“Why should I shut up? Oh, now that my sister passed away, you think you can mistreat her family, don’t you? I’m my sister’s only brother, and you promised her to take care of me. Is this how you’re doing it?“Cameron, you’re incorruptible, my a*s! You’re no different than those vile officials. I know… You’ve found yourself a wife and forgotten about my sister and how she lost her life to give birth to your daughter. To think my sister treated you so well! She should have seen through your…”“Fabian!” Cameron’s roar shocked Fabian till he choked on his words. He stared at Cameron without a word.“Stop your nonsense! I’m warning you, if you say one more word, I’ll have you arrested. They did everything about the vaccine development center according to legal procedures. If you’re upset, conduct your investigation or sue me.“Don’t harass me here!” Cameron reprimanded Fabian. “Don’t always overstep your boundaries in your sister’s name. I know how much you’ve cashed in on my name over
Three seconds later, Fabian said indignantly, “I indeed have no f*cking proof!”He thought about it and got angrier. ‘I’ve been so close to Cameron for so many years, yet I’ve failed to gain any shred of evidence I can threaten him with. All I can do is suck up to him nonstop.‘Anyway, after so many years, he should somewhat appreciate my effort. Even if I were just a dog, he should have thrown me with a bone, shouldn’t he? He just enjoys pretending to be someone just and impartial!’“So what did he say? Didn’t he promise you? Did he take money from the Russell family?” Maria asked carefully.“How would I know?” Fabian said impatiently, kicked off the stool beside him, then sat on the sofa. Remembering something with a frown, he looked up and asked, “Where’s Rhea?”“She returned to the lab.” Maria spread her arms and looked curious. “Why? Is it because she shoved Tasia? If it’s because of that, I’ll apologize to Tasia!”“Not that!” Fabian waved and calmed down, then started to th
“How can there be anything we’re unaware of? You know what your daughter is like. She’s just a nerd, and unlike other girls, all she does is read books, study, and conduct her experiments.“I think Cameron is just trying to fool you.” Maria was so protective of her daughter that she did not think anything could be wrong with her.The truth was that Fabian did not get it either. Although his wife was biased, she was right that the chance of Rhea interacting with Cameron was meager as she hardly even hung out with Anastasia.‘These two didn’t enjoy playing together when they were young and hardly met one another, leading their own lives as grownups. How could Ree possibly offend Ron?’Maria noticed how quiet Fabian was and asked, despite herself, “So the project has gone up in smoke?”Fabian looked gloomy when his wife mentioned that. “It’s a done deal. What can I do about it? I couldn’t possibly take the project from the Russell family by force. It wouldn’t work.”“Then what shoul
When Mike left the office, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that Rhea was not leaving. He could not say much because the masked man said nothing. Feeling the inside of his mouth with the tip of his tongue, a bloody taste assaulted his throat as he left quietly.After he was gone, Rhea took a step forward. “Sir, are you truly going to let him off just like that? You know Mike is disloyal and he’s not doing this for the organization…”“If he’s not, what about you?” Staring at her coldly, there was mistrust in his eyes.Rhea pursed her lips. “At least I share the same goal and direction with you, sir. My mind is fully on the research. It’s a great research project that could change the world, and I would be responsible for its result. Like you, I look forward to it!”“Oh, yeah?” Letting out a laugh, he suddenly asked, “Then have you found that thing inside your pen holder?”Stunned, Rhea did not expect him to know about it as it was a personal matter. But after giving it some tho
"Really?" The man questioned with a half-smile. He did not know if he should believe her, but he did not want to persist.Instead, he walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside before calmly saying, "The bidding for the vaccine development project had long ended. Your father did not win the bid. Just like that, he let a big fish escape from his grasp.""What do you mean?" Rhea did not understand why he would suddenly bring this up."Cameron Rollins is your uncle, and your father is his brother-in-law. Still he didn’t secure the project for your father. Your uncle is incorruptible!" He sneered and shook his head."Cameron has always been like that," Rhea answered lightly. "My parents can't seem to wrap their minds around it.""Can you?" The man turned around and asked. "Your family is about to go bankrupt! Without this project, your father's company's capital chain will be cut off. Debt collectors will be knocking at your door. The bank and other companies will cut ties
She was not even sure how effective that thing was.It was a new product that she had just developed. She kept it like a treasure, firstly because it was her own hard work, and secondly because she was unsure about the stability and effectiveness of the product.Not only did the boss know about this product of hers, but he was also asking her to use it on Cameron. This made her feel a little uneasy."What's wrong? Are you getting softhearted?" The man laughed mockingly. "I've always thought you were ruthless. Are you telling me I was wrong?""I'm not softhearted. I'm just reluctant to finish up what I've just made," she replied."If you can make one vial, what's stopping you from making a second and a third? Once you have Cameron under your control and the vaccine development project under your belt, you’d have a large enough lab to use and almost limitless funds to squander. You won't care about this tiny bottle."After a pause, he was afraid that she wouldn't do it and continue
After a pause, Lily continued, "Someone is tapping my phone, but don't worry. I've changed to a new card and increased the cyber protection around my phone. I bought a new phone as well. Nothing will happen for now.“I know you're worried about our children and me, but you must know that not seeing you doesn’t make these dangers disappear, and it's not because of you that all this is happening. You have to let me see you!"Lily did not know if what she said had convinced Alexander or if he was too lazy to argue.After a pause, Alexander ultimately caved in. "Make sure you take precautions and bring some bodyguards with you. Immediately leave if you're in any danger. Don't try to put up a strong front.""I will," she replied. Then, worried she might disturb her husband, she quietly hung up without saying anything. Alexander forwarded his location to her shortly after.Sure enough, Lily pinpointed the location at a small village where she had traced his signal before. She could not
"Is your leg injured?" Only then did Mike notice Austin having a bandage on one of his legs with dried-up blood on it."It's all thanks to you guys!" Austin replied with a snort. He felt that this was all an act.However, Mike raised his eyebrows and denied it. "It wasn't me.""Aren't you all on the same side?" Austin gritted his teeth with hatred. Although this man was here to save him, he was still with Rhea and the others. Mike could not be any better than the rest of them.Hearing what Austin said, Mike retracted his outstretched hand and shot him a cold look. "If that's what you think, I'll leave then. You can continue staying here."Austin did not reply. His ego told him to stay silent and not give in, but his survival instinct kicked in when he saw that Mike was genuinely going to leave. "Wait a minute!"Mike stopped in his steps and turned to look at Austin nonchalantly."I'll go with you." Gritting his teeth, Austin forcefully stood up and limped behind Mike.Just as t
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