“I know you were with that brat, Lily Christian, weren't you? Then she left you," Henry stated as he looked Nathaniel up and down. He did not come here empty-handed, as he knew a thing or two about Nathaniel.However, Henry did not know about Nathaniel's relationship with the Tanner family. Although Henry knew Nathaniel was working with Tanner Corporation, he had no idea how Nathaniel had managed to clear his debt and turn his life around again.Whatever the case was, Henry could not care less about it. All he wanted to know was whether Nathaniel could help him."It seems like you know quite a lot for someone who has been abroad, Mr. Lodge," Nathaniel said with a low laugh. "Yes, you're right. Everything I am today is all thanks to your niece. Speaking of which, you could have been my uncle!"Hearing this, Henry narrowed his eyes. "If you manage to help me this time, there might still be a possibility of that."He implied that as long as Nathaniel could help him, he would help Nat
Henry snorted at Nathaniel and turned to leave. He knew this was just a waste of time.Nathaniel said from behind, “Mr. Lodge, do you think this is a fake and inferior product anyone can imitate? I can guarantee that even Lily can’t differentiate this from her own candle.”Henry stopped and looked back at Nathaniel. His eyes were full of suspicion.Nathaniel knew Henry would not simply believe his words. He stepped forward, stood two steps away from Henry, and handed him the box, “Lily and I had dated for over five years. I’m familiar with her methods and habits.“Someone I handpicked created this product with much care according to Lily’s methods, habits, and recipe. I can guarantee it will be flawless even if the forensics department checks it with the most advanced equipment.”Henry was still doubtful but began to believe Nathaniel when he saw his confidence, “Are you telling the truth?”“There are still two days left, correct? You can look for someone to test it. Oh, right, b
“Which is where exactly?” Lily was surprised when the car stopped at an abandoned amusement park. ‘Did he bring me here for fun and leisure?’However, she was not in the mood for this at the moment.“Let’s watch a play.” Alexander mysteriously told her these words and took her hand to lead her toward a giant Ferris wheel.Lily was dumbfounded.Edward also got out of the car but did not follow them. Instead, he went in a different direction.Lily was puzzled as Alexander led her toward a higher viewing platform.It should have been an amusement park in the past, but due to the abandonment of the construction, it remained half-built with scaffoldings and other incomplete structures. Although most of the facilities here were half-built, the quality was still decent. At the least, the couple did not feel unsafe when stepping on the structures.Lily wondered what Alexander’s plan was. He brought her here during such hours and even said they were here to watch a play. She stood on the
When she realized that the person had stopped walking, Lily instinctively hid her face. She was afraid of being discovered.“They won’t be able to see you from there with the distance and height.” Alexander, who had been sitting calmly, smiled and got up. He walked to her side and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.Lily glared at him. “You knew that nothing could be seen from here clearly? You said that we’re here to watch a play. Are you testing my eyesight? I’m not a hawk!”Alexander’s smile deepened, and he handed her something, “You are not a hawk, but you have better tools.”When Lily peered down, she noticed high-magnification binoculars. It seemed that he was well prepared! She had grown intrigued by this play and did not want to chastise him about not taking it out sooner. She used the binoculars to look in the direction of the two cars. Under the binoculars, everything was crystal clear.Lily was shocked when she saw the person’s face.“Nathaniel?!” How could it be hi
Henry and Nathaniel did not notice their existence and left after a while.Lily was frozen, her eyes staring into the void before her. For a long while, she stood still, her arms clenched into fists by her sides.Alexander turned her around and hugged her. "We’ll make them pay!"After getting off the observation deck, Edward had already returned to the car. After they were all seated, Edward turned his head and said, "Mr. Russell, I’ve arranged everything.""Good." Alexander nodded.Lily did not ask him what he wanted Edward to do. She was utterly lost in her thoughts.Assuming Henry and Nathaniel wished to start with the scented candles, they presumably wanted to make her defenseless against the claim. The candles must have been identical in both appearance and composition. A replica, however, would always fall short of the genuine article."Does La Beauté Group's branch in Sapphine have materials and instruments for perfumery?" she asked suddenly.Alexander was looking at the
The call connected quickly as if Nathaniel had been expecting it. "Mr. Lodge, how are they? Are you satisfied with the gifts I gave you?""Of course, I'm satisfied. Haha!" Henry laughed, "However, I'm curious, how did you get these things?""We're in a modern society where everyone is a businessman with no secrets. Just be attentive, investigate, and observe more. It’s easy. You returned far too hastily. If you came prepared, it's not hard to find."While bolstering Henry's confidence, Nathaniel deftly avoided discussing where he found the information.Henry, his face beaming, was struck by these words. "Great! Let's be friends. Wait till I take them down. In the future, your problem will be my problem."Nathaniel let out a soft chuckle, anticipating the arrogant response. "Then I'll wait for your good news.""Wait a minute, who have you given this information to besides me?" Suddenly, Henry recalled something, and he asked again.Nathaniel paused. "Mr. Lodge, please rest assure
"What's wrong?" Although Alexander looked calm, his expression showed relief after seeing that Lily was safe and sound. "Are you all right?"Lily shook her head, "I accidentally spilled something.""It doesn't matter as long as you are fine." Alexander glanced at the spilled liquid and said to the person waiting for orders at the door, "Call someone to clean up, and be careful."After a pause, he looked at Lily again. "Is there anything you need to take away before they clean this up?""Here." Lily held two small bottles in her hands, which seemed ready."Can we go then?"Lily nodded. She was already tired. After all, they had suffered all day, and experimenting for a long time was exhausting.The branch manager never expected Mr. Russell to come here. He neither inspected nor wanted them to report their work—instead, he only used the laboratory and left."If you don't like it, we don’t have to go back to the Lodge family residence today," Alexander said when he got into the car.They
“Okay.” Lily deepened her smile as she looked at her phone. It was irony mixed with a bit of sadness.This matter will soon have a conclusion. Then Lily's grandfather would be buried in peace. Everything should have an end, but ultimately, it was a matter of the Lodge family. It was impossible not to be sentimental as they were all from the Lodge family.The back of Lily’s hand felt warm. She looked down and noticed a big warm hand holding her petite hand. Alexander whispered, "Let's end this quickly. I'm sure that your grandfather also doesn't want to see the Lodge family tearing themselves apart."Yeah." Lily closed her eyes as she leaned on her husband. She needed a good rest as she knew there would be a disastrous situation when she got home....Soon the car drove back with the lobby brightly lit, but it did not feel welcoming. Instead, it made one feel indifferent.Lily and Alexander walked side by side into the house. Jonathan sat right in the middle. He raised his eyes and glan
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