Austin’s father was embarrassed. “Well, Austin might be experimenting in the lab. He often turns off his phone while experimenting,” he explained thoughtfully. “What’s the matter? Has Austin done anything wrong?”Sensing that Dominic was upset, Quincy Fike asked carefully.“Experiment? It has gone on for so long, don’t you... Anyway, he’s your son. Haven’t you tried contacting him?” Dominic could not help but mock him.Quincy chuckled and explained, “Well, there’s a reason, Uncle Dom! Austin doesn’t like us to mind his business and is quite similar to you in some ways. He’s very focused on the work he’s doing. We called him before, but he either said it was inconvenient to talk while experimenting or he had no time to be outside and would contact us when he was free.“Both his mother and I are used to it, so we rarely call him unless there’s anything urgent.” Knowing Dominic was upset, he added, “Would you like to leave a message for him or know when Austin will be back? I’ll ask
Quincy nodded. “Well, that’s the best we can do for now.”Meanwhile, Dominic was upset after hanging up the phone, regretting making the call for nothing.A short while later, Lily and Galen return, holding hands. Seeing the old man’s furious look as she had expected, she laughingly asked, “You still couldn’t reach him?”“What kind of parents are they? Their son hasn’t returned home for days, yet they aren’t worried. They’re heartless like Austin’s grandpa!” Dominic thundered, attacking even his brother.“Austin hasn’t gone home for days?” Lily caught on to the critical point and could tell something was wrong.“Yes.” Dominic’s mood only got better seeing Galen. Grinning, he crouched down and hugged Galen lovingly.“Aren’t Austin’s parents worried that he hasn’t returned for a few days?”“Not even the slightest!” Dominic pouted. “They say it happens all the time and should mind their business since Austin is a grownup. Why should I be worried when his parents don’t even give a d
Right at that moment, Lily’s phone rang.The two exchanged a look and quieted down. Lily took out her phone and was surprised to see it was a call from Thompson.They had just mentioned the laboratory, and he called. Furthermore, he had not contacted Lily since she left. After all, she had a falling out with him and destroyed the data.‘Why is Professor Thompson calling me now?’She answered the call. “Professor Thompson?”“Lily, are you free? I have something to discuss with you, face-to-face.” Since Thompson’s voice was low, and there were noises, he did not seem to be in the laboratory.“What time?” Lily asked solemnly.“Now. Do you have time?”‘He’s in such a hurry, huh? Now, and face-to-face? It must be something serious.’“What’s it about?” Lily asked thoughtfully.“Well…” Thompson hesitated momentarily and seemed reluctant to tell her. “I’ll tell you later since it’s hard to describe it over the phone. It’s about the lab’s experiment. I hope you can help!” He spoke ear
“All right, old man, stop nagging! I have to get going and rush home.” Thinking that Thompson would be waiting for her, she wanted to hurry back and seek answers to her questions. She felt that what Thompson wanted to talk about could be related to Austin and perhaps even the laboratory's secret. Thinking so, she quickened her pace.“No, the key, the car key!” Swinging something in his hand, Dominic chased after her. “Your car is in such a terrible state. How are you going to drive it? Take one of the cars here.”Taking the key, Lily was moved. “Old man…”“Okay, I know! Just go stubborn girl, as long as you know what you’re doing. Remember that no matter how tough you are, you’re still a girl and pregnant, and your husband and son can’t live without you. Just don’t expect me to raise your child, okay?”He tried to act tough but failed to hide his concern for her. “Relax. I’ll make sure I won’t lose a single strand of hair, okay?” Lily joked light-heartedly, not wanting to sound
Lily rushed over to the hospital, but it was too late. By the time she arrived, Thompson had already been declared dead, despite the emergency treatment. Taking a glimpse of him, she saw his face was bloody and somewhat damaged, but she could still recognize him. Eyes closed, the man could no longer hear her nor fight with her over the laptop and lab data.“Professor Thompson…” Her voice quivered, and so did her outstretched fingers. “Are you his family?” The doctor asked as he slowly covered the professor’s face with a white cloth. Lily shook her head, then suddenly thought of something. “Hasn’t his family arrived yet?”“There was no phone on him, so we cannot contact anyone. Do you know his family? Can you help us contact them?”The doctor was busy treating patients. As Thompson only had his driving license with him and there was no way to reach his family, he was glad to see someone who knew the deceased. “I don’t know his family.” Shaking her head, Lily had never seen an
She forgot how she left the hospital and only knew she felt dizzy as she looked up at the sun.‘The lab, the pandemic, Austin, Professor Thompson… all are inextricably linked!’She began to wonder if she could handle it. ‘Who the hell is the mastermind behind all this? Who wanted to have me killed? Who wanted Professor Thompson dead? What happened to Austin?’Thinking it over, she concluded that the laboratory must have something to do with everything. Taking a deep breath, she got into the car and instructed the driver, “Take me to the research institute.”…The car reached the place shortly. Staring at the familiar yet strange building, she stood before the gate but did not go in. She had no idea what lay in the unknown or whether she would face any danger if she were to go in. However, it was the only place where the mystery could be solved. Narrowing her eyes, she tried to go in, but the passcode she entered was wrong.She ensured she did not remember wrongly and keyed in
However, Lily only looked at her. The woman curled her lips. “I’m Rhea Moore. You might not have seen me before, but I’ve heard about you.”After a pause, she added, “I’ve been looking forward to meeting you for a long time.”Lily considered for a moment, then got into the passenger seat beside her. The bodyguards outside were worried. “Ma’am…”They would not be able to go inside the laboratory. “It’s okay. You guys wait here, and I’ll be out soon,” she said solemnly, holding up her hand. Glancing at Lily’s bodyguards, Rhea chuckled. “I heard you married a rich man, huh? No wonder you’re accompanied by bodyguards, unlike ordinary people like us.”“Those who have access to the laboratory are no ordinary people, including you, Ms. Moore,” Lily said meaningfully. Rhea curled her nicely outlined lips into a smile, then drove through the gate. She parked the car but did not get out right away. She removed her seat belt, turned to take two bottles of water from the back seat, and h
“I worked with him for a longer time, I guess. Although we had our differences, he was a senior, and he devised the experiment, so his death saddens me,” Lily said blandly.“Oh?” Rhea was curious as she raised her eyebrows. “Differences? In what aspect?”“About the experiment.” Lily turned to look at Rhea in the same way, her gaze unwavering.“The experiment? What do you mean? Didn’t you say Professor Thompson devised it, and you respect him? Oh, yes. Are you no longer with the lab? I heard you left?” Rhea asked.“Yes.” Lily nodded and continued, “Since we couldn’t see eye to eye with each other and our differences would only grow if I stayed, I left.”Rhea looked astonished. “What kind of differences can’t be reconciled? From how I see it, the experiment is progressing quite smoothly. I heard you’re competent, but could it be that what you believed was wrong? At least the experiment is showing good results now!”“What do you mean by good results? Have you guys pulled off the exp
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