Mike was puzzled and did not know why the worker was so hostile. He cleared his throat again, putting on airs. He asked, “Is the data complete?”“Aren’t they all there?” The woman bluntly answered him with a question instead.Mike was baffled.“Mrs. Russell says the data files aren’t complete. Can you check if anything is missing?” Mike asked, then tried to pressure her, “You should know the importance of the experiment. For Mrs. Russell to fully take over the project, we must compile all available data.”The worker looked at Mike casually, then at Lily, seemingly directing her words to Lily. “The data files are complete. I don’t blame her if she doesn’t get it.”In other words, the woman blamed Lily for finding fault with the data and that she was the one who failed to comprehend them.“You…” Mike was upset that the woman openly defied his instructions.Nonchalant, Lily raised her hand slightly. “Since you’re so certain the data is complete, I know why you kept failing. You hav
However, no one within the organization except the “boss” and the top leader knew each other’s identity and background, including Mike and Rhea.Seeing the worker behaving poorly toward Lily gave Mike a strange feeling. He did not know who the woman was as he could not get a good look at her face.Still, he knew the standoff was not good, so he stepped forward and said, “Mrs. Russell isn’t ordering you, but the boss says Mrs. Russell can use anything here at her discretion. Since she asks you to put it down, please do so.”“Why should I?” The woman showed Mike no respect and let out a throaty, gurgling laugh. “I’m carrying my experiment’s result. If she’s so capable, she can do it herself. Didn’t she just claim she could succeed without our data?” “Since it’s part of the experiment, it belongs here.” Lily raised her brows. “Why? Are you scared?”“It’s useless to try to goad me.” The worker turned away. “I don’t wish to waste my time on you guys!”Lily stared at the woman’s back
The office was unusually tranquil. One might think no one was around if someone was not standing there. The woman stood there with one hand clenched at her side while holding a fist close to her chest. She remained silent as she knitted her brow.Neither she nor the person before her said a word. He glared at her through the mask as if he could nail her to the wall with his gaze.“Sir…” When the woman spoke, she was interrupted by a crash and quickly stopped.A glass shattered before her, and some shards landed on her feet. She would have gotten cut if she had not been wearing her shoes. The woman stood there without even attempting to dodge while letting the man vent his anger.“Have I given you too much freedom to make you so bold?! Are you not listening to what I say, Rhea Moore?” He called out her name through clench tenth. She straightened her back, lowered her head, and looked at the shards on the floor as she said blandly, “No, sir.”“No?” The man hurled another glass tha
Rhea held her fingers together, then slowly loosened them as she walked over and reached out her hand. As she gradually parted her fingers and revealed a small translucent bottle lying in her palm, the man suddenly hesitated.Without a word, Rhea simply held out her hand and looked at him, curling the corner of her lips.The man retracted his hand, crossed his arms, and narrowed his eyes at her. “Open it!”The man looked even more insignificant, crossing his arms like this with his stature. Yet he absurdly wanted to put on an authoritative appearance.Rhea did not object and twisted the cap. There was a slight popping sound as the bottle opened. Soon after, a delicate, sweet-smelling scent slowly drifted and filled the air.The man frowned and freed his crossed arms, taking out a handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth. “Who told you to hold it so close to me? Move it away a bit!”The handkerchief muffled his voice, and there was a trace of panic in his eyes.“Sir, the beauty o
At this juncture, there were three knocks on the door. The two froze, then exchanged a look. The man said, “Use the back door.”He cocked his head to indicate the direction behind him. As Rhea hurried past him, she heard his deep voice, “Wait!”She halted and heard him say, “Leave it!” while tapping his finger at the desk.Rhea hesitated, then obediently put the bottle on the desk. Then she hurried away after looking at it intensely.The man was odd and inconsistent, and his size made it easy for one to overcome him. However, Rhea did not do so, nor did Mike. They dared not do anything not because they feared him but because they dreaded the power and organization behind him.He was not alone and was not the top leader at the same time. They could not uncover what secrets he was hiding and dared not find out about them.As for Rhea, all she ever wanted was to create something that could astonish the world. Soon, she disappeared behind the man.The man tilted his head, ensured Rh
Mike squinted at the bottle the man was studying, then let out a slight cough. “Sir…”“Yes?” The man noticed Mike’s hesitation and finally looked at him, puzzled.“Ahem…” After clearing his throat, Mike said, “Lily said it’s a failed creation.”“I know.” The translucent liquid sloshed inside the bottle as the man twirled it between his fingers. It seemed as mercurial as the little man who had unpredictable mood swings.“Then…” Mike stopped and did not finish his sentence.The man chuckled aloud, raucous laughter sounding like iron scraping against the wall. “Are you asking why I insist on having this failed creation?”Mike quirked his eyebrows in response.“It’s because I don’t believe in Lily at all.” His gaze suddenly turned sharp as if it could see through everything. Even Mike felt a chill down his spine despite many trials and tribulations.‘This man is cunning like an unfathomable old fox. After dealing with him for so long, I’ve discovered he is unyielding and doesn’t ca
Mike looked away, lowered his gaze, and said blandly, “No, sir.”The little man did not care if Mike was lying or pretending. Then he revealed a pleased smile as if he had seen through everything. “I don’t f*cking care, Mike. Do you think someone like me would fear death? Still, I know you won’t kill me because I have your son. You won’t dare to kill me if he hasn’t returned to your side.”Mike clenched his fists at his sides and tried to restrain himself, but his emotions surged when the man mentioned his son.He had a video call with his son a week ago and had told his men to intensify their search for nick. However, there had been no leads. Sometimes he even thought about the worst-case scenario and wondered if the organization had already killed Nick.Mike even suspected that what he saw during the video calls were AI imaging or pre-recordings created to manipulate him into cooperating with them.But during each video call, he thoughtfully made his son perform specific gesture
“I haven’t used the drugs on you because I know their side effects. I know I can’t fully utilize those under the drug’s influence. You should be happy I still have use for you and haven’t used them on you. Otherwise…” The little man paused and did not elaborate further.Mike was still trying to digest his words. “Are you saying I might lose my self-awareness and be unable to help you? In other words, I would become a puppet?”‘Wait. Isn’t it better to manipulate me if I lose my self-awareness?’Mike could not comprehend what he was saying, and when he wanted to ask further, the man interrupted him, “Enough. Do not try to probe. My patience has its limits! I’ve told you before. The only way to get your son back is to cooperate!Once the experiment succeeds and the organization achieves its plan, I will immediately return your son to you.”The man slowly propped himself up with one hand and looked at Mike, arms akimbo. “Mike, you should look forward to our plan’s success more than 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