“You’re just jealous!” Lisa ignored Noah’s explanation. “I think you’re all just a bunch of losers from Hyderland. The only one that’s genuinely talented and capable is Lily!”“Lisa.” Lily thought this was just plain arrogance. There were still some talented perfumers from Hyderland, and Lisa had just offended all of them with what she had just said. “Lily! I’m just saying what’s on my mind,” Lisa pulled Lily’s sleeve and remarked.It resulted in Noah smirking coldly. “I can assure you, Lily is not the only talented perfumer from Hyderland. Miss Parker, I’m sure your father would disagree with you!” Noah would have already taught Lisa a lesson if it were not for her father.“It’s pointless to argue over here. Noah, it’s true that I don’t own the license you’re referring to, and I won’t even try to get it,” Lily stood tall and continued, “Studying perfumes and making them was merely a hobby of mine. I’m willing to do it, and no one can stop me.“It isn’t up to you to tell me wheth
Since that day, Noah had remembered her name. First, he did it because he wanted to compete with her to see who was better, and secondly, he wanted to invite someone with her talent to the society. So, if she did win anything in the future, part of it would still be to the society’s credit. Little did he know that such a gentle-looking girl could be so difficult to deal with. He could not even manage to make her stay in Kingsland. Moreover, there was Alexander Russell and the La Beaute Group to back her. He needed to put in a little more effort if he wanted to deal with her once and for all. “It happened only once, and you’re already showing off?” Noah gritted his teeth as he snapped at her, trying his best to save what was left of his pride. “I agree. There’s nothing to be proud of about beating you,” Lily consented, “However, I’d like to give you a word of advice. You shouldn’t be so narrow-minded as a perfumer. Instead of trying to compete with a woman like me who doesn’t even
That evening, when Lily came out of her office after packing her things, she saw Alexander’s car outside. “Didn’t I tell you that you didn’t have to pick me up?” She sighed in defeat. Lily had driven here, but since he was here to pick her up, her car had to stay in the parking lot again. “I wasn’t busy today,” he replied while leaning against the car door. The setting sun shone on him, tracing his silhouette with a golden lining, and he looked like he was glowing. He opened the passenger seat door when he saw her getting close, helped her in, and then went back to his side to enter the vehicle. “Edward’s not here again?” Lily noticed that she had been seeing Edward less recently and that Alexander had been driving more often. “Isn’t it better to spend our time privately?” He said while fastening his seat belt, “Besides, we should also give him some time to spend with Olivia, no?” Lily could not help but smile as she thought of Edward and Olivia. “Right, I woul
“Why? Can’t we be here to shop?” Alexander glanced at Lily as he drove into the underground parking space.Lily was rendered speechless. They could do that, but it was just that it was rare for them to shop together. They could not do this when they first got together because they had to stay out of the public eye. Later, they were both too preoccupied with their own work, making it difficult for them to spend this kind of free time together.‘Why is he bringing me shopping out of the blue?’Alexander parked the car and turned the engine off, but he was not in a hurry to get down. Instead, he turned to look at Lily and said thoughtfully, “There’s something I want to discuss with you.”“What is it?”He lowered his gaze for a moment, and when he looked up again, he said, “Let’s get married!”Lily was stunned. Her eyes widened, and she could not return to her senses for a moment. “You’re so silly! We’ve already registered our marriage!”“That’s not what I’m talking about. I meant t
Alexander first took Lily to pick a diamond ring, which he had pre-arranged because a sales advisor brought them to the VIP room as soon as they arrived. Then two more sales advisors brought two trays into the room, each with dozens of diamond rings.“Mr. and Mrs. Russell, you may choose a ring from here.”The numerous diamond rings blinded Lily as she glanced at Alexander sideways. Under the bright lights, those stones shone brightly, and each of them was dazzling.“You can choose. I told the salespeople to reserve the latest and most unique ones, but I didn’t decide on the ring for you.”Lily’s gaze swept across the rings. Most had similar designs, except for minor differences in the diamonds’ sizes.“Mrs. Russell, you have slender fingers and fair skin. This pink diamond ring would look good on you.” One of the sales advisors squatted before the couple and recommended, “This pink diamond ring is the latest collection this year, and its craftsmanship is exceptional. The clarity
No one had ever said such a thing, and it stunned the sales advisors. They were at a loss for words, not knowing how to respond to Lily.Upon seeing the two sales advisors meet gazes and looking disappointed, Lily knew they wanted to seal a huge deal. She smiled, saying, “I’ll get this diamond ring, but do you have wedding bands? Mr. Russell and I would like to see what you have.”“Yes, we do!” The sales advisors returned to their senses and got up to their feet to retrieve the wedding bands.“Won’t you consider buying a bigger one?” When Lily spoke earlier, Alexander listened and did not interrupt because he fully respected her decision. When the two sales advisors left, he tucked Lily’s hair behind her ear and explained, “They’re right. The bigger the diamond, the better its preserved value. What about I buy a few more for you to play around with?”Lily rolled her eyes, knowing there was more humor to his words than truth. She could not help but complain, “What’s the point of me
Lily lowered her gaze to look at the ring on her finger. It was magical how such a small band that encircled her finger seemed to do the same to her heart. She used her finger to rub the ring lightly, then looked up at Alexander, smiling. “I like it.”After deciding on the rings, the two got up and headed out of the VIP room. The sales advisor had already taken Alexander’s card to check out the rings while Alexander was on his phone, talking business. Other customers looked at jewelry in the store, and Lily left first.“Mom, I think this looks good. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a jade ring. Diamond rings are fine too.”“You youngsters know nothing about rings. Gold is valuable, and jade is priceless. No matter how expensive diamond rings are, how could they compare to jades?” The old lady sounded displeased. Lily did not listen in on their conversation, but they captured her attention because what they said was too surprising.The jewelry store only sold diamond rings. For t
“Hey,” Alexander’s grandmother, Margaret, snorted, but she looked past him and stared at Lily. “Aren’t you going to introduce her to me?”“Grandma, you’ll get to know her on our wedding day.” After a pause, he continued, “Plus, you can find out about everything. I’m sure you knew who she was long ago, so I don’t need to introduce her to you, right?”“You!” Margaret gritted her teeth as her gaze turned fierce. Lily was speechless upon seeing that.Although she could not hear their conversation, she could see that Margaret’s gaze changed after listening to Alexander’s words. From Margaret’s expression, Lily could tell that the old lady disliked or loathed her.“Alex, how could you say that to your grandma? She’s just concerned about you.” Alexander’s aunt, Celine Russell, tried to reprimand him more calmly. “Also, when are you getting married? When was it decided? Have you decided on the date? Why haven’t we heard anything about it?”Alexander looked at Celine and smiled. “Aunt Celi
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