They could not figure out why Lily’s behavior had changed. Lily had always been well-behaved and docile, but when she spoke confidently on the stage, they thought Lily was an entirely different person.No signs could have prepared them for Lily’s sudden change. She turned into a different person overnight and almost ruined MN Inc.Nathaniel thought, ‘If it weren’t because I could still use her, I would have killed her on the spot! Does she know about Mel and me? Is that why she changed so drastically? That’s impossible! If she had known about us, she would’ve made a fuss, right? Instead, she had no reactions, which is not normal for a woman in such a situation.’The sight of Melanie and Nathaniel boiling with anger but trying their best to suppress their emotions was hilarious to Lily. Initially, Lily planned to shed all her pretenses. She did not sign any contract with MN Inc. anyway, so she could leave with all her things as she wished. However, she did not expect Melanie and Na
"They said you’re an adulterer and that you guys worked together to take advantage of me!"Nathaniel's expression changed suddenly. "What nonsense are you spewing?!"On the contrary, Melanie, facing Lily, was stunned hearing that. Facing such a direct and strict accusation, she subconsciously felt guilty, and her eyes instinctively avoided it. After hearing Nathaniel's voice, she returned to her senses, "Yeah, how can you believe such words. It’s just slander!""Lily, the three of us have known each other for so long. Do you still need someone else to tell you about our relationship? How could you believe such a boring provocation? It's hurtful to us if you believe them."After a few words, Melanie's eyes were red as tears were about to fall. It looked like she was aggrieved.Lily was speechless with her act. She thought it was a pity Melanie was not an actress. However, if life was like a play that depended on acting, anyone could do that! Lily pursed her lips and drooped her
Nathaniel felt that way because he did not know anything that happened between Lily and Rebirth.Lily shook her head. "I didn't.""That's great. Since you didn't sign a contract with La Beauté, we can still fix things. They're just manipulating you. I’m already kind enough not to sue Rebirth for slandering us.”With a sigh of relief, Nathaniel patted Lily’s arm. "Lily, you are too naive to understand the complexity and filth of the business field. It's all for your good. We don't want you to get involved in this complicated stuff.""Let Mel and I deal with this matter for you. Now you can focus on producing perfumes. Don't you love making new scents? Wouldn't it be great to do what you love?"Lily looked at him. He gaslighted her all along, making her willing to do things for them without wanting anything in return. Even now, they only wanted her to take the blame for everything. Still, they plausibly said everything was for her good. Suppose she admitted that she stole formula
Lily went to the laboratory after leaving MN Inc., which was located far from the company. Lily and Olivia were mainly involved in research and development and would only mass-produce their latest products after proving their success rates.However, Nathaniel was usually eager for quick success and would rush for production, even though the product had yet to pass its tests. He would always jump the gun and launch newer products.He said that the market was ever-changing, and others would soon replace them if they did not seize their opportunities. Therefore, he thought it was necessary to push new products to capture the consumers’ attention.Lily disagreed with his aggressive marketing because she knew developing a new product would require a process of inspiration and experimentation. Newer products needed repeated tests to succeed, and they could not rush to release them.Although Lily disagreed, she could only make suggestions because she was not qualified enough. Nathaniel to
In the end, one of them took the initiative and stepped forward, "Lily, we’re just following orders. You can seek Mr. Hall if you are dissatisfied. We’re only doing what Mr. Hall instructed us to do!""All right, you think I’m scared?" Lily focused her gaze on the man as she removed her phone from her pocket to call Nathaniel. However, there was no answer, even though Lily was sure Nathaniel was reachable. She knew then that Nathaniel was doing what she did to him.Nathaniel thought it would frustrate her until she finally admitted her mistake.The man before Lily revealed a smug smile as if he knew her call would go unanswered. The man said, “Lily, your assistant has been beating around the bush for over an hour. It’s pointless to waste time like this when Mr. Hall has plenty of it. Sure, the information he wants is confidential, but it belongs to the company, and Mr. Hall wants you to hand them over. Don’t worry. We’ll take good care of it.”Lily hung up the phone and said, “Oh,
Lily sat down and looked up at Olivia. “Liv, if you must choose between MN Inc. and me, which one would you...”“I’ll choose you!” Olivia said without hesitation, interrupting Lily even before she could finish her words.Her answer stunned Lily for a moment before a smile appeared on her face.It would be great if Olivia could continue working at MN Inc. as the company offered a decent salary. Olivia was a hot-tempered person, and she disliked any complex social interactions, so working in this lab suited her the best as she had a profound knowledge of perfumery.Lily could not stay in MN Inc., but it would affect Olivia regardless of Lily’s choice. Lily felt awful because of it. However, Lily did not expect Olivia to choose her with so much certainty. ‘Maybe I did gain something from working at MN Inc.,’ Lily thought.Smiling, the two looked at each other. The two needed no words to express their feelings for one another.“Oh right. Are you really going to work at Rebirth?” Si
“What would Nathaniel be most afraid of when he wants me to admit that I lied during the competition before the public?”Upon seeing Olivia’s puzzled gaze, Lily continued, “It’s the witnesses and evidence that will be against him. Sure, he took the evidence away, but the witness…”“Am I the witness?” Olivia pointed at herself. Realization soon hit her as she exclaimed, “I can be the witness!” She continued, arms akimbo, “We can use this chance to expose his true colors and show everyone just what kind of a person he truly is!”Lily smiled, shook her head lightly, and said, “No, you won’t need to be a witness. I only need you to take a vacation over the next two days.”“Take a vacation?”“Yes, that’s right! Nathaniel doesn’t need you to be his witness. All he wants is to have nobody testify for me. It will benefit him If you leave now.”At this crucial moment, Olivia knew that Nathaniel, who cared even about the minor things, would not let her go if she were to resign now. Slack
Alexander's car rocketed down the road. Soon they lost the cars behind them."Nate must’ve sent people to follow me. It's probably to see if I’m still in contact with Rebirth." Lily turned her head back toward Alexander as she spoke."Huh?" Alexander raised his eyebrows. "Did you promise him you wouldn’t return to Rebirth?""I didn't promise him anything, but he probably felt that he had convinced me to." Lily did not promise Nathaniel anything, but Nathaniel still thought his lame lies had successfully fooled her again. He was the same person as usual and thought he was familiar with Lily because the old Lily would give him all her trust.However, Lily witnessed Nathaniel’s betrayal and affair with her own eyes. She watched his and Melanie’s illicit relationship and lost all of Lily’s trust. How could she ever believe any of Nathaniel's words again?"So, what's your plan now?"Without interfering with her decision, Alexander was very interested, and he was even a little curious
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