It was a rare situation indeed to have to speak in hushed tones like a thief in one’s own home.“How is the situation right now?” Not wasting time, Lily got straight to the point. “Do you know that Rhea is dead?”The smile on Anastasia’s face froze, and she nodded. “I heard.”“How did your father react to it?”“He was very agitated when he returned that day. He locked himself in the room and didn’t let anyone in. All I could hear was things being smashed inside. Then…” She cringed slightly, unnerved by what happened that day. “Then... the servants went in to clean up the mess, but after my father vented his anger, he was a lot calmer, and there was nothing off about him.”“Besides smashing things, did he do anything else?” Lily pondered it and questioned, "From what you said, Rhea is using drugs to control your father. Now that she’s dead and can’t control him anymore through drugs, has your father become normal, even a little bit?”After giving it some thought, Anastasia shook h
“But my father refuses to see anyone!” Anastasia said anxiously, “He doesn’t want to see me either. That’s why I was able to let you guys in behind his back.” Lily nodded. “Then all the more reason to meet him.”The young lady hesitated. “Since you want your father to get well soon, how will I know what drug he’s been given without seeing him?” Lily added.Anastasia thought about it and was successfully persuaded. “Come with me!”She opened the door to the empty corridor. The house was so quiet that it was eerie. They went downstairs and stopped outside the study room. Anastasia turned and gestured for them to be quiet, then whispered. “My father usually stays inside for a long time and doesn’t allow anyone to disturb him. Sometimes, he doesn’t even eat.”She was worried but knew she had no other way.Inclining her head slightly, Lily wanted to say something before hearing a stern voice from inside the room ask, “Who is it?”Anastasia’s shoulders shuddered, but she still s
“Secretary Rollins, you suffered tremendous physical torment during each bout of attack lately. Now that you’re about to get rid of your suffering, shouldn’t I congratulate you?” Lily smiled and spoke casually.Looking calm, she did not seem to be joking and was bafflingly sure of herself.Cameron slightly narrowed his eyes. “Who told you I’ve been suffering? I’m in good shape!”Besides losing some weight and looking a bit worn, there was nothing off about him, especially his eyes.Lily fixed her gaze on them. His brow was furrowed, and his eyes showed impatience and scrutiny. However, his gaze was not dull, which was unusual if he was indeed under the influence of some drug.“Oh, yeah?” Smiling, Lily suddenly raised her hand to pat his shoulder.In shock, Cameron quickly moved aside and slapped her hand away, but it was a ruse. Lily gently hit below his ribs with her other hand before withdrawing the hand that was patting Cameron’s shoulder.As it was all too sudden, and she ga
Lily’s fingers felt around the back of Cameron’s head, then suddenly stopped. Then Anastasia and Alexander saw her fingers slowly move away. Lily was holding something shiny between her two fingers. The other two would not have seen it if the light did not reflect on it.“What was that?” Anastasia said in shock. She was horrified to see Lilly pull it out from the back of her father’s head.Before Lily could answer, Cameron straightened his back and widened his eyes as if his head had gotten shocked. Then he mumbled something and slumped over. He would have slid off the chair from being unable to hold himself up if Anastasia did not support him.“Dad? Dad!” Anastasia called out anxiously, but Cameron gave no response. He remained still and could not hear his daughter’s screams with his eyelids and head drooping.“Lily, what’s the matter with him?” Anastasia hurriedly looked toward Lily.Meanwhile, Alexander narrowed his eyes at the thin silver needle between her fingers. “If I’m no
“That silver needle…” Seeing Lily pulling the needle out from the back of her father’s head was too overwhelming for Anastasia, and she kept thinking about it.“It’s an acupuncture needle Rhea had inserted into a pressure point at the back of your father’s head. Rhea must’ve used it and the toxin to exert control over him. There are records of such an evil method in the ancient text.“Still, the practitioners only used the silver needle to pierce through the point before manipulating their targets. Those who were under control had no volition like a puppet.”Lily gave Anastasia a rough explanation and simultaneously became pensive. “However, the ancient text does not mention a case like your father’s as he seems to retain his volition and is not much different from a normal person. Perhaps the perpetrators added the drug and enhanced the method.”“So, can my father regain his old self?” Anastasia earnestly asked as it was what she cared about most.It did not matter if the cause w
Alexander l smiled casually. “Well, you said it’s hard to trace the toxin’s origins now that Rhea has died. Would it be a lot easier if she isn’t?”“Rhea isn’t dead?” Lily asked.“I’m just saying, what if.” He paused and then chose his words more carefully. “Her death seemed too sudden. It was almost as if she had died on purpose.”Lily agreed with him. “That’s right! I feel the same way about it. I’ve dealt with her several times, and she’s cool-headed and almost cold-blooded. Furthermore, she used to be a top student overseas and had received many awards, not to mention she must’ve done more experiments than I have. How could such a severe explosion happen so suddenly?“Even if it was truly an accident, I doubt she would have no time to escape, let alone get herself burned beyond recognition.” Lily had heard from the police that Rhea’s body was unrecognizable when the firefighters brought her out.Lily thought it was rather suspicious. ‘If it was not to purposely hide something,
However, Alexander showed no joy and looked a bit solemn.“I received news about him about half a month ago, but I didn’t tell you because you were busy,” Alexander explained casually. “He’s safe now and still alive.”“That’s great news!” Then, heaving a sigh of relief, she seemed to remember something and fished out her phone to make a call. “What are you doing?” Alexander asked while holding her hand. Lily moved her phone-holding hand away and said, “I’m calling Olivia to tell her the good news! Oh, did your men tell her?”‘I bet she’ll be thrilled to discover that Edward is still alive and safe!’Holding her hands with both hands, Alexander stopped her from making the call and said, “You don’t have to tell her. She knows about it.”It was at this moment that Lily sensed that he was acting strangely. He is not thrilled or excited to share the news with her, but rather unhappy. Why?’“Did something happen?” she asked hesitantly. When she asked the question, different scena
It was not far away, and soon they reached Olivia’s apartment building. Lily had been here before and knew the area well, but before getting out of the car, she couldn't help but think, "How about I call Olivia and let her know we're coming?"Alexander shook his head. “If you make that call, we might not be able to see them.”“Why?” Lily was taken aback. “I’d like to know why as well. It’s best if you ask them that later.” Pointing his chin to the upper floors, Alexander opened the car door. They got out one after another and went upstairs without bringing the bodyguards. Standing before the door to the unit, Lily still could not understand what Alexander meant. She wondered why they could not see the couple if she had called Olivia beforehand.‘Also, Olivia seldom contacted me lately. When she did so twice, it was through emails. It’s something she has never done before.’Pressing the doorbell, she heard noises inside, but no one answered. Only when she pressed several times d
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