Rhea did not reply to her mother and just walked away quickly in big steps, causing her to almost run into Fabian, who had just returned home. “Why are you being so impetuous?” Fabian had a dark expression, obviously in a foul mood. “Rhea! Stop right there!”Rhea just threw him a glance, but she continued walking in the direction of the door. “Rhea! Are you deaf? Can’t you hear that I’m talking to you? Where are your f*cking manners?” Fabian was furious and was about to pull Rhea back, but Maria managed to stop him first. “Hey, calm down. What’s with the both of you today? You can only meet each other a few times a year! Why can’t the both of you behave nicely?” “It’s your fault for spoiling her!” Fabian rebuked. Seeing that Rhea had already entered her car and he could not chase after her anymore, he just retracted his hand angrily as he scolded, “All of them are ungrateful punks!”Maria was stunned. “Who are you calling ungrateful punks?”“Your daughter, that b*tch Anastas
“If he isn’t getting anything from the Russells, why is he treating them so nicely? Why can’t he help me when I’m his brother-in-law? We’re his family, while the Russells aren’t! I bet he’s doing it for money! I just don’t know how they made their deal. I knew this bastard wasn't the upright man he appeared to be, and he'd kept it hidden for a long time."The more he said, the angrier he became until he abruptly jumped to his feet. “I need to talk to him.”As he was about to leave, he saw Maria chasing after him. She was trying to stop him. “What? Don’t stop me now! No matter what you do today, I’m going to find him! He must explain things to me clearly! He went overboard this time!”“Why would I stop you? I’m coming with you!” Maria picked up her handbag in a hurry as she said, “You’re right! We must get an explanation from him! We’ve been so nice to his family over the years and even treated his daughter like our own.“Ree is jealous and grew distant from me because of that, bu
“Ree, what are you doing here?” Maria was surprised and jogged over to her. Rhea frowned. “Why are you guys here?”“I have something to do. What about you?” Fabian cleared his throat and asked.“Likewise!” Rhea spoke without looking back as her gaze landed on Anastasia. “Tell me. Where is my pen holder?”Anastasia spread her palms, looking helpless. “Rhea, I didn’t take your pen holder, I swear! I don’t even know what it looks like. Plus, why would I take your pen holder?”“God knows why! Who else could it be other than you? My mom said you’re the only outsider who came to our house in the last two days!” Rhea accused her coldly.Maria could only smile awkwardly at the sudden mention of her name. “Tasia, Ree lost her pen holder, and it’s important to her. There hasn't been anyone else by the house recently. I don’t think that you took it either, but could it be possible that you accidentally brought it home?”That was a great play with words. If Maria had asked Anastasia, “Did
While Maria complimented Anastasia, she wanted to take credit for herself, insinuating that Anastasia would not have lost this much weight and looked much healthier without her help.Anyhow, she believed Cameron owed them a big favor. They must get to the end of things with him regarding this matter.“If she had drunk it, she wouldn’t look like this now.” Rhea sneered and coldly glanced at Anastasia.Anastasia shook Maria’s hand off, stood up straight, and walked toward Rhea as she said, “What should I look like then? How do you know what medications the miracle doctor prescribed to me? How do you know their effects? Rhea, do you understand medicines too?”Maria was puzzled and hurried to explain, “Ree was a medical student. Have you forgotten…”“Rhea learned about modern medicine,” Anastasia interrupted, “I didn’t know she learned about medicinal herbs as well and being this good at it?”“You’re ignorant and haven’t performed well in your studies. What would you know?” Rhea said
“Do you know your dad will treat you differently once you have a stepmother? No matter how nice he was to you before, he would give all his love and attention to your stepmother once they married!”Maria continued earnestly, “Plus, God knows what that woman truly wants. She might just be interested in your dad’s wealth and influence. If you are not careful, you might be miserable in the future!”“Exactly!” Fabian agreed. “Also, don’t you feel sorry for your late mother when you’re ignorant toward these things?”“My mom passed away over twenty years ago. I’m sure she wants my daddy to be happy as well. Also…” Anastasia paused as she looked at Fabian and Maria. “Uncle Fabian and Aunt Maria, I don’t think you two should get too involved in my daddy’s personal affairs. If the two of you have any objections, you should tell him straight up instead of coming to me.”“This…”The couple exchanged glances, and Maria tugged Anastasia’s arm soon after. “Silly girl, your mom is no longer arou
“Tasia!” Cameron took two quick steps forward, threw his briefcase onto the sofa, and crouched to look at his daughter in a panic.Anastasia’s half-opened eyes gazed at her father as blood streaked down her scraped forehead. “Dad…”“Don’t say a word. I’ll send you to the hospital!” Cameron felt sorry for her and looked anxious.“Rhea…” Anastasia turned her head toward the stairs and pointed in the woman’s direction.Rhea wanted to go upstairs but had stopped hearing Camron’s voice. She stood there and felt awkward being pointed at by Anastasia.Following the direction the finger was pointing, Cameron saw his niece, whom he had not met for years.Rhea met his gaze, and her lips moved. “Uncle.”“Hmph!” Cameron did not answer and grunted, then bent over and tried to hold his daughter up. However, Anastasia was too heavy, and he could not lift her. “Give me a hand!” he shouted angrily.“Dad, I’m all right!” Anastasia struggled to get up. Besides her aching head and body, she did no
At the hospital, Anastasia had just been bandaged. She looked at her father, who was busy taking care of her, and said, “Dad, I’m okay, I truly am.”Sitting down by the bed, Cameron gazed at her tenderly. “I know.”“You’re still-"“You need to rest.” Cameron said, “Just rest well and stop worrying. I’ll take care of everything.”“Dad…” Moving her lips, she wanted to say something, then shifted her gaze thoughtfully and decided against it. “What’s the matter?” Cameron asked gently. At this very moment, he was just an amiable father and not the strict and fearsome Secretary Rollins.“Nothing.” She smiled and said, “Sorry, I made you worry.”“Silly girl, there’s nothing to apologize for.” He pulled her blanket slightly upward. Anastasia was fine and did not need to be hospitalized, but Cameron insisted she lay down for a while so the doctor could make further observations. The doctor did not dare to say no to him and could only agree. “Dad, I’ve made you worry my entire life
Cameron recognized Lily and nodded slightly. “Are you here to visit Tasia?”“Yes.” Nodding, Lily said, “I heard she was injured and hospitalized. What happened?”“Lily.” Tasia tried to sit up from the bed, and Lily hurried over to hold her down. “Don’t move and lie still, okay?”“I’m fine!” She blushed, thinking that she was treated like a critically ill patient and made to lie down even though she was all right.“Look at yourself. How could you say you’re fine?” It was a scary sight, with the wounds on her face dressed with merbromin and her forehead bandaged. Lily wasn't sure how Anastasia got hurt, but she could tell her injuries weren't minor. “I’m really okay. These are external wounds. It’s my father... who wants me to stay for further observation.” She blushed like a child who had done something wrong and glanced at him. “It’s for your good!” Seeing that her injuries were not that serious, Lily relaxed. “What happened? How did you get injured all of a sudden?”“I…” An
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