Fabian followed his niece’s gaze and glanced behind him before casually turning his head back and curling his lip. “Why? Can’t I see him?”“Well, it’s not that you can’t. However, you’ve brought many men over. Are you here to see my father or to threaten him? I would understand your intention because you’re my uncle, but it’s hard to tell what my father would think.” Anastasia looked so indifferent and calm that Fabian was unsure what to make of her.He gave it some thought and looked upstairs. Then he moved closer and lowered his voice, saying, “Tell me honestly. Is your father truly home?”“Please! Everyone knows my father has taken a few days off. Since he’s not at work, he’s at home. Where else could he be?” Anastasia scoffed and spoke naturally.Pensive, he looked up again. He coughed hard and turned to his men. “Go outside and wait for me.”After receiving the order, Fabian’s men left together, and the house became quiet.Anastasia felt relieved when the men left. However,
“Uncle Fabian, why aren’t you going in? My father is resting inside.” Anastasia made an inward pointing motion and stated blandly. The half-smile on her face made Fabian feel that she was up to something. ‘I’m already here. If I back off now, not only could I not resolve my doubts, but I’d also look like a complete coward.’ He gave her a deep look, gritted his teeth, and quickly stepped in. As he went in, he chuckled and said, “Ron, I heard you’re sick, so I’ve come to check on... you…”Even before he could finish saying “you,” Anastasia entered and shut the door with a bang. Fabian was somewhat shocked. “Ron?”‘Cameron is lying on the bed, but… he doesn’t seem to be just sick. Why isn’t he moving at all?’“Ron?” He called out again, but Cameron showed no sign of response and did not even open his eyes. His eyes shifted to Anastasia, and he was struck by a sense of strangeness at the sight of her closing the door and blocking the exit.“Tasia, your father…”“I told you
Fabian questioned Anastasia, who nodded and pursed her lips. “Yes!” Without waiting for his reply, she said, “There’s no doubt that my father has been poisoned. Besides… don’t you know about it?”She asked probingly, but Fabian shouted, “How would I know?! I didn’t poison him, did I?!”He looked upset but did not avert his gaze, and this got Anastasia thinking. ‘Rhea was able to slowly poison me behind her parents’ backs at a young age, so I guess they wouldn’t know about what happened to dad either.’In the last few days, the young woman had been blaming herself. ‘Why didn’t I pay more attention to dad? How could I let dad become her victim when I know how vicious and unreliable Rhea was? ‘I know it’s useless to feel bad about it now as I can’t turn back time, and Rhea can’t come back to life. I only wish that Lily would come up with the cure and dad could recover sooner.’ Thinking so, she looked toward Fabian and took a deep breath. “Don’t be mad, okay? I was only asking. I
Fabian wondered whether or not Cameron was still approachable and whether or not he would still have his back. Fabian was surprised to face such a situation. He slowly lowered his phone-holding hand in response to Anastasia's words and hesitated. “Then…”“Uncle Fabian, I’ve kept this from everyone because I’m worried. I've got no idea how far along the project is or whether it would be affected now that Rhea has suddenly passed away,” she said, placing her hand on Fabian’s hand. “Still, we’re family, Uncle Fabian. You must help me keep this a secret.” Her suddenly pressing the back of his hand startled him, and he became flustered. “Until when? People will find out sooner or later!” He hesitated but seemed open to the idea. “As long as we can.” Anastasia added, “I’m trying to find a cure for my father. When he wakes up, we’ll have nothing to worry about, and I’ll tell my father you helped us get through this difficult time.”Hearing this, Fabian was tempted. ‘If I help her and
Anastasia sighed lightly. “Maybe it’s because I’ve grown up.”“Grown up?” Fabian was momentarily confused.“Yes. I used to lead a carefree life under Aunt Maria’s, yours, and my father’s care. Now that my father is like this and with so many things happening at home, I must become more mature than I used to be.” She looked sincerely at Fabian.“Uncle Fabian, I know you and Aunt Maria are sad by Rhea’s sudden passing, but you mustn’t give up. You still have to take care of your business, and there are many things you need to handle.“Aunt Maria needs you to look after her as well. We must both be strong for our family’s sake!” She let out a long sigh, her eyes filled with resignation.Anastasia’s words touched Fabian, and he nodded. “You’re right. We can’t give up, and we must be strong! Tasia, you’ve done well. We shouldn’t let others know about what has happened to your father. Rest assured. I’ll help you keep it a secret.”“Thank you, Uncle Fabian.” Anastasia glanced over her s
“Two days is unacceptable! We can’t wait that long,” Mike rejected straight away. “How about tomorrow? I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning.”“No!” Lily was firmer and answered readily, “Mike, I only promised to help you for old times’ sake and Nicky, so don’t push it!”Mike was not upset after Lily scolded him, but he was still anxious. “Lily, it’s not that I want to rush you, but we’re running out of time. Although we agreed to give you some time, you can’t keep dragging your feet forever! I’ll—”“He’ll pick you up tomorrow!” Suddenly, a strange hoarse voice sounded over the phone. It sounded eerie, shrill, and distorted.Taken aback, Lily felt a chill run up her spine, and the phone nearly slipped off her hand. She calmed herself, sat up, leaned forward, and asked, “Who are you?”A peal of giggles came, so ear-piercing and creepy that it made Lily’s hairs stand on end. She felt uncomfortable, but the person kept giggling. He halted just as she could not take it anymore and wanted
Alexander heard Lily’s voice as soon as he approached. Although he could not tell what she was yelling about, he could hear the emotions in her voice. He quickly walked over and saw her standing there with her phone. The sullenness on her face had not completely faded."What?" Alexander turned his head and glanced at the things on the concoction table. The concoction’s progress was still ongoing, and seeing that no alarms were ringing, he quickly walked toward her.He raised his hand and touched her forehead. Her body temperature was normal, but he noticed her chest was heaving violently. Just as he was about to take the phone from her, she tightened her grip. "I'm fine.""Who called?" He knew it was a call at a glance but did not hear who it was."Mike Corden." Lily glanced at him and supported herself up slowly.She casually pulled the pillow beside her waist and adjusted it to a more comfortable position. "It's not actually Mike, but the person behind him.""The mysterious ma
"Don't say that!" She raised her hand to cover his lips, looking up at him. "What are you going to spend your money on? They don't need money. Besides, what will the children and I eat if you spend all your money?" Seeing her serious look, Alexander laughed and pulled her hand away to kiss her. "At least you can still joke around. That means you're not in a bad mood.""I'm not, but I'm not in a good mood either. It's been a few months, and I still don't have a clue. It's a real mess. I feel like they've been leading me by the nose." Lily pursed her lips, a little discouraged.Before, she had always been confident. Now, it seemed like it was faltering."What?" Alexander leaned back and put one hand on the sofa, gently stroking her hair. His gesture was gentle and had a surprisingly calming power. She didn't answer but instead tilted her head to think. Then, she said, "I've been thinking about things for the past few months. There is always a link between them."Following her, he
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