Lily saw a man in a beige suit leaning on an exquisite cane and smiling at her. The man had golden curly hair and blue eyes, appearing to be in his thirties. Lily would have thought he was a gentleman if she had met him elsewhere.The two guards snapped to attention and saluted the man when they saw him. No one cared about the doctor or the chaos; order had seemingly restored itself due to the man’s appearance.Even the doctor who Lily held hostage stopped screaming.“Good day, Mrs. Russell.”Lily narrowed her eyes. “You’re their boss? The organization’s leader?”The man smiled and gave no verbal reply. He only waved off the others, signaling them to stand down.“Mrs. Russell, you just wanted to talk, right? Why don’t you let that innocent man go?” he said.Lily chuckled mockingly. “So you guys know it’s wrong to hurt innocent people, huh?”Immediately after, she pushed the doctor away, setting him free. She simultaneously threw the needle, which pierced into a sponge pad insid
Lily could only speculate because how these people did things was mind-boggling.‘They’re too secretive, and Mike was right when he said a powerful force was backing the organization. Still, we can’t just give up because we’re no match for them. Even the smallest pebble can cause one to stumble, right?’The man tapped his finger on his cane and cocked his head, sizing Lily up with his blue eyes. Lily suddenly realized she had been too impatient. Having been confined daily without knowing what was happening outside, she gradually lost her patience and usual composure.Lily decided against asking further questions and picked up the glass on the table before her to take a sip.The two people fell silent as if trying to see who could hold out longer.After about ten minutes, the man loosened his grip on his cane and leisurely leaned back as he said, “Mrs. Russell, I’ve tried making an appointment with you for a long time, but you kept saying no. It’s fair to keep you waiting for two m
Lily did not want to waste her time on meaningless speculation. She knew she was most likely correct but had to make sure.The man sighed quietly and said, “I admire your intelligence and capabilities. Unfortunately…”He shook his head, thought of something, and said, “Well, at least you’ll play a bigger role, Mrs. Russell. You should be proud to contribute to the world. After all, not everyone can do something like that.”Although Lily had no idea what the man was talking about, she knew it was not good. She snorted and said, “In that case, why don’t you do it? I’m sure you’ll be prouder than me!”To her surprise, the man was not upset and nodded earnestly. “You’re right! I would be proud if it were me, as it would be the greatest honor ever bestowed upon me. However, it’s a pity I’m not suitable to replace you even if I wanted to. So, Mrs. Russell, God chose you to carry out this glorious mission!”His eyes sparkled with conviction like he was a devoted believer.Lily shuddered
The man moved so quickly that Lily instinctively stopped talking. The two stared into each other’s eyes, trying to figure out what the other was thinking.The man snorted and dropped his friendly expression before saying dryly, “Listen, don’t ever try to learn about things you aren’t supposed to.”He walked toward the door without looking back at her.“I told you R10 isn’t 100% complete yet. Even if you use it on me, you won’t get the results you hope for. Don’t you want to hear what I think?” Lily gazed after him and decided to take a gamble.She did not know the man, and from her interaction with him, she knew he was not easy to deal with. She did not know if he had weaknesses, so she could only use R10 as bait. After all, the whole experiment revolved around it, and she was confident the organization cared about it.The man stood at the doorway as if hesitating. However, as Lily thought she had swayed him, he left and shut the door behind him. Lily stared at the closed door and
Alexander had left Dominic’s estate but was unsure how contagious the virus was if he would spread it, or if he even got it. Therefore, he could only avoid and minimize contact with others.Fortunately, those in contact with him did not show any symptoms. He did not feel unwell, either. Still, he had received no news from his wife. Alexander knew he should be able to locate Lily in Kingsland with his network and resources unless she were no longer in the city.Simultaneously, he was puzzled as to why there were no clues about her transfer from the city in such a short time. He was anxious at the thought of her and dared not imagine what she might be facing.He would have mobilized every resident in Kingsland to look for his wife if possible but knew he could not.‘I might be able to get Cameron to help if he were still around. Unfortunately, he’s gone missing too.’ Alexander picked up his phone and called Anastasia. He had told her to wait for the latest updates but was too busy
Although it was Anastasia’s idea to call the police, she was still worried. “But if I report it to the police, would I put my father in greater danger?” She did not report her father’s disappearance to the police previously lest the kidnappers would kill him, but she grew anxious after receiving no news of him for two days, not even from the kidnappers.Anastasia was in a dilemma about whether or not to call the police.“Based on the current situation, I don’t think you would, but I honestly can’t say for sure,” Alexander said solemnly. He tried being objective, but his answer was certainly not reassuring.He could not know if the kidnappers would kill Cameron since he did not know who they were, to begin with. He could have assured Anastasia of her father’s safety, but she would have been devastated if anything happened to Cameron.Anastasia fell silent. She knew Alexander was right in saying so. After all, she only asked to seek solace from him. Still, the reality was harsh. Sh
That was all Alexander could say. Besides several aides, he only had contact with Anastasia since leaving Dominic’s estate. Since that was the case, Anastasia could have most likely gotten infected if the virus was contagious.However, Alexander could not confirm it without concrete evidence lest she panicked.Anastasia tried to ponder her symptoms when Alexander said her information could be helpful. “Oh, I seem allergic to something, but I didn’t overthink it since my skin has always been sensitive.”Alexander asked, “You’re having an allergic reaction?”“Yes,” she said, “There are some red spots on my skin, but they are not itchy. I used to have them before, but they would disappear sooner or later.”“Any other discomfort you can think of?” Alexander asked again.This time Anastasia was quite confident as she said, "No more. Both the cold and fever are mild, and my temperature hasn't gone over 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. I don't think it's anything serious.” Then she asked ten
Soon, Alexander reached the gate of the Rollins’ residence. He gazed at the closed gate and fell into deep thought while sitting in the car and tapping on its door. He looked like he was waiting for something.A while later, his phone beeped twice. He took it out, saw a message, and thoughtfully scrolled through it.…Although Mike promised to work with Rhea, he did not let his guard down. He knew how cunning she was, and she would not let down her guard as well—after all, they were just using each other.However, he was curious about the trump card Rhea had mentioned. He did not believe the “boss” was it.Therefore, for the past two days, besides keeping up with the updates he received and holding the fort at the research facility, he had been stalking Rhea. He needed to know what she was doing.Still, he discovered nothing. More accurately, he saw how cruel Rhea was. Besides the laboratory, she had gone to the secret room to torture the boss for the past two days.Although Mik
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