Since Lily was familiar with scents, she immediately knew it would make her lose consciousness. Surely enough, it soon did.…Mike floored the gas pedal as he drove. He was too anxious and could not care less about his safety.The other workers in the laboratory did not know the experiment had worked, and they were still conducting their daily experiments. Only Mike knew it was a state of emergency now. He called Alexander again, but no one picked up.‘How can you not answer your phone at this crucial moment, Alex?!’Mike did not know Alexander was overwhelmed at the moment. Dominic’s symptoms were worsening again, and Austin could not handle his granduncle alone. Simultaneously, Galen developed a slight fever again while all the servants in the estate began experiencing worsening symptoms.Moreover, Alexander’s guards were outside guarding the place, so they did not know what was happening inside.Mike floored the gas pedal to Alexander’s office building. He thought Alexander w
“What about Lily?” Mike asked, worried. He was ashamed about not knowing where she was and that she was in a dangerous situation despite promising Alexander he would protect Lily.“What else can you do besides return to the research facility?” Alexander asked, “Are you able to locate and rescue her?”“I…” Mike was stumped.Alexander said grimly, “I’ll find her. Return to the research facility now and ensure nothing harmful gets out of there!”He was angry but knew it would not do him any good.‘What matters most now is to solve the problem. There’s no use losing my temper, is there?’Mike guiltily grunted a yes, then suddenly thought of something. “Oh, yeah! Has Edward returned yet?”“Edward?” Alexander was puzzled.“You don’t know?” Mike knew from Alexander’s response that he probably was unaware of what had happened. However, as it was not a time for small talk, he only told Alexander about meeting Edward in the facility without going into the details.Alexander answered, “I
“No, no!” Galen waved his tiny hands, reluctant. He had seldom been to Margaret’s house. Although he only had vague memories of those trips, he knew the place was so far away that he had to sleep for hours before getting there.Furthermore, it was boring there, and Margaret was not good at entertaining children. As a result, Galen felt uneasy with her. Children’s intuition was sharp, so it would be challenging to be close to someone if they did not like that person.Since Galen was unwilling, Alexander did not want to make him go against his wish. Besides, he knew going there would delay his plan as Margaret lived far away.“Then…”“I’ll stay here and look after Grandpa Dom!” Galen jumped off the chair and said confidently.Alexander chuckled. “Are you sure?”“Yes! Mommy says I will grow up to be someone capable like you, Daddy!” Galen cocked his head and recalled what his mother had told him.Alexander was surprised at how much his son had grown and how he could express himself
“But it’s quite risky for you to leave here. What if—”Before Austin could finish, Alexander interrupted him, “How much longer will the world be safe?”Austin was at a loss for words.Alexander said solemnly, “The situation is changing every day. Besides, even Dominic says symbiotes might not cause the disease, and we aren’t even sure what kind of pathogens it is. However, more unknown pathogens will soon spread if we don’t solve the problem. Then it’ll be even harder to deal with the situation!”Austin noticed his somber expression and lowered his hands from trying to stop Alexander. He knew the mysterious and vicious organization was not only researching one type of pathogen. Also, the variety and complexity of these biological weapons were beyond his imagination.He was shocked when he learned about the experiments the organization was trying to do. He also knew Alexander had much more information than him.“I know you’re under a lot of pressure. All of us are.” Alexander gent
Alexander stayed awake to observe the streets as the car headed toward the city area. He noticed the city was bustling as usual compared to the sparsely populated outskirts. He was somewhat relieved.However, he knew things would worsen if they did not try to contain the situation. After all, he had experienced the pandemic in Burnwken and knew how scary it was.People had time to react in large-scale wars, but viruses could quietly sweep over a country. Burnwken was peaceful and thrived. However, half of its population began exhibiting symptoms such as coughing and fever, followed by difficulty breathing, eventually leading to widespread deaths overnight.Alexander could never forget the horrifying scenes he saw there. He knew how dangerous the symbiotes were as he had survived the disease and saw how Austin suffered. If those symbiotes were to spread, the whole world could collapse overnight.Alexander called Cameron on the way there, but no one answered. He had a terrible feelin
The house was so quiet that one might think no one was inside. Alexander stood in the living room for a minute before Anastasia came downstairs—she had lost so much weight that he could not recognize her initially.Anastasia was wearing a black dress and slippers as she greeted him, “Hey, Alex.”“Where’s your father?”“My father is still resting,” she whispered, gesturing as she glanced upstairs.Alexander was puzzled. “Resting?”‘It’s unusual for Cameron to be resting at this hour.’Alexander knew she used the same excuse to turn away visitors when her father was unwell. Hence, he wondered why Cameron was still resting now that the toxins had been removed from the latter.“Why are you visiting us so suddenly?” Anastasia asked and gestured for him to take a seat. However, she was strangely reserved and did not tell the servant to serve him drinks.Since Alexander was usually observant, he knew something was amiss but could not figure out what or why. He asked, “Did something ha
Anastasia’s reaction confirmed Alexander’s suspicions. If he did not clear the air today, it would be a waste of time for him to come here."Alex…" Hesitant and nervous, Anastasia's voice was a little shaky. She got up and chased after him. "Don't—""Tasia, what happened? What happened to your father?!" Alexander stared into her eyes and asked sharply. "Is there anything else you're hiding from me?!""No…" She bit her lower lip embarrassedly but could not continue.Alexander took a deep look at her before suddenly sprinting upstairs. He was so fast that she did not have time to react."Alex…" She called out and quickly chased after him. However, she was too late and could only trail behind him.Alexander knew the way and went straight to Cameron's bedroom. The bedroom door remained closed, but he could not be bothered. In the face of danger, there was no need to be polite. He quickly pushed the door open, only to find no one inside.He was startled, then turned to look at Anasta
"I…" Anastasia was apprehensive, and Alexander could see it.He immediately looked around the house. He did not think any surveillance cameras were installed—there was no need to, from his experience. However, Anastasia's reaction was too abnormal.Alexander frowned and shut the door before asking, “What’s going on? We’ll go somewhere else if you can’t say it here. You have to tell me what’s happening.”After a pause, he continued, "You can't continue hiding it from me."Anastasia pursed her lips as if trying to hold back a wail. Then, she raised her hand and wiped away her tears before saying, "Alex, let's talk elsewhere.""Okay. You probably haven't eaten anything. Neither have I. I'll take you out to eat, and we can chat over a meal." Upon saying this, he looked around again and walked her out.Anastasia said nothing along the way, seemingly preoccupied with her thoughts. Alexander did not push the issue and gave her some space. Still, the situation was getting increasingly co
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