"Y-You have no proof!" Nathaniel was stunned for a moment before refuting heatedly. The blood in his body ran cold as his mind went blank. He had no idea how Lily learned about his use of company funds for personal expenses. How was this possible? He made sure not to tell anyone about it, not even Melanie. Lily was a nerd and only cared about her research and data, so how could she have found out? Nathaniel took the risk and assumed she was trying to trick him into a confession. "Enough of your baseless accusations. Where's your proof? If you continue this behavior, I'll have to press charges!" Nathaniel threatened. "Nathaniel Hall, do you think you're above the law? You keep threatening to sue and then eventually drop the lawsuit. You're just wasting everyone's time. Don’t push me too far, or I’ll make sure that when I press charges, you won’t get a chance to settle outside of court, and you can’t win against me, either! Get that into your thick skull. Do you think I’d
Nathaniel hung up the phone and took a cigarette break before entering the house. Inside, Melanie was sitting on the sofa, peeling an orange. Before putting it into her mouth, she ensured the orange was free of all piths. "Something wrong?" Melanie asked as she noticed he had a pained expression. She cleaned up the mess on the table, wiped her hands, and sat up. Nathaniel shook his head, indicating that he rather not talk about it. "Even if you don't tell me, I could guess. I heard a thing or two when you were on the phone. Lily was the one who leaked the information about our perfume, right?" Melanie was good at reading people as if she was filled with wisdom. Since Melanie had overheard his conversation with Lily, he decided not to keep it from her anymore. He heaved a heavy sigh, walked to the fridge to get a can of beer, and downed it. "Why are you so angry when she's the one who leaked the information? She's just asking for trouble. If that’s what she wants,
Nathaniel's mood improved as he listened to Melanie. He was so happy that he lifted her and spun a few circles in joy, "You're right! You're right! Haha, Mel, you're really my lucky star! With you by my side, there's nothing I fear!" "Hey, hey, put me down. I'm pregnant, remember?" Melanie patted his arm and said playfully. "Oh, right, right!" He put her down hurriedly and moved his ear toward her tummy, "Hi baby, are you okay?" "Stop being silly! How could you possibly hear anything?" She poked his forehead and laughed. "Of course, I can hear him! He's even calling me dad! Mel, it must’ve been tough for you. Thank you so much!" He stood up and put his arms around her waist. Their foreheads touched as he thanked her sincerely. "Since you're aware of how tough it’s been for me, treat me better, okay?" She said softly as she leaned into his embrace. Melanie had her ulterior motives as well. Since she was now working with Frank, she saw little reason to worr
It turned out Nathaniel had good crisis management skills since he knew how to use this issue to his advantage. After briefly reading MN Inc.’s announcement, Lily was sure her PR stunt had inadvertently earned MN Inc. good press with the public.Although some questioned MN Inc.’s motives and if the formulas were authentic, they speculated the reason for this stunt was that something big was coming up. These internet discussions were indirectly giving MN Inc. more publicity.“What do you think MN Inc. is trying to achieve? Isn’t this suicidal? Why would they expose their perfume formulas to the public? Unless they’re planning to stop their old production line?” Jenny placed one hand under her chin and spoke her mind.Jenny’s words brought attention to the fact that MN Inc. had decided to abandon its old perfume lines while trying to improve its branding image. However, it was something they got forced to do since Lily released their formulas. Still, Jenny and Lily wondered if MN Inc.
It would be okay if MN Inc. did not care about this matter. If MN Inc. wanted to sue Lily for divulging trade secrets, so be it. Considering Nathaniel’s petty personality, it would be a wonder if he ignored this matter.“Don’t worry. I dared to do this because I already had countermeasures at hand. MN Inc. will not use this to blackmail you anymore. Just come work here.” Lily patted Olivia’s hand gently to comfort her. Lily did not seem like she was saying that just comforted her as her bright eyes were full of confidence.“Lily, don’t tell me you made some deals or promises with that j*rk, Nathaniel?” Olivia asked after some thought. In Olivia’s opinion, Lily had made a deal or some sort of compromise to smoothly settle this matter. Nathaniel was not a generous person, after all.“That’s right. Don’t tell me you made a deal in secret. Please don’t be foolish. You have a bright future ahead of you.” Jenny shared the same concern with Olivia. Lily happily laughed when she felt Jenn
“No company can last long if it has no innovation. It’s also a problem I’ve been thinking about recently. I plan to make the changes before the market demand forces us.” Nathaniel tapped his finger on the table and looked at everyone present.“It may seem like we’re on the losing end since our competitors know our formulas, but don’t forget these old products have been around for a while. Even if we didn’t publicize it, some interested rival companies might have already developed it.“That is to say, even if our old products still sell well now, they will soon lose their competitiveness. We should aim toward developing new products instead of how to protect the older ones. That should be our focus to ensure our sustainability.” Nathaniel stood up and pressed down on the table with both hands.His points were sound and reasonable as he came fully prepared. The board of directors was initially skeptical, but his words were reasonable and made them contemplate further.“You might be c
Lily had always been indifferent to such things, which made him wonder when she noticed him using company funds to take Melanie out on vacation and buy her gifts.Nathaniel did not understand. Why did she wait until now to mention it when she had known about it for a long time? He could only think of two possibilities. The first one was that Lily did not know it before and only found out somehow recently. The second one was that she had known about it for a long time but pretended she was ignorant and unaware.Either possibility was scary to Nathaniel. Their confrontations just reinforced his sense that he had never really understood her. It made him wonder if she was still the Lily that he knew.Nathaniel clenched his fingers tightly one by one. His anger had reached a breaking point. He might have looked calm facing the board of directors, but he had been panicking the day before. He feared he could not reassure the shareholders, and it would be game over for him.Luckily, Nathan
The sound of ideas was always beautiful. Melanie wanted to do it herself but became nauseous after being enclosed in the lab for too long.She felt this was understandable and forgivable because she was pregnant. Melanie then prepared a cup of coffee and supervised from outside. It was bad for the fetus if the mother drank too much coffee while pregnant. Melanie was aware of it but still contemplating whether to keep the baby.After assessing the pros and cons, she decided against having the child. At least, not now. However, Nathaniel desired it greatly. If she got an abortion, it would undoubtedly strain their relationship. Nevertheless…‘What a tough decision!’The phone vibrated. Melanie thought it was Nathaniel asking where she was, but when she picked it up, the call was from Frank. She was inexplicably flustered. Melanie quickly looked left and right, but thankfully no one was there. She then set the coffee cup down, stood up, and went to a secluded spot in the corridor.Sh
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