“Dad, I really can’t leave now! The reporters are out there, and people are watching me everywhere! Someone will follow me out of here as soon as I do!" Damian said, trembling. Joseph was enraged, but he agreed with Damian's logic. At first, this incident alone was enough to get media attention, but he even made a scene at the hospital. Now, all the reporters and paparazzi were probably watching Damian’s every move, waiting to catch his faults.“Okay then. Just stay at your mom’s place for the time being. I’ll head over there right now. Remember not to leave the house or show up in public. Don’t answer anyone’s phone calls, either. You know nothing about this matter and must wait for the company to settle this issue. Do you understand me?” Joseph asked sternly.Damian was trembling in fear and had no plans whatsoever now. He just nodded his head fervently. “I got it. I got it.”After hanging up, Joseph picked up his blazer and was about to leave the house. His action made Eloise s
"Dad, I've given this some thought, and I can't be blamed. I have no idea who I offended, and that woman, Naomi, was trying to scam me!” Damian cried. After wiping away his tears, he continued. “All of them set me up for this!”Joseph said, waving his hand, “That’s enough. Naomi's allergies were obvious, and they couldn't be faked. I also saw the photos and videos, and I can tell you those are real. There’s even the report from the hospital…”“Maybe it’s all part of her plan!” Damian interjected hastily. “She added an allergen to the perfume just to frame me!”Joseph threw him a glance and took a seat on the couch. “Why would she do that to you? Do you have beef with her? Have you wronged her?”Damian shook his head. This was something he could not wrap his head around either. “Although I don’t know the reason, I’m sure she framed me! It’s impossible for there to be any problem with the perfume. That, I can assure you.” He had personally supervised the entire production process o
“Okay. I trust you too!” Joseph nodded. “Think about it carefully. Did she hold a grudge against you because you made a mistake when discussing the endorsement with her? For example, you refused to meet some of her requirements, or she was dissatisfied with the fee paid to her."Joseph pondered it, ‘Could it be that something went wrong during their discussion, and it wasn’t rectified in time because he thought it wasn’t a big deal? Could they be taking revenge on him because of that?’“No,” Damian recalled the meeting and shook his head. “It was a pleasant discussion. She said nothing about the endorsement fees and quickly agreed to be our model. During the shoot, everything went well too. She had never requested anything and cooperated well with our team.”Since things were going swimmingly, Damian didn't give it much thought, much less anticipate that it would deal him a fatal blow.“That’s weird.” Elizabeth, who was listening in on their conversation, straightened her back. “
Elizabeth was displeased by Joseph’s words, thinking he was protecting Eloise. “How is that impossible? You’re training Damian to be the successor of the company these days. She could be jealous and hold a grudge against Damian and is plotting something to destroy us! She and that model are both in the same line of work. Don’t you forget that!”The more Elizabeth explained, the more she was convinced by her own assumptions. Then she pulled Damian into her arms and began to wail again. “We’re so miserable! My son, you’re finally going to succeed, but I can’t believe someone tried to stop you by doing all these…”“That’s enough. Stop overthinking! Eloise is not that kind of person!” Joseph rebuked, then continued after taking a breath, “She’s concerned about the bigger picture. This isn’t just about the jealousy both of you feel but involves the entire Tanner Corporation. What good would she gain out of destroying the company? Do you think she’s that dumb?”Elizabeth was stunned by hi
However, something would eventually break this place's peacefulness and tranquility.“Aunt Stephanie.” Arianna greeted. She was standing by the door, her hand holding tight onto a folder. Stephanie nodded. “Ari, I know you’re here to visit your uncle, but he’s not able to meet guests right now.”“I don’t want to disturb Uncle Derrick either, but something happened in the company, and I must ask him for advice. Also…” Arianna lowered her head and smiled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m not a guest!”“That’s…”While Stephanie was hesitating, a cough came from within the room, followed by phlegm spitting and Derrick’s voice. “Is… that Ari? Let her in.”Stephanie moved to the side, but she was now looking at Arianna, feeling conflicted. On the other hand, Arianna was happy when she got Derrick’s permission to enter his hospital ward. She did so with a smile on her face.The ward was clean, and there were fresh flowers in a vase on one of the shelves. A faint scent of flowers wa
It was evident that Arianna was flustered. “N-Nothing! I meant Benedict had not been around recently, so I’ll be your daughter for the time being. I’ll take his place. No! I’ll take good care of you!”Anyone could tell something amiss from her guilty and anxious expression, let alone someone like Derrick. He was just sick, not out of his mind, so he held her wrist firmly. “That doesn’t sound right! Are you guys hiding something from me? What is it? Steph?” He turned to look at his wife and called her name sternly.Stephanie bit her lower lip and just let her tears fall. She said nothing. Since he could not get an answer from his wife, he turned back to look at Arianna, who was right in front of him. “Ari, tell me! I’ve always doted on you and treated you as my daughter! Tell me what happened to Benny!”“Uncle Derrick, please don’t ask about that anymore. You should take care of your health first!”Derrick used another hand to hit the bed repeatedly. “Are you guys trying to piss m
Thud! He fell back onto the bed heavily.“Uncle Derrick!” Arianna exclaimed.Stephanie rushed forward, exclaiming frantically, “Derrick?! Derrick! Doctor! Call the doctor!”In a panic, she pressed the emergency buzzer by the bed, and soon, a doctor and a few nurses rushed in, kicking the rest out. Then they began with their emergency procedures.Stephanie stood outside the door and appeared to have aged rapidly. She looked lifeless while her tears fell like a broken pearl necklace.She was not in good health in the first place, and now she looked like she would collapse at any minute. Arianna did not leave and stood by her side, passing her a tissue. “Aunt Stephanie, don’t be too upset. I’m sure Uncle Derrick will be fine.”Stephanie refused to take the tissue from Arianna but suddenly raised her head, staring at the latter with resentment and anger. “Ari, why did you say something like that? Don’t you know that you can’t stir up your uncle’s emotions, especially right now?”“Au
Stephanie was furious and pointed toward the hospital ward. "Your uncle is still under emergency procedures, and we're unsure what will happen to him next, yet you're already rushing to seize control of the company? Ari, you’re not our daughter, but we've watched you grow up. Don’t you have the slightest bit of respect for your uncle? You can wait to do this later, can’t you?”“The company’s the one that can’t wait any longer, not me.” Sighing, Arianna put the papers back into the folder. “Aunt Stephanie, you don’t work for the company, so you might be unclear about the things going on there. Now that the company is in such a dire situation, I want to get through it as quickly as possible, but... I can’t make any decisions when I lack the authority to do so. I can wait, but I may not be the only one to disturb Uncle Derrick then. “Rather than having that happen, why don’t you let me handle this? You and Uncle Derrick watched me grow up, so how could I not look after you two? Don’t w
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