Ralph ran straight to the first floor. He did not know which room was Alexander’s bedroom, but as he observed the rooms along the corridor, one door to a room was tightly shut. There was obviously something in the room. He walked toward the bedroom, and as he was about to turn the knob, he stopped. If this was Alexander’s bedroom and the book was in there, he would not be able to enter that easily. Ralph was sure that this room would be filled with traps.Alexander was a cautious person. He had ensured that his house was well-equipped with the latest security measures. It was impossible that he would leave this room unsecured. With this in mind, Ralph carefully turned the doorknob, and he was surprised to find that the room was unlocked. This was very suspicious.After giving it some thought, he decided to take the risk. After all, he was already here. He took out a piece of wood from his pocket and pushed the door open with it. He investigated the slightly ajar door and saw a hu
Ralph decided to try it. He gritted his teeth and recalled the password he saw in Alexander’s office. He began to move the dial slowly out of fear that he might accidentally trigger the trap. Just then, he heard a slight click sound, and he could feel that the safe had unlocked. He was overjoyed! He stopped just as he was about to open the safe and decided to use the piece of wood. When he opened the safe, a “whoosh” sound was heard, followed by a cool breeze, and two sharp arrows were currently stabbed into the ground in front of the opened safe. Ralph could not help the shiver down his spine—that was such a close call! Ralph was right to predict that Alexander still set other traps. It was exactly his style to do something like this. His gaze fell upon a book within the safe. Ralph was elated. He wanted to cheer out loud with joy so badly. This was it! Lying in a safe in Alexander’s bedroom and guarded by layers of booby traps, it was definitely the secret kickboxin
The butler nodded in agreement. “Yes, you’re right, sir. It was our negligence that Mrs. Margaret lost her ring under our watch. If I may, sir, have you found the ring?” Then the butler sighed in relief when he saw the ring in Ralph’s hand.Ralph nodded. “Yeah, I found it. I’ll bring this to my mother immediately. You should clean this place and check if anything else is missing. You might even be able to find something. Also, you guys should improve your security here. This time it was my mother. What if it was someone else next time?”“Yes, of course! We’ll do better next time,” the butler assured Ralph politely. Ralph was delighted with the butler’s attitude, so he did not continue to make things difficult for him. Moreover, he already had what he had come for and was excited.He could not wait to leave. “Good, now I’ll be leaving. Take the time to reflect on your shortcomings!”The butler smiled politely, his hands crossed before him while sending Ralph off. The smile on the bu
“Who else would it be? Of course, it’s your silly uncle.” Margaret looked slightly across. “He took a century to look for a ring! Still, he found it. According to him, it was between the cushions on the sofa, and I didn’t even realize I dropped it there.”“That’s excellent news, and you still have time to spare. Tell Uncle Ralph to come to pick you up, then you could make it for your show,” Alexander said while looking at his watch.Margaret nodded. “Thank goodness you were here to accompany me, or I would’ve panicked.”Ralph arrived moments later. Since he knew they were at the cafe, he came over immediately. He entered the cafe and rushed straight to their table. “Mom, I found it.”Then he removed the ring from his pocket and handed it to Margaret. “Look, this is the one, right?”“Yes, that’s it. This ring has never left my side all these years. If I lost it, I would never be able to rest in peace even after I die.” She hurriedly took the ring from Ralph and put it on her finger
Heather entered the house and heard a commotion in the kitchen. She entered the kitchen to check what was happening when she saw Hannah. Heather’s face darkened as she asked sternly, “What do you think you’re doing?”Hannah was surprised when she heard her sister’s voice. Her hand that held a pot cover trembled. The steam from the pot scalded her as she yelped softly.“You’re so clumsy!” Heather said frustratedly, “Come here!”“I-I’m sorry.” Hannah had been apologizing a lot recently. However, she was more obedient than before and hurriedly left the kitchen with a bowl of soup. It was still warm, covered with a cotton cloth to keep the heat inside. The aroma of the soup was appetizing.“What’s this?” Heather frowned and looked at it.“I made some soup for you,” Hannah spoke softly, not daring to make eye contact with Heather. She gently pushed the bowl toward Heather, trying to make Heather happy.“Who permitted you to cook? You should stay in your room until I tell you to come o
“What’s this? I’m not eating that!” Heather rejected her offer, looking at it with disdain. The bowl was filled with white, creamy liquid and bits of chicken and vegetables that looked appetizing and smelled amazing. It did make Heather hungry, so she asked, “What soup is it?Hannah’s face immediately brightened, and she answered Heather’s question eagerly, “It’s some chicken broth that’s good for the body. I heard that you’ve injured yourself, and I hope this can help you recover.” “Good for me?” Heather eyed her suspiciously and took out her phone to search for information about it. “How did you know chicken soup is good for injuries or when someone’s sick?”“I saw it on TV,” Hannah replied immediately, “I noticed that we have the ingredients needed to make it, and the kitchen was empty then, so I decided to make this for you. Don’t worry. I made sure no one saw me.” Heather was not worried about Hannah being seen. She made sure that the people around her were those s
Heather went upstairs while Hannah took the empty bowl to the kitchen. She turned on the tap and cleaned the bowl with a cloth. She took her time cleaning it thoroughly.After she finished, she placed it back in the cabinet and took one last look at the kitchen before walking toward her small bedroom. Hannah’s bedroom in the basement was very dark and quiet, but she was used to this environment. She sat in a corner where a small amount of sunlight was available. The sunlight shone on a small area close to her toes. She could feel the warmth of the sun if she just stretched her feet, but instead, she chose to sit with her knees bent and her toes curled together. She was so close to the sun yet did not dare reach out for it. Her arms were around her knees, hugging them as one of her hands played with the distorted ring she had. Hannah had found her ring, even though it was not how it used to be. Nothing truly belonged to her in this world, not anything or anyone. She shoul
“Sure,” Heather agreed readily. “I’ll see you later.” Then she hung up the phone without hesitation, making Ralph somewhat suspicious because she was too quick to decide.Ralph felt Heather should have been ecstatic and full of anticipation. Despite the fact that she agreed quickly, her reaction surprised him. It was nothing like what he had imagined at all.It weirded him out a little, but Heather was unlike any other woman when he thought about it. Hence, what he found strange about her might be what was usual in her daily life.With that thought in mind, he hummed a song and headed into the shower to prepare himself for the night. They would have a great talk tonight, and he would welcome his brand new life!…At six p.m., Ralph was about to leave for the hotel when Celine appeared. She could not help but notice he was in high spirits. “Heading out for a wild night?”“Hey! What are you talking about? I’m going to discuss business and strike a huge deal.” Ralph clicked his tong
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