“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
It was a sunny day, but Anastasia paced around and kneaded her hands anxiously with a heavy heart.Although she trusted Lily, it was almost noon, and she had not arrived yet. Anastasia had no idea what was happening because Lily had not answered her phone. Anastasia wondered if her father could wake up.At this juncture, someone knocked on the door. Anastasia was so nervous that she nearly jumped and asked reflexively. “Who is it?”“Miss Rollins?” I was the voice of a servant.Anastasia heaved a sigh of relief and glanced at her father, who was still unconscious on the bed. Then she turned around, opened the door, and looked at the servant. “What’s the matter?”The servant hesitated before asking, “Miss Rollins, the phone downstairs has been ringing nonstop since we plugged it in. Would you like to answer it?”They would unplug the landline phone every day between 10 p.m. to 8 a.m., and only those closest to them could reach Anastasia’s mobile phone. That was because Anastasia wa
Alexander was not surprised by Anastasia’s disappointed look because Lily had told her she would come. He knew the young lady could barely cope any longer when she faced so much pressure.“Isn’t Lily coming? Didn’t she promise she would surely come this morning? It’s almost noon…” Anastasia glanced at the clock on the wall, then said, “She hasn’t answered my calls. Did something happen?” ‘Lily is a trustworthy person. She wouldn't break her promise since she discovered I got poisoned and restored my health. Even if Lily admits she can’t cure dad, I won’t blame her. However, since she promised me, I should believe her.’Alexander said casually, “Something came up, so she can’t come. But don’t worry. She has developed a cure for your father and asked me to bring it over.”“What happened? Is it something serious? Where is she? Is she in any danger?” Anastasia asked anxiously.The slight doubt she had just now had disappeared. She even blamed herself for doubting Lily, thinking she s
“The toxin within his body caused that,” Alexander said, “He looks no different than an ordinary patient on the surface, but the harm could be long-lasting.”In other words, Cameron’s body was using up its stored energy, fat, muscles, and blood, and he would die upon total depletion.Of course, that was what Lily told Alexander. As she was rushing, Lily seemed to have said whatever came haphazardly to her mind. Still, Alexander had such a vital comprehension skill that he roughly understood what she was saying after digesting it.Although he did know much about herbal medicine, he knew its fundamental principles.“Then what should we do?” What he said alarmed Anastasia. She could hardly contain her emotions and grabbed his sleeve. “Please save my father. I can’t let anything happen to him!”She was fighting back her tears.As her mother died early, her father was the one who raised her. Although he had not spent much time with her, she knew he loved her. Anastasia used to think h
“Oh, no…” Anxious and sad, Anastasia looked over her shoulder at Alexander.“Try dissolving it in some water,” Alexander said after some thought.Anastasia caught on and hastily got up to fill a glass of water at the dispenser. She put the pill inside, then saw the brown color diffuse as the pill slowly dissolved.“It wouldn’t affect the pill's potency, would it?” Anastasia asked hesitantly, worrying the slightest mistake would weaken the medicine and stall her father’s recovery.Alexander did not answer and looked pensive.After not receiving a response from Alexander, Anastasia dared not continue feeding her father the pill. She called out to him, “Alex?”Alexander caught himself. “Hold on. Let me make a call.”He turned around and called Lily on his phone.The truth was that Anastasia had made him think twice. After all, he had not considered whether or not it would make a difference if the pill got dissolved before consumption.He understood the effect would be about the s
Cameron’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down—he managed to swallow the pill. Anastasia heaved a massive sigh of relief when she saw that. “My father swallowed it!”“Water!” Alexander was still holding Cameron’s head as he reached his free hand toward her.Anastasia caught herself and hastily handed Alexander a glass of water. Then he quickly fed some to Cameron. Although some water spilled from the corners of Cameron’s mouth, Alexander had at least made him drink some of it.Anastasia became so moved when she watched her father swallow the pill that she nearly burst into tears. They had at least made him swallow the pill. All they could do now was wait.“When will my father wake up?” she asked despite herself.Alexander shook his head. “I have no idea.”Lily did not tell Alexander how long it would take for Cameron to wake up after ingesting the pill. All she said was to observe his reaction. After all, it was an unusual toxin, and she could not be there to see its real-time effects
When the doctor visited Maria, Fabian thought he could do the same for Cameron.‘If Tasia worries about leaks, we can just get a doctor who can keep a secret, can’t we? She keeps saying Cameron had gotten poisoned, yet she has no idea what kind of poison it is or how it happened.’‘The more I think about it, the stranger everything is. After much consideration, I’ve decided to come to see for myself what this little wench is up to.’“Uncle Fabian, my father will get well soon. Please be patient and wait!” Anastasia noticed his hesitance and softened her tone before stepping forward to get him to leave.“Really? How are you so sure? How do you know he’ll get well soon? Did the doctor tell you that?” Fabian was suspicious and craned his neck to see what was happening in the bedroom.“Yeah, the doctor said so.” Anastassia nodded and tried to lead him away by nudging his elbow. “I know you’re under a lot of stress because many people are trying to find out what happened to my father,
Being unable to shove Anastasia aside in the presence of his business rival infuriated Fabian. “Stupid girl, are you going against me for an outsider?”“I’m only doing this for my father!” She stretched her arms and shielded her father. She said solemnly, “My father has just taken the pill and will be fine soon. I can’t allow you to create any trouble at this moment!”“Pill? What pill? Did he bring it? Do you trust him so much?” After a pause, he thought of something and chuckled coldly. “Or did his wife tell you your father got poisoned?”He suddenly remembered that Maria had complained about Lily before, but he did not take it seriously then. ‘Looks like Lily has seriously brainwashed my niece, hasn’t she?’Anastasia neither denied nor admitted it and simply said, “Uncle Fabian, kicking up a fuss about this won’t do you any good either. Just go back, and let me take care of my father.”“How am I making a fuss? I’m worried about your father’s health and want to send him to the
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