“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
After a while, Lily moved and put her hand on his, holding it to give him some warmth. Alexander turned to look at her, shaking his head as he told her that he was fine. “I know you’re fine. I just felt like holding your hand,” Lily chuckled. He held her hand too, feeling his frustration subdued by a whole lot. His head was leaned against the headrest, and he stayed silent for a moment before starting, “Don’t worry. I won’t let them hurt you.”“Them?” Lily thought for a while and realized who he was referring to. Nodding her head, she said, “I trust you.”She understood little about the Russell family. To be more specific, outsiders and the media were unable to report on the Russell family's issues in detail. Something seemed to be shrouding the big family, and outsiders had no way to see what was happening on the inside.What Lily knew was that Alexander was the fourth child among his siblings, which was why Brandon called him “Fourth Russell.” Although he was the fourth child,
It seemed that Alexander honestly did not care much about the other members of the Russell family. Since he said that, she would just follow suit. “Great, the both of us can make the decisions on our own then.”Alexander was somewhat surprised by her reaction. “I thought you’d convince me to mend my relationship with them and tell me they’re still my family no matter what.”After all, too many people had said similar things to Alexander in the past. His so-called relatives and friends had been persuading him to do that ever since he was a young child. They thought they were helping him with his troubles, always telling him that blood was thicker than water and that he should reconcile with the other Russells. They would also tell him that they were still his elders and his family, so he should understand and forgive them.Hence, he was ready for Lily to convince him to do the same and said they needed his family's blessings for their wedding. However, she said nothing of such at all
“Mr. Tanner, you have an important meeting tomorrow. Why don't we postpone the celebration party until tomorrow’s meeting…"Damian had personally picked this assistant among the other interns. After bringing it up to Arianna, she immediately assigned the person to him.It was part of his master plan. He wanted to promote some interns and keep them by his side, which was his way of priming them. Then he would slowly replace those in high positions when the power shift inevitably happened.He knew how it worked in a world ruled by hierarchy, so this was his preparation in advance. Damian wanted to get a few henchmen and kick out the old hags. Besides his new assistant, he had also reached out to a few other interns. Once he did that, he would host a celebration party and get his assistant to call them."What are we waiting for? Are you worried someone will snatch our trophy?" Damian patted his assistant’s shoulder and continued, "Can't you see how smooth sailing everything is right n
Upon saying this, he caught a glimpse of Arianna's face and stopped. "Does he think victory is within grasp?""Enough about him. Look at yourself. Do you think victory is within grasp for you?" Arianna immediately pulled the topic back. "Don't say I didn't remind you. Be it the media or the paparazzi, you have to keep an eye on them.“Ensure they don't make a fool out of you at the last second. Also, clean up after yourself, or you might get caught.""There's nothing to worry about," Nathaniel said with a frown. After eating the fruit, he clapped his hand and put the fork down. "That idi*t is so full of himself that he promoted a few new interns in the company. Damian is trying to create a clique for himself. He's so naive; it's ridiculous.""It's rare for him to have such an idea in the first place. He knows he will never be qualified enough to win over the old-timers’ employees’ hearts. That’s why his only way will be through promoting and cultivating a new group of people to be
It was nightfall at the largest nightclub in the city. Ryo Nightclub had the fanciest private rooms, was the most well-equipped, and had the best service. It was also the highest-priced club around. However, money was nothing to Damian right now.He booked a large private room and invited his so-called confidantes. The table was full of various types of alcohol, as if he did not want anyone to go home sober."I invited everyone to this party tonight to relax and to cheer everyone up. We have a bright future ahead, and I hope we will continue working together until the end. In the future, our products will go viral and sell out!"Damian raised his glass for a toast and proudly said, "Everyone has worked hard. Let me give you all a toast!""Thank you, Mr. Tanner!" Everyone cheered in unison as they raised their heads and drank together.At this time, someone said, "Hey, why are we still calling him 'Mr. Tanner?' Soon, he will be President Tanner! Hahaha!"Hearing this, everyone bro
"Um…okay then." Damian's assistant then went to call Naomi again. Damian assumed that it was just one of those tricks that celebrities pulled. To him, they were just trying to extort more money from him. Nobody was out of his reach as long as he paid them. He sat down and had a few more drinks before his assistant returned a short while later. The assistant had Damian’s phone with him this time and handed it over. "Mr. Tanner, I don't think she's giving an excuse. I told her what you said, and she sent this over." The assistant positioned the phone nearer to Damian's face as he spoke.When Damian saw the photo, he almost dropped the glass in his hand. "What the hell?!" Naomi had sent him a picture with the message, "I had an allergic reaction. I'm in the hospital now. If you don't believe me, here's a picture of my face for you."Although only half of her face was in the photo, she was flushed and covered in pimples. It was a terrifying sight. It was no wonder Damian almost d
This was the truth. It was as if the stars had aligned for Eloise to meet Naomi again.This all stemmed from Damian's idea of hiring famous models to endorse his product. Although it was the correct decision, he appeared to have ignored the budget. If everything was as simple as he thought, why would they need him in the first place? Anyone in the company could have done the same thing. Budgetary restrictions existed, but Damian also desired to expand his business into international markets. As a result, all of his costs were cut. Even the endorsement fees were reduced one by one.However, he was adamant that in this industry, networking was more crucial than anything else and that the "friends" he made were reputable connections. He was quickly convinced after a quick resume check. Although the proposed price was lower than the going market rate, he did not suspect anything. He had no idea about Naomi's friendship with Eloise either.Seeing her sad look, Naomi was silent for a
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