“What would Nathaniel be most afraid of when he wants me to admit that I lied during the competition before the public?”Upon seeing Olivia’s puzzled gaze, Lily continued, “It’s the witnesses and evidence that will be against him. Sure, he took the evidence away, but the witness…”“Am I the witness?” Olivia pointed at herself. Realization soon hit her as she exclaimed, “I can be the witness!” She continued, arms akimbo, “We can use this chance to expose his true colors and show everyone just what kind of a person he truly is!”Lily smiled, shook her head lightly, and said, “No, you won’t need to be a witness. I only need you to take a vacation over the next two days.”“Take a vacation?”“Yes, that’s right! Nathaniel doesn’t need you to be his witness. All he wants is to have nobody testify for me. It will benefit him If you leave now.”At this crucial moment, Olivia knew that Nathaniel, who cared even about the minor things, would not let her go if she were to resign now. Slack
Alexander's car rocketed down the road. Soon they lost the cars behind them."Nate must’ve sent people to follow me. It's probably to see if I’m still in contact with Rebirth." Lily turned her head back toward Alexander as she spoke."Huh?" Alexander raised his eyebrows. "Did you promise him you wouldn’t return to Rebirth?""I didn't promise him anything, but he probably felt that he had convinced me to." Lily did not promise Nathaniel anything, but Nathaniel still thought his lame lies had successfully fooled her again. He was the same person as usual and thought he was familiar with Lily because the old Lily would give him all her trust.However, Lily witnessed Nathaniel’s betrayal and affair with her own eyes. She watched his and Melanie’s illicit relationship and lost all of Lily’s trust. How could she ever believe any of Nathaniel's words again?"So, what's your plan now?"Without interfering with her decision, Alexander was very interested, and he was even a little curious
Alexander laughed as if he guessed what Lily was thinking. "I'm not a pervert who monitors people. I can see and hear with my eyes and ears." Suddenly, he poked Lily’s stomach, and she dodged as it tickled. That was when Lily realized her stomach growled with hunger.…Alexander took her to the Sky Garden Restaurant located halfway along the hill. This restaurant was famous in town, not only for its unique design but also for its magnificent view.In a mainstream society where Asian cuisine symbolized high-class identity, Sky Garden also served Western Cuisine, which their senior chefs specialized in. The restaurant had a dish from every culture for everyone.Of course, it was pricey, and some could not afford to enjoy their delicacies. Still, most who wanted to eat at Sky Garden would need to make a reservation, even if certain people had reserved seats like VIP guests.Lily looked at a woman sitting across from her, taking the menu gracefully and handing it to her man. The wai
“It’s fine, Liv. Listen to me. You’ve been busy because of work for far too long. You should take a break since you’ll get busy again in a few days. By then, you won’t be able to rest even if you wanted to,” Lily said half-jokingly.Since Lily insisted, Olivia stopped persuading her. “Okay then. Oh right, you know I have two phones. I turned off the one for work. If you need me, call my personal phone number.”“Yeah. Have fun!” After hanging up, Lily noticed Alexander gave her a deep look. She looked down at her appearance, but nothing seemed to be out of place. “What’s wrong?”“Are you asking her to leave because you don’t want her to get involved?” Alexander hit the nail on the head, stunning Lily before she let out a smile.“Not entirely. Liv was my assistant while I worked in MN Inc., so she’s familiar with all my products and research outcomes. This time, Nathaniel is determined to make me take the blame for everything, so Liv would be the first person he would approach for
“I-I’m full.” Lily lowered her head while her cheeks flushed red.“You’re probably tired, so let’s go home and rest first. We’ll talk about the rest tomorrow.” As if knowing what was bothering Lily, Alexander said, “I’ll let Edward know about your request. Don’t worry about it.”His words managed to relieve Lily of her worries. She thought it was great to have someone else understand her and make arrangements to get things done before she even asked.When the couple got into the car, Alexander asked Lily, “Are you renting the place you’re staying at now?”“Yeah.”“Cancel your contract and move in with me,” Alexander said and held Lily’s hand.Alexander’s actions made Lily’s heart skip a beat as she tightened her grip on his hand and lowered her head, appearing to be in her thoughts. Alexander did not rush her either. He just looked ahead with her hand in his, waiting patiently for her answer. The arrival of such a day was already within Lily’s expectations, but she just did not
"I prefer tranquility, but someone will come to clean up the house every two days or so." Alexander loosened his tie. "I'm going to take a shower while you rest first. There is an empty walk-in closet where you can store your belongings," after speaking, Alexander entered the room.Lily was relieved when she heard the sound of the shower. After all, she needed some time to adapt to the unfamiliar environment.There were about three floors to the mansion, and the top floor would be the loft. It was not very tall, but the area was relatively expansive. The mansion had cold tones with clean lines on the walls, resembling Alexander, who was cold yet capable.The walk-in closet size caused Lily to stagger as she carried her bag inside. The closet was large enough to be a bedroom. There were men’s clothes in two cabinets while the rest were empty.Lily did not bring much stuff, so she hung her clothes one by one before pulling out a small file containing her important documents. Inside
Lily almost stretched her finger to touch Alexander's tanned skin and well-built muscles. She gulped subconsciously."Lily? Lily?!" Nathaniel suspected Lily had hung up the phone when he did not get a response, so he kept calling her name.Lily widened her eyes as she watched Alexander's tall figure lean toward her. His handsome face was getting closer and closer. She held her breath, and then…When their lips got close, Alexander turned sideways and gently kissed Lily on her cheek near her ear. Then he straightened his back and went straight into the walk-in closet.Thud!The phone slipped from Lily’s hand and rolled on the carpet. Fortunately, the phone fell onto the carpet. Otherwise, it would have shattered.Nathaniel was still on the other end of the call waiting for Lily’s response, when the loud thud hurt his eardrums. He hurriedly moved his ear away from the phone and exclaimed, "Lily! What the hell are you doing?! Are you even listening to me?"Lily squatted to pick up
Rumors had it Alexander was cold-blooded, ruthless, and cruel. No one would have expected him to be gentle and considerate to another person.The water’s temperature was just right, so Lily comfortably took a hot bath and changed into new clothes and undergarments. The discomfort she felt from her menstrual pain reduced considerably, and it made her feel relieved.Alexander was right when he said Lily did not need to rush and should take a good rest first.Lily took a nap while Alexander hugged her and fell asleep, giving her a great sense of security. The two simply cuddled without doing anything else, and Lily felt a newfound peacefulness.She napped for over an hour and realized her phone had countless missed calls when she woke up. They were from Nathaniel, who seemed distressed, while Lily felt the exact opposite.She slowly changed into a white dress. The dress was simple, without any unique cuttings or designs, but it fitted Lily’s figure well, giving her an elegant look.
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