It was early morning when Alexander opened his eyes, jerking awake from a nightmare. He had not slept properly for a long time but never told anyone about it. Of course, he could not.Alexander was distraught yet could not show it or vent his frustrations. He had to remain calm and alert lest he fail to rescue his wife. Although he had managed to keep a cool head, what Mike said yesterday disturbed him.Alexander dreamed about Lily being locked inside an aquarium after someone injected something into her. She screamed in such agony as she bloated and rotted that Alexander shouted when he awoke agitatedly.He was in a panic and covered in sweat. He palmed his head and told himself it was just a dream and that his wife was still alive, at least for now.At that moment, Alexander’s phone on the nightstand rang. He picked it up, saw it was Edward, and accepted the call. “Yeah?”“Sir, we’ve escorted the doctor’s family out of the country,” Edward said.Alexander grunted a yes and rubb
Alexander raised his brow as he looked at the doctor. “What’s the matter with you?”“Thank you so much for saving my family!” the man said.Edward did not expect him to burst into tears.Alexander casually made his tea and said, “The ship couldn’t have gotten far yet. I can still ask Edward to get it to turn back.”The doctor was baffled.Edward said, “Get a hold of yourself, okay? Mr. Russell doesn’t like it when people cry.”“Oh!” The doctor caught himself and quickly stopped crying. He did not want to offend Alexander and cause him to bring his wife and children back here.Alexander sipped his tea and turned to him. “Why didn’t you leave?”“You’ve been a great help to me, and I’d feel terrible if I left now. Besides, if I go missing, the organization might come looking for me and cause you more trouble,” the doctor said, “I can still help if I stay. I might not be able to do much, but I can at least pass on more messages!”Alexander thought he was right.‘He can help pass
Having not moved much, Lily lay quietly in bed. She remained lying down most of the time, only getting up to hold her babies whenever the nurses brought them over. She had not given up—instead, she had figured some things out.Meanwhile, the queen seemed concerned as she looked at the surveillance monitor again. “How’s she going to recover like that? Hasn’t the doctor told her that exercise would help her recover quicker?”“Yes, that’s why I said this woman is cunning. She’s putting on passive resistance.” Fred glared at the video feed.“Then we can do nothing but wait.” The queen shook her head and coughed a few times despite herself.However, Fred disagreed, “No, we can’t wait any longer. Her husband has found his way here. There will be trouble if this drags on. Let’s bring her to Yudonia. Things will get easier when she’s in our country.”The queen coughed again and said, “But didn’t you say the experiment will only work best if we do it here? That was why I came, remember?”
“How could you come up with such an idea? I don’t think it’ll work!” The queen shook her head and sat back down. She could not stand for long because she got tired very quickly.“Why not? It’s the best solution based on the current situation.” Fred held the wheelchair’s push rings and looked at her earnestly. “Your Majesty, I’m doing this for you and our country. There’s no better way.”“But…”“No more buts, Your Majesty. I know what you’re worried about. I promise this woman will leave and return safely. At the very least, I’ll ensure her body is safe. Anyway, it’ll be her greatest honor to be your sacrifice!”He kissed the back of the queen’s hand. “Put aside your compassion for now and think more about yourself. As the doctor said, you’re in terrible health, and you know it.”“I do.” The queen nodded, looking troubled.She would have never entertained such an experiment if she had not felt her strength diminishing each day. Even now, she was unsure if she was doing the right t
The queen fell silent momentarily while Fred observed her expression. Having been around her for many years, he knew saying too much would upset her.“Your Majesty, do you think I wish to do this? I also hope to solve the problem without sacrificing innocent people, but we don’t have a choice.” He noticed the queen was expressionless and continued, “The situation is different now. Even in Hyderland, there’s the expression of choosing the lesser of two evils.“Lily is innocent, but she hardly matters compared to your well-being.” He gently placed one hand on the wheelchair’s armrest and looked at the queen earnestly.“Please believe that doing this is the best option for Yudonia. You may not care about yourself, but our people need you.”What he said seemed to move the queen deeply. Her eyes gleamed as she turned to look at him. “Our people?”“Yes! They need you and your leadership. If the experiment works, you and every Yudonian will benefit from it. Think about it. We’ll be the o
“I’m giving you a chance now. If you refuse to talk to me, you might not have the opportunity again, okay?” Fred gazed at her with a victorious smile.Lily slowly turned her head and glanced at him coldly. Then she looked away again.“I’m curious. Have you accepted your fate, or are you still naively thinking someone can rescue you from here?” Fred cocked his head and sized her up.Then he said with a hint of emotion, “If it weren’t for the circumstances, I admire you. You’re no doubt a rare talent.”Lily sighed as she stared at the wall beside her. She finally spoke, “I’m just as curious as you. Does Her Majesty not see through you, or is she the one deceiving you?”Fred’s smile froze, and he stared at her with a frown. “What do you mean?”“Nothing. I was just wondering if you think you’re smarter than everyone else and that everything is under your control.” Lily turned and looked at him.Her gaze upset Fred. It was one of indifference, contempt, and even pity.‘Other than He
“Oh? So slander is unacceptable, but we can deceive Her Majesty?” Lily let out a cold chuckle. “Are you doing this experiment for your queen or yourself?”Fred was outraged as he narrowed his eyes and snapped, “What nonsense are you spouting?!”“Well, you know whether or not it’s nonsense. You simply deceive Her Majesty!” The cup Lily held went out of shape slightly due to her grip.The organization knew she could fight, so they took cautionary steps and gave her a plastic cup to prevent her from using glass shards as a weapon. Lily gazed at Fred and chuckled mockingly, “Too bad Her Majesty doesn’t know you’re lying to her.”The initially angry Fred suddenly burst into laughter. “You’re excellent at playing mind games and sowing discord between people. However, your plan won’t work. You have no idea how strong the trust between me and Her Majesty is.“She believes in me, and I’m loyal to her. You will not sway her, got it?” After a pause, he continued, “Forget it. It’s pointless t
Anastasia spoke half-jokingly. After spending two days with Austin, she went from distrusting him to gradually accepting and trusting him. The two were almost like friends now.Austin chuckled. “Let me check your wrist pulse.”Anastasia meekly held out her hand, and Austin took her pulse seriously. He knew he could gain more experience each time he checked someone’s pulse. He no longer thought any disease was beneath him and would carefully treat any patient.He knew it was his duty as a physician.Anastasia noticed his focused expression and could not help but recall her first encounter with him. She thought he was a charlatan and did not want him to treat her. Lily further proved his incompetence then.‘He misdiagnosed my obesity and then arrogantly refused to admit he was mistaken.’Austin differed from his former self as he knelt before Anastasia to check her pulse. He looked more like a responsible and professional doctor now. Most importantly, he had cured Anastasia of the