'How cunning! How dare he trick me this way?'"Let's try again, shall we?" Alexander stared at Lily, smirking as he raised a brow.Lily was done with him. He talked about all that just to dive back into the unfinished conversation they had on their phones."There's no need for that. Mr. Russell, I’m satisfied with your skills and performance." Lily gracefully turned down Alexander. She would not let him have his way.Her compliments did not make him happy as he glanced faintly over at her. "That's not what you said before.""Really? My mind must've been in a mess out there. I don't even remember what I said." Lily shrugged, feigning ignorance."You mean you want me to refresh your memory? Is that right?" Alexander placed his cup down and walked over to her. She wanted to flee as he drew nearer to her, but he caught her wrist and made her sit back down on the stool."Alex…" she called his name softly, placing her hands on his chest. Just a moment ago, she had been feisty, but now
Nathaniel prohibited Melanie from working once they returned from Middle Valley, and she could no longer enter the lab. He claimed that the laboratory's chemicals were dangerous for the unborn child. Recently, he had been extremely attentive to her, attending to her every need.Frank parted ways with the two for the time being. Fortunately, he gave Melanie the formulas of two perfumes before he left. He said it was his latest research outcome and a reward for Melanie.Although Melanie had her initial misgivings about the formulas, she was pleasantly delighted by the outcomes when the lab made samples. She finally felt at ease and that everything she had done had been worthwhile.However, what Frank had given her was far from enough. She wanted more. It was just that the thought of him still made her tremble in fear. It was great for them to spend some time apart for now. Her body could recover while she used this time to think things through."What's on your mind?" Nathaniel asked
"...Yeah." Melanie answered hesitantly. She did not look like she was happy about Nathaniel's plan. Although she had no intention of ending things, she also had no desire to tie the knot with him.After giving birth, she would be a full-time housewife, caring for the child and domestic responsibilities. However, Nathaniel's existing abilities and MN Inc.'s current success level were far from what she desired. If she had a baby now, she would not have time to advance her fame and status in the industry. How would she get richer?"Aren't you happy about it?" Nathaniel thought Melanie would jump for joy at the news, giving him a few kisses at the least. However, she was so calm that it seemed like she was not excited about it."It's not like that. Have you told your mom that I'm pregnant?" she probed."No, I wanted to give her a surprise. What's wrong?"His answer made Melanie feel relieved. "It's nothing. I think we shouldn't tell her about it so soon. After all, I just got pregna
Lily had been busy with work recently as the red sandalwood plant, her baby, had arrived. It was just a medium-sized one since the farmers had specially bred it, and Lily placed it in her lab.When they returned from Middle Valley, Jenny appealed to the higher-ups and requested a personal lab for Lily. Although it was not a huge place, all the necessary equipment was at her disposal. Everyone, from the higher-ups to the administrative employees, was shocked at Jenny’s complete change in attitude toward Lily.Gossips were unavoidable, and many felt that it was unfair for Lily to have a lab for herself. None of them had gotten a personal lab after working for less than three months in the company. Moreover, the company did not recruit Lily the usual way, as she joined it seemingly out of nowhere. Since there were rumors surrounding her before this, it made everyone even more suspicious of her.Jenny did not bother to explain herself because she did not feel the need to do so. Instead,
“T-That’s not it. Working with you in this industry is one of the best things in my life! I can learn a lot from you, and I love experimenting with fragrances too.”“Then…” After some thought, Lily said, “If I’m not mistaken, the company should automatically dismiss you 30 days after you submit your resignation letter, regardless of Nathaniel’s approval. It’s about time now.”According to the law, Nathaniel could not force Olivia to stay, no matter how unwilling he was to let her go.“Yeah, it’s about time now.” Sighing, Olivia said, “The thing is… my mom won’t allow me to resign.”Lily did not expect Olivia’s mother to be involved in this matter. “Why doesn’t Mrs. Hart…”“Nathaniel came to my house before this to look for me and met my mom too. My mom trusts him a lot. She believes he’s a good boss, and I’m being ungrateful for the opportunities. Plus, he gave me a pay raise, which made my mom even more persistent about me staying at MN Inc.”Olivia leaned back into her seat, ra
Lily’s anger was something Olivia had not expected.“I don’t need that!” Lily was furious; her tone was stern, and her expression solemn. “Lily, I…” Olivia did not think Lily would react this way; it stunned her momentarily. ”A-Am I wrong for this?” “Of course you are!” Lily emphasized another time. “What do you regard yourself as? What do you regard me as? I know they’ll come up with new products because they have been manufacturing the old ones for quite some time. They would be unable to sustain the business for long without creating new ones.“However, I’m not interested in their new products or formula! Liv, you’ve been working in this industry for some time. I’m sure you know what you can and cannot do! Do you think it’s right to pry on other perfumer’s formulas?“Do you think I can’t fight them head-on with my skills, so I need you to spy on them for me?” Lily paused for a moment. Then, she said, “Liv, I don’t need you to be on the watch for me. Come over and be my assist
Alexander had rushed home in the middle of the night because of Lily's text. However, his wife did not look at him and simply snuggled into his embrace. He did not know whether he should be glad or mad at her.Glad because she was willing to get closer to him. Mad because she did that so easily. What if the person on the bed was not Alexander but someone else?"Lily. Lily…" he called her name softly in her ear."Shut up! You're so noisy!" Lily waved her hand. Dissatisfaction was written all over her face.Alexander was speechless. 'She said I was noisy, but she hugged me tighter and snuggled deeper into my arms. Did she think she would not hear anything by doing so?'Alexander wanted to say something at first but just sighed in the end. 'Forget it. I'll just say it tomorrow! She’s my princess, after all.'He soon relaxed in the bed and fell asleep with Lily using him as a human pillow.Lily had a great sleep. When she woke up, she felt fresh and wanted to stretch her arms, but s
Melanie was anxious. They had arrived for quite some time, but Eloise was not there. "It's all right. I'm sure she's late because there's something she needs to attend to first," Nathaniel comforted her in a soft voice. However, he was not confident in his mother's attendance, either. After all, Eloise did not want to meet Melanie, and Nathaniel was the one who insisted on this meet-up.Just as he was about to leave the private room to make a call, the door opened, revealing Eloise's personal assistant. Once Eloise entered the room, her assistant left and closed the door to be on the watch outside.Eloise wore a gray Chanel suit, and her hair was recently permed. With just a glance, Melanie could recognize Eloise's earrings and bracelet. They were both from the latest jewelry collection this year. She felt envious of Eloise.Even though Eloise was a middle-aged woman, she only looked around thirty-five years old because of her skincare routine for the past decades. She maintaine
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