The welcomes were all set up after the plane touched down at the destination. On Melanie's end, Nathaniel arranged everything, and the hotel had also been pre-booked. Although Melanie was already by the car door, she still wanted to see Lily's ride. Even if La Beauté Group backed Rebirth, they were still a trivial subsidiary company. They might not be as strong as MN Inc. in terms of scale, but it seemed they wanted to be pretentious and join the first-class cabin. "Ms. Thayer?" The person picking her up wondered why Melanie did not want to get in the car and tried to remind her."Got it," Melanie replied, and just as she was about to get into the car, she saw the person she was looking for.Lily and Jenny were not in a hurry. They walked out slowly while dragging their suitcases, and then… A Rolls-Royce! There was no way that she could not recognize that car! It was a Rolls-Royce indeed, and although she could not identify the series, it was definitely expe
It’s fantastic to be rich! Sure enough, wherever the rich went, their treatment was different. Frank was still a bit of a gentleman, and because her room was on a lower floor, he sent her to the room first. Melanie frowned as soon as she opened the door. The room was a standard large bedroom. Compared to ordinary hotels, the room was quite spacious. However, it was just a room with an en suite bathroom, a microwave oven, a small refrigerator, and a sink. It seemed to have everything but was far from what Melanie imagined. "Mel, all your things are here. Have a good rest. I'll go to my room first!" Frank patted her shoulder and said with a smile.Melanie quickly stopped him, saying, "Wait a minute!" "Yes?" He remained still, cast a silent glance back, and asked. "Uh…" After pondering, she said hesitantly, "Well, I'm not too tired now, and you have luggage. Can I go to your room and chill for a while?" Frank simply stared at her instead of answering.
Her body froze instantly. Melanie subconsciously wanted to break free, but she heard Frank’s voice ringing in her ears, "Do you like it here?"His accent was a little strange, but it reminded Melanie of his identity and that she could not offend him. She stiffened her body and let him hold her, not daring to move. Her neck froze as she nodded, "O-Of course, I do.""Do you want to...have it all?" Frank asked again.This time, Melanie responded much smoother and faster, "Yes, of course, I do!"‘What a dream that would be!’Her only desire in life was to climb to the upper echelon of society, be a wealthy wife, be pampered, enjoy glory, and never have to feel pain again. Melanie felt that her circle determined her class, and the only one she could grab hold of was Nathaniel. However, she thought he was a good investment and would surely succeed one day.She witnessed MN Inc. gradually expanding and felt she was getting closer to her dreams since the company had won awards and gained
Melanie was speechless as she did not expect Frank to react like that. She looked at him, only to see that he had turned and walked to the refrigerator. He took a can of cold beer, opened it with a snap, and took a big sip.“You think too much, Melanie,” Frank shook his head and continued, “I thought you would…” He rolled his eyes, probably to rethink his words, then shrugged and said, “You need to be open-minded and free-thinking. I didn’t expect you to be so rigid.“Remember, we’re here to have fun, and I’m happy if you’re happy. Why are you overthinking? I can give you everything you want, and you can satisfy me with what I want. Isn’t that good enough? Why do you carry such heavy thoughts, huh?” Frank looked nonchalant as if it was not a big deal that Melanie had just rejected him.In contrast, Melanie felt quite embarrassed while looking at him.“Don’t worry. I’m just here for fun, and I don’t like forcing others. It’s no problem if you don’t like it.” Frank nodded. “I’m going
After listening to his words, Melanie looked around the room again, but all she could think about was what Frank's room looked like. She took a deep breath and said, "It's not bad."Nathaniel was dissatisfied, "What do you mean by ‘not bad?’ You should know that the price differs significantly.” "Well, there’s not much of a difference to the other rooms," Melanie didn't want to discuss this, so she replied perfunctorily.“How can your room be almost the same as the others? It cost a few hundred dollars more.” Nathaniel did not realize how Melanie felt, but he continued, “Mel, we’re relatively well-off now, but you know the company is facing some major problems now. We still need to recruit new talents and expand our market, so we must calculate every penny carefully. It might be difficult now, but if you think about the future…”“Oh, here we go again with ‘the future!’ You always talk about the future!” Melanie thundered as she was unable to bear Nathaniel’s rambling. “What I w
Nathaniel called a few times, and when he found out he had been hung up on, he felt depressed. Did Lily go to Middle Valley as well? Recalling Melanie's words, he was doubtful. First class? Rolls-Royce? Was Rebirth that generous? Also, did La Beauté Group have such extensive resources to support a small subsidiary business? "Mr. Hall." A laboratory staff came over with a joyful face. "The new product’s finalized, and it’s the same as before." "Really?" Nathaniel was excited but quickly restrained himself. "Has it been tested? Is it exactly the same? Remember, there must be no difference at all!"It was a bit of luck and nuisance. The perfume prepared by Lily seemed to have some extraordinary magic power. People who admired it had become loyal fans, so they would no longer buy it if there were even a slight difference. That was the reason this caused such a big issue. He had to ensure that things were exactly the same so that the factory could increase producti
"Mr. Hall?" Olivia blinked, trying to clear her head, "Why’d you come to my house?" "I heard that you’re on leave. I should take care of my subordinates as the boss, shouldn't I?" He knew she was looking out of the peephole, so he leaned in front of the door. His suddenly enlarged face startled Olivia, and she took two steps back. "You!" "Olivia, are you planning to keep the door closed and let me stand outside to talk to you?""Mr. Hall, I'm sick, and I'm home alone. It's not a good time." She did not want to open the door or say anything more to Nathaniel. It was not a good idea for him to come because everything that needed to be said had already been expressed long ago. Fortunately, her mother went out to buy vegetables. Otherwise... Speaking of the devil, there was a voice from outside, "Who are you?" Mother? "Hello, I'm Olivia's boss. My last name is Hall, and I'm the president of MN Inc." Nathaniel's voice sounded. "Oh, Mr. Hall!" Olivia’s m
Unexpectedly, Nathaniel walked to the door. "What do you mean, you’re okay?" Olivia’s mother raised her hand and thumped her. "I see you haven’t been well. I thought you were on leave, but it turns out that you’re just lazy! What were you planning to do since you're too lazy to even go to work?”Her mother spoke while hitting Olivia a few times. Olivia did not dodge but said helplessly, "Mom, don't worry about it. Go on with your errands." “It’s not that I want to boss you around, but you should know how to be responsible. Even your boss had to come to find you! Now tell me, when will you straighten up?”"Mom..." Olivia grew very helpless.Nathaniel, standing at the door, seemed to be watching a play. He waited for Olivia to be smacked a few times before he cleared his throat and stopped her mother. "Mrs. Hart, I think Olivia may have some other reasons. Don't blame her. I’m not here to find her guilty. I’m just concerned if she’s uncomfortable or had encountered dif
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