"My dear, you know you have a younger brother...""I don't have a brother!" Interrupting her, Arianna said decisively, "Mom, you and Dad have only one kid! Have you forgotten? I don't have a brother!"Eloise was a little tired and gave a faint sigh, "Yes, both you and I don’t want to accept the truth, but your father is determined to bring this son home. What do you think?""It's not the first time Dad wanted to bring them home. If it were that easy, he wouldn't be asking your opinion all the time. Mom, you’re still very important in this family," Arianna turned over and said in a serious tone.Of course, Eloise knew that she was important. If it were not for her importance, Joseph would have divorced her long ago and married that bitch! She kept one blind eye for many years and did not want to make things too extreme. How many men stayed loyal to their wives? As long as he did not go overboard, she could still live well and maintain the stability of life on the surface. Ho
Her words calmed Eloise’s thoughts. That was true. Why did she want to stop him? Let Joseph welcome that wh*re and her child into the family if he wanted to. Eloise could go through with it, as there was no guarantee that everything would go their way. Even if they agreed, Eloise would make sure they regretted it.“Take a step back. If they really came in, they'd still be under your nose. They’ll live the rest of their lives with headaches. Good things don't come easy. They should prepare for the worst!" Arianna said what was on her mind.Eloise, very troubled at first, seemed to have an epiphany. She was smart and only needed a little nudge to figure things out by herself. It was only because it was sudden, making her feel bewildered. She looked at Arianna carefully again. The more Eloise stared, the more she felt she had underestimated her daughter. Eloise kept her eyes on her daughter and felt that Arianna was very similar to how capable she was when she was younger.“My
Lily was mentally prepared but still got a shock when she saw Olivia. There were several scars on her face. Even though she had applied medicine, it was still slightly swollen."Didn't you say that you beat her up?" Lily felt a little embarrassed.Olivia was proud, "Of course! You should’ve seen me beat her up until she was on the floor! She looked so ugly!"…Olivia was triumphant, and when she met Lily's suspicious gaze, she raised her hand to touch her cheek. When she felt the bruises, she subconsciously said, "Tsk!" from the pain.Then Olivia continued, "Hey, it's just a small injury. I accidentally scratched myself. You know, it's inevitable when we're fighting each other, but she’s much worse off than me, so I still beat her!"Olivia was chuffed as if there was a banner to reward her accomplishment. After all, Brittany had a bit of a social background. The last time, she still had Alexander to back her up, but what if she got into trouble again? "I'm fine," Olivia smile
Lily recalled Alexander’s words when she mentioned this. He said that he had never had a girlfriend before. She could not help but smile, “That’s not possible.”“Why not?! You didn’t see how vicious that woman was.” Olivia took a step forward as she spoke and lifted a hand like she was holding a purse. She raised her eyebrows and imitated Arianna’s arrogance, “Let me warn you, break up with him immediately. Not just any woman can marry into the Russell family. Do you honestly think you succeeded in marrying rich? Name your price. How much do you want in exchange for leaving him? Would one million dollars be enough?”Olivia exaggerated Brittany's words with a high-pitch voice and bossy demeanor. It made Lily laugh out loud, “That’s enough! Do you want me to die laughing?”“It’s true!” Olivia stomped her feet when she saw Lily’s disbelief and said, “Oh, that’s right! This stomping action was also hers and not mine!”Olivia continued, “I’ve seen a lot of women like you. What you want
Olivia and Lily fell silent as Jenny had misunderstood the entire situation.“Where did you hear these false rumors from, Jenny? I don’t have any relationship with Mr. Russell,” Olivia raised both hands, expressing her innocence. Alexander’s real wife was right beside her, and she dared not take away Lily’s position.Jenny thought Olivia did not want to admit it. She patted Olivia’s shoulder with one hand and said, “Oh well, you don’t need to keep pretending. There are no outsiders here. The photos clearly showed both of you together. So, do you want to wait until the wedding day before you will tell us the truth?”“Photos? What photos do you mean?” Lily suddenly realized something amiss.“It’s all over the newspapers and magazines. It's also everywhere on social media. Did you not read the news?” Jenny was even more surprised than the duo. How could they not know such shocking news?!The duo shook their heads simultaneously and looked at each other. They were in a bad place and b
“I-Is that…” Jenny still found it unbelievable even though the answer was right before her eyes. “I-It’s you?!”“What’s wrong? Why can it be me?” Lily felt amused by her reaction. She might have considered telling Jenny about this earlier if she knew how interesting Jenny’s reaction would be.“No. That’s not it. I-It’s….” Jenny found it difficult to accept this sudden turn of events. “Is it genuinely you?! Didn’t the rumors say that…”“Lily and Mr. Russell visited me at the hospital that day, but all my attention was on my mother at that time. There’s a problem with the angle in this photo. It's an optical illusion due to misplacement. That’s why it caused such a misunderstanding,” Olivia explained. She felt sad again at the mention of her mother.“Oh right, it’s as you say if I look at it this way!” Jenny felt there was indeed a problem with the angle of the photo after scrutiny. “These reporters are so clumsy. They didn’t get the facts right before spreading gossip. I almost made
"No, not many people know about it. I'm sorry for hiding this from you," Lily apologized sincerely.After staring at her for a while, Jenny waved her hand. "Fine, I'll forgive you!"She was not a petty person, not to mention that this was someone else's affair. It was up to Lily if she wanted to share it with Jenny."By the way, I've basically found all the information you wanted here. See if there's anything you can use. The company has been urging us. After all, once the research is successful, it'll be put into production immediately." Jenny instantly got down to business.Lily nodded as she listened. "I know. In fact, we're almost done. There's just one last step left. Once that succeeds, we can officially kickstart the production. Olivia, come and help me."Jokes aside, they were all very serious when it came to working.Before they knew it, the day had already passed. Just as Lily was about to leave, she noticed Alexander's car parked at the company's entrance."You're ear
‘That meant he gave the green light to use the photo? Is he aware that the shot was taken at an awkward angle that invites misinterpretation?’"Have you seen the photo?" Lily asked again. Alexander shook his head. Since he was so busy, he had simply said yes when his assistant came to ask and then did not follow up.He only knew that the newspapers and magazines had published the photo as gossip. Whenever he wanted to look it up, something would interrupt him, and he would forget about it. It was only now that he was reminded of it again. "Why? Did you see it? How is it? Do we look like a perfect match?" Alexander asked with great interest. Lily didn't know if she wanted to laugh or cry.'Perfect match?! We're so perfect that by only showing half of my body, you can tell we’re a couple!' "Look at it yourself," Lily said as she took out her phone and searched the Internet for the news before showing it to him. Alexander fell silent when he saw what was on the phone.His eyes narrow
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