"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
Arianna seemed to have said it unintentionally, but Brittany listened. The words slowly grew in her heart, took root, sprouted, and now, the rampant foliage spread. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that what she said was very reasonable.Arianna had experience, and everything was clearer because she witnessed it with her own eyes. Her heart was like a mirror, and her emotions reflected it. That was precisely how Brittany felt. "What are we going to do now?""Of course, we’re going to buy clothes! I promised Dad!" Arianna said with a smile.“Okay!" Nodding, Brittany turned the steering wheel and turned towards the shopping mall. …After being depressed for a few days, Lily emerged out of her rut. It was just a nightmare that brought up some sad things in her childhood. She could not just immerse herself in the past. Lily still had the Southbank soap to finish and the aromatherapy she needed to prepare for her grandfather. Since she promised to complete th
Lily was puzzled. "Ask me about what? Would you like me to go to your show?” She asked half-jokingly, but she did not know how to help Lisa.Looking at her strangely, Lisa replied, "If you have time, of course! That’s not the case, though. It’s something else.""What is it?""I want you to help me make a perfume," Lisa leaned forward, "It’s part of your profession!"Lily looked at her in disbelief and replied, "Are you kidding me? Your father is an authority in this regard, and you’re asking me to help you make perfume?""I knew you would say that, but it's not what you think. Although my father is a master and is quite reputable in this line of work, he doesn't understand what I want!" Lisa said with a look of annoyance, looking very distressed. Lily almost laughed. Her own father did not understand her? "Look at you! I'm telling you something serious! Why are you still laughing!" Although Lisa was incredibly hot, her personality was simple, cute, and sometimes childl
Her behavior made Lily chuckle. She knew that, regardless of how old she was, Lisa was still only a child in her father's eyes. Mr. Parker would never create a sensual and passionate fragrance for his own daughter. That merely encouraged her to seduce others.Even though Lisa was an adult, she was still a little rebellious and wanted to demonstrate that she had grown up. She did not want to be treated like a sweet young child anymore."I understand. it's not impossible, but it's just..." After a pause, Lily said, "It’s not convenient for me at the moment.""Huh?" Lisa was very disappointed, "What do you mean? I wanted to use it for the show!"Shaking her head, Lily decisively cut off her thoughts, "I really don't have the time recently. I have two jobs in hand that are quite urgent. I can't help you for the time being. If you can wait, I'll try to help after I’m done. If it's too late, then I think you'd better find someone else,” Lily said honestly. After all, it was true. She had
"I'm not sure how much Mike gave her or what he said to her, but in the end, Helen finally gave up." Then, Lisa continued strangely, "Later, she said something I don't quite understand.""What did she say?""She said something along the lines of how you should consider things before you become a stepmother and how Mike might not be as good of a person as I thought. Yeah, that's about it." Even after wracking her brain, Lisa could not remember what Helen said word by word.Lily was confused to hear this. "Y-You should take things into consideration?""It's not directed to me. It's you!" Lisa immediately corrected Lily."Me?!" Now, Lily was surprised."Yeah, she was talking about you. That's why I found it strange. You've only met her once. I don't get why she's targeting you so much. It seems like she thinks you're looking to be Nick's stepmother. Why does she think that you'd want to be with Mike?" Lisa questioned. "I have no idea!" If Lisa did not bring this up, Lily would h
After bidding goodbye to Lisa, Lily went to the famous pastry shop in Sapphine to buy a box of shortbread and two cups of hot coffee. She put the two coffees in Thermos flasks to stay warm until she got home.Alexander was seated with his legs crossed, reading. He turned the pages with one hand while holding an empty cup with the other. He lowered his head slightly, and a few strands of unruly hair hung around his face along his rimless glasses, giving him an elegant charm.Although Alexander was not short-sighted, he had some astigmatism. It usually did not affect him unless he was reading, so he put his glasses on. Maybe it was because he rarely wore his glasses, or maybe it was just his good looks, but Lily would feel like she had fallen in love all over again every time she saw him with his glasses.When Alexander heard the movement, he raised his head and saw Lily. Under the warm light, his eyes glimmered as he looked at her tenderly. At that moment, Lily felt her heart drop.
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