Arianna did not coax Brittany nor comfort her. She let Brittany cry until her tears ended before asking, “Are you ready to talk now?”Brittany blew her nose with the tissue Arianna gave her. With wet eyes, she said, “You know, he is going to get engaged, but I don’t even know who the woman is.”“Sigh, so that’s what this is about.” Arianna objected, “I thought it was something bigger. He is only getting engaged, not married. Even if it was marriage, the divorce rates nowadays are high. What’s up with you?”No one had ever said anything like that to Brittany from when she discovered Alexander had gotten engaged to when she confirmed it. Her parents were careful not to bring it up, while Brandon outright suggested that she give up. However, Arianna told her it was not a big deal. For a moment, she was stunned."I-Is that so?""Why not?" Bending at the waist, Arianna picked up two cups of fruit tea. She handed one to Brittany and held the other to warm her hand. "Brittany, I'm not tr
Pursing her lips, Brittany said, "I'll stop being angry if you stop saying that."Upon hearing this, Arianna could not help but laugh as she reached out to pinch Brittany's cheek. "You idi*t! Even if you’re a dog, you'd still be the cutest dog I've seen!""Enough!" Brittany stomped her feet like a little kid."All right, all right. We won't talk about that anymore. Can you let go of me now?" She looked down at the hand that was holding her wrist."No. What if you run away?"Arianna laughed. "This is my house. Where can I run? I want to go upstairs to change out of my clothes. You've stained my clothes, yet, you don't want to get me a new pair. Now, you're not even letting me change into something more comfortable."Brittany understood what she meant and hurriedly let go of her hand.However, even after she let go, Arianna was not in a hurry to leave. "Do you want to come with me? Your clothes are dirty as well. You can borrow some of mine first."Hearing this, Brittany glanced
At first, she was a little confused about what Arianna was saying."What should I do, then?" Brittany asked. She felt a spark of courage in her that was slowly filling her up. She was no longer as confused as she was before."Brittany, you're beautiful. The room lights up when you walk in. It would be best if you made him notice you," Arianna said as she bent down, whispering almost by Brittany's cheek. Then Arianna suddenly snapped before Brittany could even react. "But!""But, what?" Brittany's heart trembled at the sound of that."It's too late for you now! You've done too much for him, and he no longer cares about you. No matter what you do now, he won't change the inherent impression he has of you. Besides, now you have competition, and you're running out of time. This won't work for you."Then, Arianna let go of Brittany and sat in front of the dressing table, slowly putting on her hand cream.Arianna had always been meticulous in her self-care. Hence her skin had always be
Everyone must weigh the pros and cons before doing anything. Even Derrick was no exception to this. Since he was the family's patriarch, he couldn't act as he pleased and still had to listen to the opinions of the other family members. Arianna assumed that all families would be that way and was surprised to discover that there were exceptions. From what she heard, it was as if no one dared to stop Alexander or give their opinions when he decided to do something. It was as if he could freely follow his own desires. Was this not something that Arianna yearned for?Was there really such a person in this world?""Arianna? Arianna?" Brittany called a few times before Arianna snapped out of her thoughts. Once Brittany realized Arianna was present, Brittany asked, "What were you thinking about?" "Oh, nothing." Ariana shook her head and asked, "You're saying there’s no way for you to be with him unless he wants to?" "Yeah! Otherwise, why would I be so bothered?" Brittany was exasperated as
Arianna glanced at her non-committal look with hatred. "You impress me. After so many years, you were chasing loneliness?" It was hard for her to fathom one who dared to pursue and one who dared to refuse.In other words, either be ruthless with the person or give up and try something else. To hold on in that way was a loss for Brittany, as was her willingness to put up with it."Let’s not talk about that now. What do you think? Do I still have hope?"“Well, it depends on how you see it. Do you want him physically, or do you want him to love you back?” Arianna asked, turning to Brittany.With her eyebrows furrowed, Brittany exclaimed, "Nonsense! I want the whole man!" "The problem is, you don't have him yet. If you could only choose one, what would you pick?" Arianna waved a finger in front of her face, "You can't be too greedy. Suppose you could pick just one. Think about it. Do you want to stay with him forever even if his heart doesn’t belong to you, or do you want him to
"This is not just for the two of them. It’s also for us! Think about it!" Joseph put his hands on his waist and looked serious.Standing upstairs, Brittany was a little embarrassed. After all, she seemed to be eavesdropping on Arianna’s parents arguing. It seemed inappropriate for her to go downstairs. She wanted to turn around and return to her room, but she was scared they would notice.She looked at Arianna and saw her standing there without saying a word. She had no expression on her face and was holding the stair railing with both hands and grasping it tightly.Brittany wanted to comfort her but did not know what to say. The two downstairs did not realize that there were other people in the house, and they were still arguing. Eloise turned around, sat on the sofa, and snorted softly, "For us? Humph! Well said! To put it bluntly, it's for yourself and that little bitch outside! Joseph, look for yourself. Who would allow a mistress to enter the house? Isn’t that just a slap
“Now look what you’ve done!” Eloise glared at Joseph fiercely and quickly went upstairs.Brittany followed Arianna back to the room. She looked at Arianna’s speechless appearance and wanted to comfort her but did not know what to say. Brittany only stood behind Arianna, hoping it would comfort her even a little.On the contrary, Arianna turned to look at Brittany and smiled. Her smile looked far-stretched and distressing, obviously a forced one. Arianna said, “I’m sorry you had to see that.”"Don't say that!" Brittany stepped forward and hugged Arianna, suddenly feeling her friend was in a more tragic situation than herself. Brittany could not get what she asked for, but Arianna had to face her arguing parents.Arianna’s father had a mistress and an illegitimate son. He was also patriarchal, as he would give his family business to his illegitimate son rather than divide it with his daughter just because Arianna was a girl.Joseph wanted to continue arguing, but Eloise had already
“Then I'll be leaving. Goodbye, dad!" Arianna kissed her father’s cheek and pulled Brittany out of the house.Brittany was in shock. She felt uncomfortable when she saw what had happened. ‘Is there something wrong with Arianna? Was the whole thing just an act? I feel like I’m on a drama set! Was what they said according to a script? Did everyone forget about the argument after the scene ended?‘Otherwise, how can Arianna be so calm and stay in this so-called harmonious family with her “loving” father? How could she act like a spoiled child to him?’The duo sat in the car as Brittany silently started it and drove away with Arianna in the passenger seat. The duo stayed quiet for a long while. Brittany had yet to figure out what had happened. Nothing made sense to her.Arianna opened her purse and took out a small bag of snacks. She tore it open with her delicate fingernails, took out a small piece of dried apricot, and put it toward Brittany's mouth. Brittany glanced down and shook h
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