Lily discovered that her phone was getting hacked.Alexander had previously installed an anti-hacking system in her phone that would alarm her with a siren. When Alexander tried to install it on her behalf, she even teased him for being overly cautious.She was a perfumer, after all, and no one would want to hack her phone to eavesdrop on her calls, not to mention she had no secrets to hide. Now, she had to hand it to Alexander for having such foresight.After hanging up her phone, she stared at her phone thoughtfully.‘If I got hacked, my conversations with Dominic and Alex might have leaked. I can’t wait for bad things to happen, so I might as well go on the offensive.’Lily turned her car around and went to get herself a new phone and a new number, which she then used to call the number Alexander had called her. However, no one answered.Thinking that he might have refrained from taking unknown phone calls, she did not worry too much and drove straight to the research institut
The man was courteous, and Lily could not find fault for his words. She would be deemed as unreasonable to barge into the place with her men.Lily turned her head. “You guys stay here. I’ll be right back.”“Ma’am!” The bodyguards were worried.“I’ll be fine,” She said casually, held up her hand, and glanced inwardly. ‘Even if it’s the lion’s den, I’m still going in!’She walked in, and the gate closed behind her. The research institute looked deserted and eerie.‘When Professor Thompson and I were around, the gate wouldn’t be closed during the daytime, and people would come and go freely. Although I wouldn’t describe the place as lively, there were activities. Now it’s just like an abandoned building.’She craned her neck, took a glance, and walked toward the building.The moment she entered, she saw Rhea in her white coat, one hand in her pocket and another pointing at something on a document, whispering to someone beside her. Only when the person nodded and left did she look u
The laboratories Lily passed were empty. Although the equipment was still there, there were no specimens. Apparently unused for experimentation for a long time, some places had even gathered dust.Now she had stopped before what used to be Thompson’s room.When she was busy with her experiment here, she hardly had time to go home and would stay in the building. Those with higher ranks like her and Thompson had been allocated rooms to rest.Since Thompson had passed away, the door to his room was wide open and empty inside, without any documents on the desk. As she stepped in, she heard a voice say, “Professor Thompson’s room had been cleaned up. I doubt you’ll find your stuff here.”Lily looked over her shoulder and saw Rhea nearby. For an alert person like Lily, she would not fail to notice Rhea having come so close. ‘I didn’t feel like I was being followed. It means… she didn’t take the same route. I wonder where she emerged from. There are pathways… or secret chambers or p
“How would we know if the research hasn’t succeeded yet? Maybe you're heading in the wrong direction.” Rhea said it meaningfully.The elevator dinged as it reached the floor. Lily no longer responded to her words. As the elevator doors opened, she wanted to step out but found someone blocking their way.“Mike?” Lily was stunned.Seeing him, Rhea knitted her brow. “Mike, what are you up to again?”“Mrs. Russell no longer works in the lab and shouldn’t come here.” Not answering Rhea, Mike looked at Lily and said, emphasizing each word.Holding back her anger, Lily looked at him. “I’m here to pick up what I left behind. Is it not allowed, Mr. Corden?”She stressed his last name on purpose. ‘What is Mike up to? He keeps getting in my way.’“What have you left behind?” Mike’s gaze showed no emotions. “You won’t be able to find anything that belongs to you here, and you shouldn’t be here either. Tell me what you left behind, and I’ll get someone to return it to you. Please leave now,
“Mike, I feel like I’ve only just started to know you today. You’re truly somebody, aren’t you?” Lily said it coldly and backed into the elevator. “You’re right. Since I already quit, I shouldn’t be here. I’ll leave right now, so I won’t be putting you two on the spot.”“Don’t go!” Taken aback, Rhea tried to pull her, but Lily’s wrist easily shifted to dodge her grasp.“It’s not up to him to make the decision!” Rhea spoke angrily as she looked at Lily. “Don’t you want to take a look at my workplace? Don’t you want to look for what you’ve left behind and see what you want to see?”Her words were extremely tempting and yet felt like a trap.Lily let out a half-smile. “I wanted to, but not anymore. Mr. Corden is right. This involves your secrets, and I shouldn’t ask too much about it. Goodbye!”She pressed the button on the elevator.“Don’t go!” Rhea tried to stop her, but Mike dragged her back.Caught off-guard, Rhea knocked into him. Missing the elevator, she saw the elevator doo
It was a weird feeling as if Lily had just returned from the darkest abyss to a sunlit world. She left the building and went outside the research institute.Having remained outside, the bodyguards saw her and hurried over. “Ma’am!”Lily nodded slightly and asked, “Did anything happen while I wasn’t around?”“No.” The bodyguards shook their heads to indicate that nothing unusual had happened.She nodded gently. “Let’s go!”She glanced over her shoulder at the building and saw it was awash in sunlight and dazzling. However, instead of making her feel warm, it gave off a chilly feeling.Not long after she left, Dominic called, extra concerned. “Lily, are you all right?”“I’m fine.” Lily rubbed between her brows. She was only a bit tired, and there was gentle movement in her tummy as if the twins were restless. She palmed her tummy and caressed it soothingly, feeling weighed down.“Good. You almost scared me to death just now! Why did you hang up without finishing what you were say
Alexander’s return was supposed to be good news, but Lily did not look relaxed and became gloomier instead. That would only mean that something was up.‘He might’ve gotten infected with the disease. I’ve yet to see him and am unsure of his situation.’ Lily picked up the teacup and took a sip to calm herself.“The disease?” Dominic’s hand paused as he lifted the teapot. He knitted his brow. “He’s back? I mean, he’s home?”“No.” Lily shook her head and continued, “He also knows it’s serious and naturally wouldn’t return or meet me for Galen’s and my sake. He’s not even in Kingsland. I suppose he’s recuperating in a relatively remote area.”“Oh.” Letting out a sigh of relief, Dominic put down his teapot and sat before her. “What’s your plan?”“I’m going to meet him.”Dominic frowned. “Are you out of your mind?!”“I’d like to know what the disease is all about,” Lily said seriously.“Every country is studying it. There’s no need for you to meddle in this.” Dominic reasoned objectiv
“Then take proper safety measures, okay? The pandemic is the real deal. I think a virus might have caused it.” Dominic thought for a moment and spoke.“Yes, I think so too.” Nodding, Lily agreed. “Also, I think it has something to do with the experiment in the lab.”“The lab you worked in?” Taken aback, Dominic thought about the question he had put aside just now. “Oh, yes, you don’t think that brat, Austin, is the person behind it, do you?”He suddenly thought that Austin might be the culprit as he was messing with those plants in the laboratory.Lily chuckled and palmed her head, shaking it. “No! He’s not up to the task. More accurately, I think he doesn’t know about it.”“As I expected!” Dominic sighed in relief and also felt that his suspicion was ludicrous.‘I know how capable Austin is. If he could truly create a virus so devastating to the world, I would have to hand it to him.’“Then what happened to him?” Dominic sighed in relief again, thinking it must not be anything
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