“Two days?” Not expecting to have slept for so long, she was taken aback for a moment and wondered what happened after she fainted. “Alex…”“He’s downstairs and hasn’t left home yet. Would you like to see him? I’ll go and get him.”“There’s no hurry,” Margaret said. “I must have troubled you for the past two days.”Lily shook her head. “No trouble at all. It’s Aunt Celine who's been taking care of you.”“Ah, Celine…” Letting out a sigh, Margaret gazed ahead into space while still holding her hand. “Do you…” She hesitated but could not bear to finish the question. It was getting awkward. She wanted to get someone to announce that Margaret had awoken and to prepare her some food, but the older woman did not let go of her hand. Even worse, Lily felt she should talk to her but was afraid she would say something to enrage her. After a while, Margaret diverted her gaze back to Lily. Her lips moved as she wanted to say something, but she hesitated. However, even if she had not s
Alexander went upstairs, entered the bedroom, and saw Margaret sitting on the bed, looking quite well. However, as she had slept through two days and was only on the IV drip, she was still feeble. “Grandma.” He entered. “Are you feeling better?”Alexander maintained a distance from Margaret as he stood at the bed’s end. He was close enough to see how she was doing, yet not too close. He had always kept a politely distant attitude toward her.Margaret gazed sincerely at him, her only grandson. She had given birth to many children who died, and her favorite son was not related to her by blood. It was as if God had pulled a terrible prank on her.She sized up Alexander, who had his mother’s eyes and eyebrows, and his father’s mouth and nose. ‘Even his dignified manner takes after his grandfather!‘How could I even suspect that he’s not a child of the Russell family? Why did I want to do the DNA test? If I hadn’t done it, I wouldn’t have discovered that Ralph isn’t my child, and I co
Although they were not blood-related, Margaret had raised Ralph as her own for many years, so it was difficult for her to cut him loose.“Grandma, it’s not up to me but him. He still hasn’t thought it through and refused to return home. Let’s discuss it when he does, okay?” He added, “It’s time for me to go to the office. Have a good rest, Grandma.”Lily came in, bringing the food as he was about to leave.“Please take care of her.” He said and left.Lily did not hear what they were talking about but could have guessed it. “Grandma, you must be hungry. Have some garlic bread and mushroom cream soup, but eat slowly.”Lily sat by the bed with the tray on her lap, dipped the bread into the soup, and offered it to Margaret.Margaret wanted to take the whole plate instead. “It’s okay. You’re pregnant. You don’t have to serve me.”“Let me do it. I’m still early in my pregnancy, so don’t worry.” Lily said with a chuckle. “Stop insisting. I’ll laze around when you feel better, okay?”M
“Heather Riggs?” Margaret mentioned the name and shook her head with pursed lips. “I doubt so.”“Grandma…”“Although I sometimes make silly mistakes, I’m a good judge of character at my age. I initially chose her so Ralph could benefit from her family’s influence, and her capability could…” Thinking that she had wanted to help Ralph seize power with the Riggs’ assistance, Margaret stopped saying what was on her mind. ‘How foolish was I?! I almost ruined the Russell family. If I did, how would I face Hugo in the afterlife?’ “Their relationship is based on mutual interest. Now that Ralph has ended up like this, I only hope she won't kick him when he’s down.” Lily did not entirely agree with Margaret and wanted to tell her that a housekeeper saw “Heather” as the last person who spoke to him that day, and the woman even kissed him before she left. However, thinking that this did not concern her and that it was not her but the housekeeper who witnessed the whole thing, she decided
Lily did not know what to say. Unable to say no, she let Margaret hold her hand and put the ring on her finger. Since her fingers were slender, the older woman put it on her thumb, and it fit perfectly. Margaret laughed. “I heard some of the heads of families and royalties wore thumb rings in the old days. You’re just meant to wear it like this.”“Thank you, Grandma,” she said softly as she felt the weight of the ring. …Ralph had a deep slumber and felt more spirited when he woke up. However, the apartment was so empty that there was nothing to eat there, and he could not cook anything without utensils. All he could do was order takeout.Fortunately, he could order food and drinks online with the money Hannah had left for him. While checking the money she had transferred to him, he thought it ironic that he would survive on a woman’s money one day. Used to a life of extravagance, he could put his expenses on the tab whenever he did not have cash, and people might even pay
The villa was not too far away. With the money he had, he requested a ride online and was able to get there fast. The security guards at the housing estate recognized him and did not stop him. Reaching the villa without a hitch, he triple-checked the house number. There were many properties under his name, including condos and villas in and outside of Kingsland. He could not remember all of them, but he did remember this unit as it was only purchased two years ago. Having been involved in the real estate industry for the longest time, the influential Russell family had bought the whole piece of land, and a few of the best units were reserved for them when the project was completed. Ralph did not care much about his properties, as he had never stayed there. Thinking that he could own everything once he took over the company, he never thought these houses deserved his attention. However, things had changed. A house like this could become his shelter, and if he sold it, he could
Collecting herself, she realized the phone was indeed ringing. Taking it from the nightstand, she checked the caller and hurriedly answered, “Ralph, is it you? Where are you? Why aren’t you coming back?”Ralph was surprised. He never expected such a reaction from his mother. She sounded worried and concerned and was not as heartless and icy as the other day. “Mom…” He barely knew what else to say. He had mixed feelings toward her. She had adored him for years, but at the last minute, she betrayed him. “Ralph? Ralph?” Not getting an answer, Margaret tried to calm down and let out a sigh. “Are you… still blaming me?”“Why did you do that?” Clenching his fists, he was on the verge of tears as he sat on a nearby sofa arm. “How could you do that to me? You've ruined my life, do you realize that? How could you be… so heartless?”Margaret was unable to hold back tears as he questioned her. “I wasn’t being heartless. I simply couldn’t betray the family!” She cried and said, “You h
“That’s not possible!” Ralph did not believe he would not have succeeded.He had everything well-prepared, and his mother’s betrayal was the only miscalculation. “How would I lose if you hadn’t sided with Alex? No way! There’s no f*cking away!’“I guess you’re unaware that Alex knew about your birth long ago, even before me, but he told no one about it. If you don’t push him too far, he won’t expose you, but you…”Margaret only learned about it later, but Alexander knew about it long ago. Being the head of the family, he had sorted through the clues and discovered the truth, but he refrained from exposing it out of consideration for his grandma and because Ralph grew up in the family.Most importantly, as Hugo was the one who brought Ralph into the family and he had been keeping it a secret, Alexander would not tell anyone about it out of respect for his grandpa. However, Ralph had forced Alexander into a corner and unwittingly brought himself closer to his own downfall.“What?”
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