“What?! An abandoned factory?!” Maria exploded when she heard what her husband said. "How can you let her work at an abandoned factory?! That is such a terrible place! You have so many factories and places. Can't you make space for her?!"Maria jumped angrily. "Give her a proper working space immediately! How can you be so stingy?!"Facing the accusation, Fabian cried out in grievance. "That's not the case! Rhea insists on working there. She said she didn't want a proper place and that the experiment was tricky. She wanted to work in a place she could easily leave behind. What can I do?! Even if I'm stingy, I won't do that to my daughter!""She…" Maria was at a loss for words after hearing her daughter's request. Although she was angry and anxious, there was nothing she could do.If this were Rhea's request, no one could talk her out of it."This child is something else. What is she thinking?!" Maria sighed. When she saw people still carrying things out of the house, she expressed
Fabian squinted, looking at the man that spoke. He thought the man looked familiar but could not put a name to the face."You are…""Mr. Moore, you've raised an amazing daughter!" The man snickered. His words were full of sarcasm and contempt, and the eyes that looked at Fabian were cold as they shot daggers at Fabian."Who are you guys?! How dare you come to my house and cause a ruckus? Do you think we're easy to bully?!" Maria growled.She could not stand hearing others slander or mock her daughter. She got riled up when the group of people appeared, looking like they were about to start a fight.‘Does this group of people not know who we are? How daring of them!’"Are you saying your family isn't easy to bully, but ours is? If you don't hand over that murderer, Rhea Moore, today, you won't see the end of this!" This time, a woman's voice sounded.Maria was already in a terrible mood. After hearing that, she almost burst into flames. "Who are you calling a murderer?! You b*sta
"Tell us what?!" Maria refused to back down. "Why should she? Just because you said so? Do you have any evidence? If my daughter did kidnap your son, show us the evidence!""Evidence?" Elijah snorted coldly. "My son, Austin Fike, is the best evidence! He’s recovering from what happened. How can what he said and saw with his own eyes be false? I will not let this slide if you don't hand Rhea over today. It'd be useless even if you try to get Secretary Rollins to help! Nothing will work!"Before coming over, Elijah had already done all the preparatory work he should have done. The police station reported the case and informed the higher-ups for fear that Cameron would overshadow it.Although Cameron had always been upright with a good reputation, the incident with the vaccine development project a while ago made everyone question him. On top of that, Elijah was unfamiliar with Cameron, so he had to keep a good hand.Hearing how Elijah had called out Fabian's trump card, he suddenly r
"Is that permission to ransack the house? Since you refused to hand her over, we could only get her ourselves!"After confirming that Fabian was unwilling to surrender, Elijah waved his hand, and the people behind him rushed forward.Fabian's face dropped, and he shouted sharply, "Hey! Are you harassing our family?!"The Moores had their henchmen as well. When Fabian called out, a group of men blocked the doorway. Immediately, the two groups of people faced each other, seeming like they were about to fight.Maria frowned and quietly stepped back to make a phone call.‘In this situation, it’s best for Rhea not to return. Who knows what was wrong with the Fikes for them to come over, acting wildly and indiscriminately? Rhea would be in trouble if she came home.’Maria quietly dialed Rhea's phone, but no one answered. She kept staring at the phone, but all she got was the dial tone. Maria was so worried that she started to break out in sweats.Michelle had been observing the Moore
"Who dares to ransack my place?!"Fabian was also getting anxious. He had no idea when those men got in and out of his place. Now Elijah publicly proclaimed that he wanted to search Fabian's house in front of his henchmen. Where could he hide his face if he allowed Elijah to do so?Fabian straightened his back and stared Elijah down. The two men stared at each other, and neither would back down.On the other end, Maria and Michelle were still brawling. The two women's hair was a mess. At this moment, the phone that they were fighting over suddenly rang.The two of them froze for a moment before they grappled with each other for the phone.Ultimately, Maria managed to hold onto her phone and finally broke free. After stepping aside, she answered the call. "Hello? Hello?""What?!" Her terrified face and sudden, raised voice caused everyone's attention to turn toward her.Even Michelle, who was about to pounce on Maria again, was stunned momentarily as she stood frozen in place.
"Bullshit! I…"The phone kept ringing. Fabian gritted his teeth bitterly. Although he knew Elijah was prodding, this was no small matter. Even if Fabian had doubts, he did not think Rhea could do such a thing.In the end, he picked up the phone and put it on speaker before preemptively saying, "Ree, are you still experimenting? No matter how busy you are, remember to take care of yourself. By the way, the Fike family is here to see you. They have something to ask…"Initially, he wanted to hint to Rhea that other people were around so that she would watch her words. However, a strange voice interrupted him before he even finished speaking. "Mr. Moore! It's me! Something happened to Ms. Moore!"Fabian was so taken aback that he froze for a while before glancing at Elijah blankly. Only then did he realize that the voice came from the phone.He glanced at his phone and asked, "What did you say?""Something happened to Ms. Moore! There was an explosion in the factory, and the aftermat
"Wait a minute!" Michelle suddenly called out. "We're going too!""Even at this point, you still want to…" Hearing those words, Maria roared hysterically in anger.However, Fabian quickly grabbed her, glanced at the Fike couple, and said coldly, "That’s up to you!"Then the Moores got into the car and drove to the factory. Elijah quickly pulled his wife into his car and followed closely behind.The two cars sped down the road to an abandoned suburban factory. In the distance, they had already seen clouds of thick black smoke and the sound of sirens before they got close.The Moores reached the scene first, and the two jumped out of the car to rush forward. However, the cordon was there to stop them from going straight in. Only after a few exchanges of words were they allowed to pass.Soon, Elijah's car came to a stop. Michelle reached out and held his hands, her fingers cold. Then she asked calmly, "Do you think this is an act?""I don't know." Elijah pursed his lips tightly wit
Elijah and Michelle looked at each other before quickly following suit out of curiosity.The firefighters had covered the stretcher they carried out with a piece of cloth. Although everyone knew there was a person under it, no one knew who it was.However, Maria recognized the corner of the clothing that peaked out under the cloth. "Ree…" She pounced onto the stretcher.Fabian did not hold her back as she threw herself onto the stretcher, and it fell to the ground with a bang. She had also unintentionally pulled the cloth with her."Ah!" Her scream filled the air when she saw the face that belonged to the body.Michelle, who was right behind her, saw the body and gasped in fright. Elijah quickly reacted as he covered her eyes with his hand. "Don't look!"Even he, a burly man, felt his heart skip a beat, and the hairs all over his body stood on end when he saw the corpse. The face was burnt beyond recognition, almost into a lump of soil. A glance at it would make anyone scream.A
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