Mike’s heart raced, and his stomach turned. However, Rhea gave no response to the “boss’s” face and instead cocked her head to admire it. She loosened her grip after a while, and the “boss” simply slid back onto the chair.Rhea took a wet wipe to clean her fingers, then drawled, “What do you think of my bargaining chip?”“Bargaining chip?” Stunned, Mike looked over his shoulder at her and caught on after two seconds. “You’re saying he’s your bargaining chip?”He pointed toward the man.‘Yes, he used to be somebody but not anymore. Why would Rhea treat him as her bargaining chip?’“Didn’t you say the organization abandoned him, and he now means nothing to them?” Mike took a deep breath to calm himself down, disgusted by what he saw. When he first saw what the boss looked like, he felt appalled but not as revolted as he was now.The scary and dirty face had a few more bloody wounds, making it look even more unnerving and disgusting. However, the young and beautiful Rhea calmly admi
Mike was staggered by what Rhea said. He could not imagine her turning the “boss” into a guinea pig. Although he had witnessed humankind’s ugly side and many inhumane experiments, he found it hard to accept seeing how horrifying the man looked now.After all, hearing and witnessing something firsthand were wholly different experiences. The gory sight before Mike greatly affected him, but Rhea, having caused it, was unbothered.“Why are you…” Mike cleared his throat and continued, “Why are you so sure your experiment is what the organization wants? If they truly want it, I doubt you need to approach them, right? Perhaps what you think is great means nothing to them.”It was only a casual remark, but he hit her sore spot. Mike was right when he said the organization did not care about Rhea’s experiment. If they did, she would have openly conducted it with their support.Rhea only obeyed the “boss” and the organization to repay them for recognizing her skills. More importantly, her fa
When Rhea considered how the organization had abandoned the “boss,” she decided to use him as a guinea pig for her experiment to show the organization how hardworking and outstanding she was.Her fingers sank into her palms as she clenched them and said grimly, “How could you possibly know the organization won’t need my experiment?“You guys have no idea what my creation could do if I succeeded. It’ll be far more powerful than those R series research products!” she sneered, “Let’s not waste our f*cking time. Are you going to take me to see them or not?”Mike noticed her getting upset and regained his composure. He sighed, “It’s not that I don’t want to do it, but… I can’t. I don’t even—”“Mike!” Rhea impatiently interjected, “How could you not know how? Don’t you f*cking know where your son is? I don’t believe you haven’t attempted to find him.”She focused her beautiful eyes on Mike, sizing him up. Mike knew she was convinced he knew where his son was from her gaze.He was shock
“You could rescue your son,” Rhea said calmly, “When you find the organization, you will have the chance to save him, won’t you?”“I could still save my son without locating the organization.” Mike shook his head to signal she had failed to convince him to help her.However, Rhea sneered, “How will you do that?” Without waiting for his reply, she added, “If you could, you would’ve rescued him long ago, wouldn’t you?“As you said, your son is out of reach, so the place must be impenetrable. However, I could help you hold the organization’s key members hostage if we locate them. I’m sure the organization will be willing to exchange your son for them, don’t you think?”Mike felt tempted by what she said. He blamed himself for not thinking about that sooner. He had gradually lost his nerve to fight back, probably because they had forced him to do their bidding for too long.He had become so afraid of the organization that he did not even consider the possibility of kidnapping its memb
“The organization doesn’t need us either,” Mike said with mixed emotions, not trying to convince Rhea.‘All Rhea cares about is her research. She’s obsessed with it, and getting her to fight against the organization or shut down this evil place is impossible. It’s pointless to convince her since only her experiments and fame matter to her.’Rhea nodded, “Yes, you’re right! However, the world always needs someone valuable. As long as I prove useful to them, they’ll need me. Just like how they need Lily now.”A mysterious smile formed on her face after a while. “However, it won’t be long for her case.”She said it before, but Mike did not take it too seriously. Now that she had repeated it, he couldn’t help but ask, “What the hell do you mean? Why wouldn’t the organization need Lily? Anyone could be a test subject. Why must it be Lily? With her abilities—”“With her abilities, she could do much more for the organization?” Rhea interrupted, knowing full well what he wanted to say.M
“Do you think the organization cares if she’s pregnant?” Rhea said coldly.Mike was at a loss for words.‘She’s right. Human lives mean nothing to Rhea, let alone to the inhumane organization. They only care about whether they can reach their goal and not bother about people’s lives. However, it matters to me!’Lily and Alexander had been doing their best to help Mike find his son even after what he had done. Mike knew he had to save Lily no matter what. Moreover, he had already failed to keep his promise to Alexander. ‘I’ll never forgive myself if Lily becomes a test subject!’“I’m willing to work with you, but you must listen to my instructions,” Mike said after taking a deep breath.Rhea raised her brow, but before she could say more, he added, “Well, you can forget it if you disagree. I know you’re good at using poisons, but no one else can help you locate the organization if you kill me. Furthermore…”After a pause, he said, “You can’t even show up in public after what you
As the matter was unimportant, Rhea continued, “The organization has considered everything. Why else would they rush her to complete the experiment? Why must they take her away as soon as it worked?“Surely you wouldn’t think it has anything to do with the boss’s disappearance? What happened to him was only a coincidence. What mattered most was for her to create R10 at this moment.” She sighed quietly.‘Well, Lily brought it onto herself, didn’t she?’“They’ve been waiting for her to give birth?” Mike suddenly realized what she was referring to.Rhea threw him a look but did not elaborate further. She would not have told him so much if it were not for getting him to cooperate. She thought she had already told him enough.“You don’t have time to lose. Even if I can wait, Lily can’t, okay?” Rhea carried the “boss” by his neck and turned to walk toward the secret room. She held him like a tattered doll.Mike felt a chill run down his spine as he stared after her.‘I wonder how many
Austin felt a surge of shame when he saw the blood and remembered how Dominic had cared for himself when he was sick. “I’m so sorry, Uncle Dom!”“Sorry, my *ss!” Dominic suddenly spoke, to his astonishment.Austin was overjoyed. “Uncle Dom, you’re awake!”Dominic had been in a stupor since Alexander left. The older man sometimes moaned and coughed but had never woken up or even opened his eyes. However, to Austin’s surprise, Dominic opened his eyes and spoke.“I’m not dead yet, all right?” Although the older man was weak, he was still as feisty as before, and Austin was grateful for that.“Thank goodness you finally woke up! Not only are you not dead, you’ll also live a long life, I’m sure,” he said as he hugged Dominic tightly.“Hey… Hey…” Dominic could hardly breathe.Austin quickly let go and looked at him. “Are you thirsty? Would you like some water, or are you hungry? How about some food?”Dominic hardly ate anything for the past two days and was thin now. Previously, Aust
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