After rushing home, Elizabeth went berserk and began smashing and tearing everything in the house, including photos of her and Joseph.When Joseph entered the house, a mess met him. "Are you done?""No!" She howled hysterically and began to throw anything she could grab at him. "Get out! Get out! I don't want to see you!"Kicking away the trash on the ground, Joseph walked toward Elizabeth and stood there with a darkened expression. "I know you're angry that I embarrassed you in front of the media, but did you ever think of my reputation when you spoke?""How is it my fault?! How did I ruin your reputation? Did I scold you, trample all over you, or make you look bad in front of the reporters? Did you have to humiliate me like that in front of a crowd?!" Elizabeth trembled with anger. She never thought he would say such things in front of everyone."Yes, although you didn't scold me, you insinuated things." Joseph loosened his tie and crossed his arms angrily. "Did you forget where we w
Elizabeth pouted, shook Joseph’s arm, and said softly, “Joseph, I know I’m also at fault today. It was my first time going to the auction with you, and I got too excited. Besides, you’ve never taken me to those places before. I deserve forgiveness for my ignorance, don’t I? Forgive me just this once.”Joseph was still angry when he turned to look at her. Elizabeth was over forty years old, but her face remained beautiful. Her pitiful eyes made his heart soften again. He pinched her cheek, saying, “I’m helpless against you.”When Elizabeth heard his weak voice, she knew she had won him over again. She smiled sweetly, hugged his arm, nudged her face on his body, and said, “I know you’re the best! Let’s forget about what happened this time. You can’t blame me anymore!”“What should I do with you? Don’t be so unruly next time. You must be obedient and think before you speak!”Elizabeth nodded vigorously, “I’ll be obedient and listen to you. Joseph, that sapphire necklace…”“What’s wro
Meanwhile, at the Tanner family residence, Eloise sat down and held an exquisite velvet box. The sapphire necklace that caused a commotion in the auction lay inside the box. However, there was no joy on her face.Arianna returned home and saw her staring at the box in a daze. She took off her coat and walked over for a closer look. She praised it, “What a beautiful necklace! Mom, let me put it on you!”“I don’t want to wear it!” Eloise pushed Arianna’s hand away and sighed. After all, the necklace was not something Joseph had bought for her. He only brought it back because he needed to save his reputation. She knew what had happened at the auction. She disliked it even more because she knew the story behind it and felt depressed.Joseph treated her well in the eyes of the public. He spent 10 million dollars to purchase a necklace for her, but…“Regardless of dad’s sincerity, this necklace belongs to you now, Mom. I read the news about the auction too. Dad said it was for you in fro
”She’s just a person born into an ordinary family and had never known the life of the rich. Look at the things she bought with your father's card. A total nouveau riche. I'm not sure she’ll like this necklace. Then again, I suppose she’ll like it no matter what I choose. She can’t afford to covet my stuff, whether it's a necklace or a ring!”Arianna thought about it and agreed with her words. Every piece of her mother's jewelry was highly exquisite. This sapphire necklace was nothing special among the others."As for your father taking her to the auction, I... really haven't thought about it." Eloise tilted her head and used pruning shears to trim the branches. She looked unbothered. "I just donated something to the auction for charity. I’ve done a lot of charity over the years, but I never thought that one day, I’d be able to make use of it like this."A mocking smile appeared on her lips as she continued, "Since she insists on going, fine, let her go. I deliberately revealed the
She did intend to pursue him but had not found a suitable way to establish a relationship with Noah Richards. After all, building a relationship with the Richards family was not easy. “There’s a way, but it’ll take some effort.” Pausing, she looked at Arianna. “How’s the new project?”“That b*stard is in charge, and it’s got nothing much to do with me.” Arianna snorted. “Nothing to do with you? If he’s in charge, the more you’re connected to it. Whether he does well or not will greatly impact you.” Eloise took the sapphire from her. “Remember, what belongs to you will remain yours. No matter how often it changes hands, it’ll return to you in the end.” Eyeing the box in her mother’s hand, Ariana’s gaze became thoughtful. …The press conference held by La Beauté Group was, without a doubt, a success. There were no longer talks about the perfume being poisonous. Even if there were some related discussions online, they were all about refuting the rumors. At the same time, the e
“What?” Jenny and Olivia exchanged startled expressions and looked at her. “No way!”“It’s the truth!” With a sigh, Lily said defeatedly, “I took an exam when I started. I got the title of a perfumer, but I never passed the exam for the practicing certificate. The Perfumers’ Society came up with that certificate, and it was never needed on the international level.”The others were speechless. Jenny became thoughtful. “Well, it’s not needed internationally as there’s no such thing as a practicing certificate elsewhere. Still…you wouldn’t fail the exam, would you?”Jenny added, “Even the junior technician could get it, and you couldn’t?”Recalling how she used to make things difficult for Lily, Jenny realized she could have stopped her from joining the company if she had demanded the certificate right from the start. Thankfully, Jenny had not thought of it. Of course, who would have guessed that Lily would not possess the most basic thing? “Yeah, yeah, I have it, too!” Olivia
Olivia said, sighing, “You’re right, but the rules of the industry have always been so.”“Rules are made to be broken!” Lily straightened up and slammed her desk. “I never wanted to interfere with them, but if they want to get serious on this, I’ll fight back.”“But the company…” Jenny hesitated and shook her head. “Well, never mind. Mr. Russell will be on your side.”Lily shook her head. “No, this is my own doing. If it gets the company into trouble, I’ll quit.”She did not have much faith in herself before this, but after more than a year’s worth of experience, she fully believed she could create a product line of her own as she was good in perfumery.“You have my support, no matter what.” Jenny patted Lily’s shoulder.Olivia patted her other shoulder. “Yeah, mine too!”“Thank you, guys.” It was heartening to Lily to have their help and support. After all, that was what real friends were for.Meanwhile, Derrick felt better at the hospital and allowed Joseph to see him. Howeve
Derrick heaved a heavy sigh and looked out the window over his shoulder. “He’s a grownup now, and there’s no way I can keep him by my side. He has his way of thinking. Just let him be.”“No matter what, he should stay by your side now that you’re sick.”Before Joseph could continue, Derrick cut him off. “Forget it. If he doesn’t return, then so be it. I’ll just pretend I never had a son. I’m getting a bit tired, so you should leave.”Joseph wanted to say something, but Derrick had already closed his eyes, looking exhausted. The younger brother got up to say goodbye to Derrick and his wife. “I’ll visit some other day, okay? Don’t worry about the company. I’ll manage it well.” He paused and saw Derrick’s eyes still closed as if asleep.Stephanie wiped her tears and said, “I’ll see you off.”She followed Joseph out the door and stopped at the elevator. “I won’t go downstairs with you since your brother still needs me. I don’t know much about the business, so I’m counting on you guys
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