“But you’ve said it yourself that the boss is just like a front desk and that there’s still someone else he has to answer to,” Lily said.“That’s right, but I’m sure he also has important information and secrets on his hands.” After pondering for a long time, Mike believed the boss should have something to keep himself safe, even if he was technically working for someone else.Although he was a madman, he also had his own beliefs: this so-called plan and research. Before they completed it, Mike was sure the boss would not allow himself to be in danger.“So, what you’re trying to say is…” A moment of silence later, Lily raised her brow and looked at Mike.“We should work hand-in-hand and find the secrets together.”Mike knew Lily was not here to serve the boss solely. She was just like him. He had been trying to free himself from their control and leave the organization for the longest time. However, he needed to stay to find Nick, but he still had no idea where Nick was until now.
“It’s not that I can’t tell you. I just… I’m not so sure either,” Mike said and pondered momentarily. After some time, he seemed to have decided something as he turned to look at Lily and continued, “You’ve seen the core of this research. Other research is ongoing at the same time as well.“However, all the research is stuck in this same phase, which means you must complete not just one but a couple. Still, the boss said we should prioritize R10 if we can’t make it in time.”After listening to him for so long, Lily finally heard the most critical thing. She instantly felt energetic again. “R10?”“Yeah. All the research here is in numerical order. I’m sure you’ve noticed that from the documents you’ve browsed through. R10 is the most crucial research out of all of them.”“Is R10 the one I’m doing now?” Lily asked after some thought.“No.” Unexpectedly, Mike shook his head. “The one you’re working on right now is R13.”Lily was even more surprised. “R13? Wait, aren’t they in numeri
“You…” Fabian wanted to raise his voice at Maria but held back upon seeing her complexion. After all, Maria looked the best today compared to the previous days.“Are you listening to what I’m saying?” Fabian tried to be patient and asked her nicely.“I heard you. Cameron is awake.” Maria placed her cutlery down and wiped her mouth with a napkin before looking at Fabian. “What about it?”“He wouldn’t obey us anymore, and he is the same as he was in the past again!” As Fabian had gotten a reply from Maria, he sat down with one arm on his knee, appearing to be in distress as he continued, “It’s game over for us if he goes back on his words and takes the project back from us!”If it were in the past, Maria would have been wailing already. However, she was exceptionally calm today, comforting him faintly, “No, he won’t.”“How can you be sure of that?” Surprised by her words, Fabian asked doubtfully.“Are you an idiot? This project isn’t playing house, so how could he go back on his wo
Fabian did not know what to say. He became speechless when Maria threw him a sideways glance.Maria was right, and her words made sense. It appeared that she had thought things through and gotten over the pain, but Fabian still felt something off about her.‘Just two days ago, she was still crying about ending her life, so… how could her mood have changed so drastically in such a short time?’Seeing her staring at him, he quickly said, “It’s best if you can get over it, but why did it happen so suddenly?”“I don’t know either. Perhaps God didn’t want me to be sad for too long!” Maria raised her head and looked toward the ceiling as a strange smile appeared on her face. “Hey, why are you asking so much about that? Isn’t it good now that I’ve gotten over it? Do you want me to die with Ree too? Is that what you want?”Maria’s reprimand rendered Fabian speechless again, but it made him feel like they were back to normal—just a little.“What nonsense is that?” He questioned back but w
The door easily opened when Maria turned the doorknob. Her heart skipped a beat in excitement, but it dropped to her stomach upon entering the room. There was no one in there without a soul in sight.Confused, she walked around the room to ensure there were no secret rooms before tapping away on her phone. She sent a text to someone. “I’m here. Where are you?”The other end replied promptly, “There’s a bag on the table. Open it.”Maria was speechless. She looked around, and sure enough, she saw a black bag on the table in the corner. She walked over and opened it to find a sealed bag in it. Two tiny bottles were in the sealed bag, and Maria was unsure what they were. Just as she was about to open them, her phone buzzed.After placing down the bag, she picked up her phone and saw a text. “Don’t open the bottles in the bag. Bring it home for me and keep it well. Don’t let anyone know about this.”Maria looked at the things in the bag suspiciously. Fortunately, she did not open the b
The texter said not to tell Fabian about this, so Maria would not tell him. She said no one should know about this, so Maria would keep it from everyone. Now, Maria would obey anything the texter said as long as her baby daughter could finally come home.Maria came to this poker house with the texter’s directions, thinking she could see her daughter, who she had missed dearly. However, the place was empty, and only a bag was there waiting for her to pick it up.While she was immersed in pain and sadness again, her phone buzzed. It was another text. “Keep those things well. Wait for me to come home.”There were only two simple sentences, but they seemed to have given Maria endless strength to live again.‘Wait for me to come home, she said. That must be Ree!’ Maria thought.She was so emotional that her heart was beating wildly. She held her phone tightly and pressed it to her chest like a treasure. At this time, she received two more messages. “I booked the room for four hours. Yo
“I don’t care if you’re a god, but since you’re here, you must produce results. Otherwise…”“Otherwise, you’ll threaten me with my family, right?” Lily chuckled. “Come on. Is this the only tactic you’ve got? Besides, I wonder how you’re going to have your way outside. We’re in Hyderland, not a place where you can do anything you please.”The man snorted dismissively, then got up and walked to the wide floor-to-ceiling window, where he gazed downstairs. “So what if it’s Hyderland? I still have everything under my control! I run the show in this building, and soon everyone will yield to me!”Lily felt the urge to kick him out the window and end all this as she watched him spread his arms and laugh maniacally.However, she knew she could not, as she had yet discovered the most important secret. The R10 they discussed had yet to be handed to her, and she thought it must be imperative.Lily took a deep breath, calmed herself, and said blandly, “Oh, yeah? You never know because the expe
The man’s eyes darted left and right thoughtfully after hearing what Lily said. Due to his small figure, he looked funny as his chest heaved and fell heavily.“Indeed, I’d like to succeed, so I won’t allow myself to die before that. However, if you don’t obey me, we’ll all die together!” He laughed as if he had prepared for it.After laughing, he walked over and climbed back up to his chair to sit. Crossing his legs, he leisurely sipped his tea, then said, “All right, stop wasting my time with your idle talk. Mike said a lot to you, but I advise you two not to get ahead of yourselves. You guys are no match for us.”“Us?” Lily quirked her eyebrows.“Surprised? You knew long ago that we’re an organization, and it’s not just me.” He shrugged indifferently. “Lily, tell me. Have you made any progress?”He propped his elbow on the desk and leaned forward before resting his chin on his interlocking hands. He gave her an inquiring gaze but looked weird in such a posture.“Nope,” Lily ans
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