungry on our way back!”“You’re complaining that I eat a lot, huh?” She threw him a side glance but ate the steak as he wanted. Juicy and flavorful, the taste was just right. “No way. I’d rather you eat more,” he said smilingly.Exchanging a smile, they shared a sweet and tender moment. However, Lily grew slightly worried despite herself. “Assuming you’re right and Ms. Riggs is truly in such a situation, there’s bound to be trouble.” “Why is that?”“If she truly has dissociative identity disorder, her other self would sometimes not know what she does. We’ll have no idea which identity she would assume. For ex
Without thinking, Hannah dropped to her knees, almost in reflex.Heather got up, walked over, and stopped beside Hannah. Then she stared down without a word.Hannah kept her head down and pursed her lips tightly. She could feel Heather’s glare. She had prepared herself for punishment when she ate a meal with Ralph. Hannah felt calm instead now that she was about to be punished.“You think you’re a full-fledged bird now, don’t you?” Heather said casually and rested her hand on Hannah’s shoulder. “That you’re ready to fly solo?”Pain shot through Hanna’s shoulder. No matter how much she looked like her sister, she was no match for Heather in terms of strength.Hannah had learned kickboxing when she was young but never had firm footing and muscles like her sister. Without Heather’s strength and learning ability, Hannah knew she could never become as powerful as Heather, no matter how hard she tried.She had grown even weaker, having stayed in the basement for a long time and could o
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