Last month, Derrick said he would be traveling for business. He was away for several days and had just returned. Was he gone again already? He had been going back and forth so frequently recently that Joseph had lost track of him. His current focus was on Damian, and he felt obligated to back him up. While Joseph still desired his mistress to join them, he had not made concrete plans for her. "Yes!" Arianna was surprised, "Didn't you know?" "How would I know? I haven’t seen him recently," Joseph lightly snorted, then asked, "By the way, do you know what Derrick has been busy with recently? Does the company have any major projects? Why is he always traveling?"The truth was that Joseph was entirely unsuitable for business. Despite his ambition, he was no match for Derrick in terms of capabilities. However, Benedict was Derrick’s only son and was not interested in doing business. Seeing there was hope, he wanted to take the Tanners’ property into his own hands so th
Arianna smiled and let go of her father’s arm. She picked up the glass on the table and took a sip. “Ah, that felt nice. By the way, dad, I've thought about the new project. It's not impossible to let Damian go. I'll find a way to talk to a few people and convince them to let him go. However, the person in charge earlier…” Before she could finish speaking, Joseph said impatiently, "I know. He’s called Nathaniel, right? I've been busy these days and haven't had time to ask you. Why did you invite him there? Do you know that he has a bad reputation? His previous company even went bankrupt."“I know. I wanted to understand the situation better, so I called him over. Ups and downs in the business field are inevitable, not to mention that he’s experienced and capable. He’s very familiar with the area. Well, let him be the deputy and help Damian a little bit. After all, I can't be by Damian's side all the time. What do you think?" She thought about it and made arrangements.After giv
"What? You gave him my seat?!" Nathaniel, who had just returned from out of town, heard the bad news once he entered the office."Why are you so anxious? It’s just a district manager position for that project. Is your vision that limited?" Arianna said coldly, anticipating his reaction."I've only been in this seat for a few days. What will others think of me if I give it up now? My dear sister, if you’re not even able to let me stay as the district manager, that means I’m nothing against that brat. Now I’m starting to doubt your ability." Pulling his tie, Nathaniel sneered. Arianna was not angry either. She replied calmly, "Don't you think this is a good opportunity to get rid of him?""What do you mean?" Nathaniel was still angry."Think about it. Why does Damian want to take this position?" Arianna revealed a mocking smile, "He wants to take credit! He knows very well that if he makes any achievements in the project, he will become a hero. Damian has my father’s support.“My
“We won’t need extra company if our team is sufficient to fight him.”“Henry also brought other people along? Who were they?”Nathaniel shook his head, "I don't know, but he did come prepared. I also inquired about it in detail; the entire Lodge family is now just a fake name. There are still a few good disciples, but others are not very good. Justin is busy with the company, so he’s probably gotten rusty in kickboxing. As for the other..."With a sneer, he did not continue to speak.Arianna naturally knew who he was talking about and laughed, "Why did you stop talking?""I've said everything I needed to say. I just want to have a good night's sleep and wait for tomorrow’s good news," he yawned. He just wanted to hang up the phone and go to bed."You said…" Her sudden words made him stop pressing the hang-up button for a moment, and then he heard her continue, "Everyone has their weaknesses. What about you? What are your weaknesses?"After two seconds of silence, Nathaniel repli
It was 9 am at the Lodge family’s residence main hall. It was a serious meeting. The elders from the branch families sat on either side of a conference table, with Jonathan at the chairman’s seat.Jonathan occasionally coughed while holding onto the wooden box that kept the most important thing in the family, the family seal.Lily had intentionally dressed in black, with a severe and gloomy expression. Jonathan looked at her and was still angry about what had happened yesterday. However, he was feeling slightly better as Alexander was not present today.‘This child is not easy to deal with at all! I should find a chance and banish Lily from the family as soon as possible,’ he thought. The people present grew restless since most of the family members were already present except for Henry and Justin. Someone finally could not wait any longer and asked Jonathan, “We’ve been waiting here for more than thirty minutes. Why are Henry and Justin still not here? So, are we supposed to keep
Lily knew who Jonathan meant by ‘outsider’ as he had always viewed Alexander as one. “What I want to announce today is very important to the Lodge family,” Jonathan started. Though he was not loud, he made sure everyone in the hall could hear him clearly, “Our family has more than a hundred years of history in Sapphine city. We have always done our part and respected the family's rules.“However, we did not expect my dear brother, Wilfred, to leave us so suddenly. His sudden passing is a great loss to our family, and we’re all very sad about it. Unfortunately, this was no mere accident. It was, in fact, a planned murder!” He looked at Lily as he finished his sentence. It was as if he was implying that she was the murderer. Since Jonathan was so crude with his statement, Lily did not shy away. She stood up and said, “Granduncle, I think you’re wrong.”“Oh?” Jonathan smirked coldly, “Do tell me what I said was wrong?”“You’re wrong about two things. Firstly, you said everyone
Lily sneered icily and asked, "How is that not my business? Just a short while ago, Granduncle said that since this was a meeting of the Lodge family, anyone outside the family had no business being present. If Grandpa already expelled you from the Lodge family, what gives you the right to be here?”“You’re not qualified to question my presence here!” Henry looked at Lily nastily.“You’re wrong. Not only do I have the right, but everyone here also has the right to question why you’re allowed to be here.” Lily did not back down and looked him in the eye. Henry started to counter, but Jonathan cleared his throat and said, “Lily, you’re right, but Henry isn’t wrong either. I’ve heard of what happened in the past, but we should let bygones be bygones. Besides, there shouldn’t be hatred that lasts forever between father and son.” “Furthermore, everyone knows that Henry was your grandfather’s favorite. He was blinded by anger when he banished Henry from the family, and we shouldn’t
Lily could already guess what was inside the envelope without even looking at it. It was a set up all along, and the contents provided the necessary evidence to support their claims.However, she decided to play along and opened the envelope. Sitting inside were two sets of reports. One was the autopsy report of her grandfather’s death which stated that the cause of death was heart failure due to toxicity. There was also a report detailing the candle she had created for her grandfather, with the contents that could cause heart failure highlighted in red. These two reports informed everyone in the room that Lily was the murderer! Many of those present looked distressed after reading the reports. They turned to gaze at Lily, their eyes filled with horror and disbelief.They had all seen her as the granddaughter of Wilfred. After both her parents passed away, Wilfred brought her back to the Lodge family, and she had grown up in that house. Lily was Wilfred’s flesh and blood. How co
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