The delivery felt heavy in Alexander’s hands. He held his breath and carefully opened its lid. Lying inside were two infants wrapped in blankets. They seemed sound asleep with their eyes closed.Alexander sighed in relief when he saw them but soon grew anxious again. He put a finger under their noses to see if they were breathing and was relieved, exclaiming, “It’s them!”“Oh, my God!” Mike nearly burst into sobs. Tears welling in his eyes, he looked even more emotional than Alexander. He was thrilled for Alexander. After all, the organization had also kidnapped Nick.Mike felt like he saw Nick again.‘If Alex’s twins can return safely, so can Nicky!’Alexander nodded. “Let’s go back first.”The delivery bag was larger than the regular one. No wonder it caught Alexander’s attention initially. Still, the delivery man dared to bring the twins out in the open. Furthermore, he did not look like he could fight.Back at home, Alexander grew worried seeing the twins still asleep. Soon
“Who are they if they’re not mine? Also, where did they come from, and why did the organization send them to me? If they are mine…” Alexander looked at Mike and Austin. “What’s the organization up to?”Mike responded, “Do you think the organization plans to use the babies to blackmail you?”“Could it be…” Austin stopped halfway.“Yes?” Alexander raised his brows curiously.Austin shook his head. “Nothing. I was just taking a wild guess.”Alexander dropped the subject but noticed Austin’s grave expression. Alexander said, “Whatever it is, we must take good care of the children now.”He knew the other two must be tired, saying, “You two should get some rest. Leave the babies to me.”Mike disagreed, “No, you need to handle many more things. Let me watch over them.”“Why don’t you two go to sleep? I’m a doctor. Let me do it,” Austin said.“Cut it out, okay? They’re likely my children, so I should take care of them,” Alexander sighed, “I owe it to them.”Austin and Mike exchanged
Lily turned to look at Fred. “How can I be sure the babies you gave my husband are mine?”Fred was stunned and upset. He bolted to his feet and asked, “Are you trying to mess with me?”“No, I just want to make sure they’re mine instead of someone else’s you kidnapped.” Lily had not considered that possibility before. Still, she almost burst into tears when she saw Alexander holding the bag and carefully checking if they were still breathing.She always knew him to be calm, but she saw his finger shaking when he checked their breathing.Lily never expected to stay at the embassy for so long. She could not leave, even after giving birth. She suspected she might never get out of there.At that moment, she truly hated Fred for conducting the experiments. He was why she got separated from her family, and the world was in chaos.“Where the hell can I find two babies of similar age?” Fred never even considered that.‘Her suspicions are driving me insane!’“I’m trying to make a deal wi
“Have you experienced stomach aches after leaving here last time?” Lily suddenly asked.Puzzled, Fred shook his head. “No.”Then he caught himself and roared, “That’s none of your business! Where is the antidote, damn it?!”“You have no more stomachache or diarrhea. You also don’t feel so nauseous now, right? You’re just a bit dizzy, and your legs feel weak occasionally, correct?”Confused by her questions, Fred pondered seriously. Although he hated himself for answering her, he couldn’t help it, “Yes, I think you’re right!”After he finished answering, Lily stopped asking questions and just smiled.However, her smile alarmed Fred. “Stop smiling, okay? I’m asking about the antidote, you—”“Look at the way you talk. You don’t look poisoned, do you?” Lily said meaningfully.“What the…” He pinched his stomach, then palmed and knocked on his chest. Indeed, he was feeling much better than before. Although Fred was relieved, he was also infuriated.His eyes widened as he pointed at
Lily’s medical skills impressed Fred, but he had a more critical use for her. Even if he did not, a strong-headed person like her would never work for him. Therefore, there would be no point in keeping her alive.“Bravo, Lily!” Fred took a deep breath to compose himself. It was a memorable lesson for him. As someone who constantly schemed against others, he never thought he would fall for such a simple trick.He was not too dumb to see through it, but he had lost his composure thinking he was sick.“I guess you won this round, Lily, but too bad you’re not going to make it out alive,” he said, “The conditions are almost ready now, and we’ll implement the experiment’s last phase. Are you ready?”Fred smiled menacingly, thinking, ‘Yes, she played me like a fool, but I made the deal to save myself anyway. I should be happy she didn’t poison me. Who cares if I lost to her this time? I’ll still have the last laugh.’“It doesn’t matter if I’m ready. What matters is whether you are. How a
Meanwhile, Mike had expected this, saying, “That’s how it is. I stayed up all the time when Nicky was little. He hardly slept through the night and would cry whenever I laid him down. My arms felt like they would fall off.”He grew sad as he spoke.Austin was surprised. “You looked after your son by yourself? Didn’t you have a nanny?”“Well, I couldn’t afford one then, and Nicky’s mom didn’t want to take care of him. So I raised him alone.” Mike felt worse after bringing up the past.He took the babies from Alexander. “We’ll take care of them now. Go and rest.”“I’m fine, okay?” Although exhausted, Alexander refused to leave.“Come on.” Knowing what he was thinking, Mike said, “If you want to make it up to Lily and the babies, you’ll have plenty of time to do so. For now, you should get some rest. Who else can care for the babies and rescue Lily if you get sick?”Alexander finally yielded. However, his gaze lingered on the babies. They were sleeping peacefully now, like little a
Austin realized Mike was getting emotional, adding, “I never knew you were so good with children. If I were you, I wouldn’t know what to do. Anyway, they do look a lot like Alex. What do you think?”Austin tilted his head as he asked, sizing up the sleeping babies.Mike also tilted his head to look at them. Indeed, they had Alexander’s eyebrows and Lily’s mouth.“They sure do, but we can’t make such assumptions. The more we think that way, the more they look like Alex and Lily. If I told you they aren’t Alex’s children, would you still think they resemble him?” Mike looked serious.Austin thought, ‘Indeed, now they don’t look like Alex and Lily.’He shook his head and straightened up, saying, “Shit, you’re right!”“That’s why we shouldn’t wonder if they resemble Alex. It’s best to wait for the DNA report.” Mike gently tucked in the babies, his gaze like a loving father.Austin sighed inwardly. ‘Looks like I can’t stop him from thinking about his son. Forget it. Just let him be
Austin tried to be calm, but his voice was shaky. Mixed with his short breaths, it sounded unsettling.Mike looked at him with widened eyes. “What did you say?”“It’s Rhea. She’s missing!” he said, pointing toward the outhouse. “What do you mean she’s missing?!” Mike spun around, surprised to see Alexander standing behind him.Alexander only slept for a while and just woke up. He could not sleep well during this period because his family was not around, and so many bad things were happening. Furthermore, he had just received the two babies yesterday.Nonetheless, replenishing his energy through short naps was enough. After washing up and changing, he went downstairs to check on the babies. That was when he heard what Austin said.The latter gulped and stammered, “I-I went to see how Rhea was reacting to the virus, but she wasn’t there!”“Are you sure?” Alexander asked, stepping forward. Austin nodded repeatedly. “Yes! I looked many times, but there was no one!” Alexander f
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