“I need to use the washroom.” Lily wanted to use this as an excuse to escape, but Alexander would not let her go so quickly. He tightened his arms and hugged her tightly, “No, repeat the first thing you said. Then you can go.”“I really need to use the washroom!” It was a slip of the mouth earlier. She was too embarrassed to say it out loud again.“You should hurry up and say it if you really need to go. It’s just a matter of one sentence anyway.” Alexander approached Lily until their noses touched. He was staring into her eyes. He said in a loving and charming tone, “Repeat it, my love.”“I-I…” Lily blushed harder, and her heart was thumping so fast that she could not take it anymore. She pushed him further away as she sat up straight and put her hands on her hips, “I said, my husband! Is there anything wrong with that?!”She might have sounded threatening, but she was very nervous. Her face blushed so red that it was like the evening dusk.“No, it’s nothing. I’m also proud that
Lily's brain had ceased to function. She stared at him for a moment before realizing what he had said. She punched his shoulder and said, "You're crazy!""Ouch!" Alexander grunted in pain. "I know it was my negligence that you must bring this up. However, it's not too late for us to work hard on it from now on.""When have I said that?” Lily was helpless and could no longer explain her words, "When did I say I want to have a baby with you? When did I mention this?"She did not remember mentioning that she wanted a child. Why did he suddenly bring up this topic? He could work hard by himself!Alexander released his hands around Lily and turned to pick up the wooden doll he had put down earlier. He waved the two dolls at her, "The reason you bought this is to hint you want a son and a daughter, wasn't it?Lily was speechless. ‘Why are his thoughts so peculiar?! I’m helpless with him!’"That's not what I meant. I was walking around and coincidentally passed by a wood carving shop.
Nathaniel still refused to speak to Eloise, and she could only sigh, “If you’re unwilling to speak to me, I’ll just leave.”“I see. You’d be so indifferent even after your son was in an accident,” Nathaniel finally spoke as he sneered at her. “Didn’t I come here to see you?” she snapped. “Yeah! It must’ve been difficult to add this to your schedule.” He had never been this rude to his mother, but Nathaniel was furious, so he could only take it out on her. When people were beaten down, they could always count on someone, but Nathaniel had no one else.“Nate! How dare you talk to me like that?” Eloise said sternly, “You know exactly how difficult it was for me all these years, but I’ve always tried my best to help you. Ask yourself this, haven’t I always given you help when needed? It’s true that this time, I’m at fault. However, you have no right to talk to me like that!” Nathaniel immediately came to his senses after being reprimanded. He turned around to look at h
It seemed Melanie was with Frank whenever she was out late or absent. Nathaniel felt disgusted just thinking about them.Eloise was surprised after hearing what Nathaniel said. “You mean Melanie Thayer?”“I’m pretty sure I have only one fiancee,” he replied ironically.“You sure? I thought you had two,” Eloise snapped back unapologetically. Nathaniel sat there in silence. Eloise did not push it as she continued, “You’re telling me Melanie slept with Frank? They went behind your back?” Eloise was so crude that it embarrassed Nathaniel. His cheeks flushed bright red as he yelled, “Mother!” “Since you’ve already embarrassed yourself, why worry now?” Eloise retorted, “Are you upset with me because of this? That I had introduced Frank to you?”Initially, Nathaniel had been angry because of her, but as he calmed down, he knew it was not her fault. Who would have known that something like this would happen? Besides, Frank did help MN Inc. overcome its crisis.“No, I don’t blame y
Nathaniel had thought about Lily when the news about his accident came out. Even his mother had gone to visit him. He knew there was no way Lily would not know about his accident. Still, she did not show up, and Melanie was the one who went to see him when the news first appeared on TV.Eloise only smirked coldly at her shameless son, “Visit you? If I were Lily, I’d have torn you to pieces after what you did to her. The nerve!”“Mother! Am I not your son?” Nathaniel snapped. How could she be siding with an outsider?“I’m saying this to you because you’re my son, or else why should I care?!” She finished. Eloise noticed the apparent change in her son’s facial expression, and her tone softened, “It’s not that I’m trying to reprimand you. I’m just trying to give you constructive criticism. I’ve met many people, and I know Melanie is unsuitable for you.”“Then what does this have to do with Lily? Is it because she’s a talented perfumer? I’m looking for a wife, not a perfumer. Besides,
Eloise snorted and said, “She is not an orphan!” Facing Nathaniel’s confused expression, she continued slowly, “Have you heard about what happened to the Lodge family of Brown City?”“The Lodge family? Are you referring to one of the biggest families in our country? According to rumors, they know an older form of kickboxing and are very secretive. ‘That’ Lodge family?” Nathaniel asked.Of course, he had heard of the well-known family. The country had four famous families. They were the Richards, Tanner, Russell, and Lodge families.The Lodge family of their city was active in politics and had been for several generations. The later generations produced many good politicians. The family culture was strict, and their foundations were firm.The Tanner family of Ruby City and the Russell family of Sapphine were from the business world, but each had its domain. The Richards were in property development and construction, whereas the Russell family was in entertainment. Although they were
It was getting late, and Eloise had said what she had to say, so she stood up and told Nathaniel, “All right, we'll talk about this after you’ve recovered from your injury. For now, you rest and get better.”After she finished talking and was about to leave, she thought of something and turned back again. “Right, forget about Melanie.”She meant what she said.Nathaniel did not say anything. Just like that, the ward quietened down again.The following day, Melanie brought some soup and buns she had bought to visit Nathaniel. After the car accident, it was like the two picked up where they had left off. They did not mention what happened before, as if things were back to “normal.”However, there was an apparent chasm between them. Melanie would bring him stuff and take care of him, while Nathaniel would not kick her out. Everything was peaceful. It was like the quiet before the storm.Melanie fed him breakfast, cleaned up the place, and helped him wash his face and hands. She woul
The treatment at Rebirth may not be the best, but it was the position many fought for in the industry. After all, as long as they could stay in Rebirth, they could climb the ladder of the La Beauté Group. If they were lucky, they might rise up to the mid-managerial level.How did Lily get in so quickly? Judging from what happened earlier, Lily not only got in, but the other newcomers were quite protective of her too.Melanie did not receive any response from him. She looked at him and asked, "By the way, you've known her for so long. Do you know if Lily knows kickboxing?""Lily knows kickboxing?" Nathaniel was surprised, "Who did you hear that from?"Melanie was slightly surprised when she saw his reaction, which confirmed her speculation. Nathaniel had asked, 'Who did you hear that from?' and not, 'How could it be?” and there was a vast difference between the responses. It looked like Lily indeed knew kickboxing.How did he not know? If Nathaniel knew about this, Melanie would, t
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