“How long do we need to put on this show?” Stephanie asked, unable to tolerate it anymore.She felt terrible about her promise to perform an act with Derrick. She was not a good liar in the first place, but she had to deal with those who came to visit Derrick with ulterior motives from time to time. She had to watch their fake concern and listen to all those exaggerated compliments when they were here.She had never gone through this, but while Derrick was "ill and in the hospital," she saw many things she had never seen before. Initially, they would test the waters with caution, which turned into indifference gradually. Now, even her own niece was coming to seize power.“Joseph came over yesterday, didn’t he?” Derrick asked lightly, looking out the window. At the time, he was sleeping, but he vaguely heard voices outside the door. Stephanie probably stopped them at his door.Stephanie nodded. “Yeah. I told him you’re resting after getting a shot, and you’d be asleep for a while, s
Her husband’s words opened the floodgate of her memories.When Benedict was young, he was smart and talented. A sensible boy, he was eager to learn and possessed unique ideas for doing business. Although his opinions might not always be correct, he had his way of thinking and understanding. At that time, the family led a peaceful life, and Derrick loved the child and had high hopes for him. Later, when Benedict was around thirteen or fourteen years old and had entered the rebellious phase, the Tanner Corporation expanded rapidly, and its operations got busy. With Derrick hardly at home and herself not in good health, Stephanie could not cope with the disciplining of their son. It was during that period that Eloise visited their house the most often. Eloise always told Stephanie to rest and offered to help her with everything at home, even small things concerning their relatives. Benedict became closer to Eloise than to Stephanie. It was around this period that Benedict was s
Deep down, Derrick blamed himself for being too busy at the time. A father should play an essential role in guiding his son, but Derrick had failed in his duty, and he knew he could not put the blame wholly on another person. Stephanie, on the other hand, felt chills down her spine. She had treated Eloise like her own sister, but Eloise had maliciously led her son astray!“Then we should…”“Wait. The drama is coming to an end soon.” Derrick sighed and said as he quietly looked out the window at the setting sun.…When Arianna got home, she was surprised to see her father sitting in the living room, which he rarely did. With a curious frown, she walked over. “Dad, why are you here?”“Where else should I be? Anyway, I’ve tried to call you. Where were you?” Joseph asked angrily, “Don’t you know that the reporters have been all over your brother? Shouldn’t you be thinking of a solution? Where the h*ll did you go?”“I went to look for a solution!” Arianna handed her jacket to a hous
At that moment, Eloise came out from the kitchen and said, “Stop talking shop and come have your dinner.”After a hectic day, Joseph was both tired and hungry. He got up and went to sit at the dining table. As his wife sat beside him, however, he somehow thought about what Elizabeth had said. Joseph started to eat quietly without saying anything. After a while, Arianna came over after washing her hand, and the family of three ate in silence. It had been a long time since they had such a peaceful moment together. Although Joseph did not say it out loud, Elizabeth’s words kept bugging him, and he could not stop but throw a few glances at Eloise. Eloise felt them. However, since her husband said nothing, she simply feigned ignorance. When the other two were halfway eating, Eloise, who always ate little, got ready to leave, and Joseph stopped her despite himself. “El.”“Yes?” Eloise gracefully took a last sip of the bisque and put down her spoon. “I’m full.”“Don’t go yet and stay
“It’s true you’ve never said it, but that’s what you’re thinking!” Eloise angrily smashed a plate. “No wonder you looked at me funny when you came back. You were struggling to decide whether to ask me, weren’t you? Oh, Joseph, is this how you see me after we’ve been married all these years?"I've devoted my life to the Tanner family, and I kept quiet when you started keeping a mistress and bringing her son to run the show. Yes, I did complain about it once or twice, but how could you suspect me?”She sobbed as she spoke and swept the dishes off the table onto the floor. “Why? Do you want me to go to jail on your precious son’s behalf? Sure, why not? I know that model, and I conspired with her to frame your son and bring destruction to you, the Tanner Corporation, and our whole family, okay?”Judging from what she said and her tone, Joseph knew she only said it out of spite. He quickly tried to coax her. “Okay, I shouldn’t have asked you, all right? Look at yourself. Ari is still h
Compared to the Tanners, Lily had things going easy for her. She had decided to take the job for the themed series. Firstly, it’s the first order of her studio. Second, she wanted to get more things done now that she knew she wasn't pregnant so she could focus on raising the child once she did become pregnant. Seeing her get busier every day, Alexander felt happy for her. “You aren’t worried about the Perfumers’ Society at all, huh?” Although nothing would happen to her with him around, she looked as if she had forgotten all about it. He wondered what Noah Richards would think if he knew she didn’t care about his threat. “Well, there’s nothing to worry about right from the start,” she said while crouching in the yard trimming the plants. Among the raw materials, two pieces of wood devoid of any leaves or flowers appeared dead. She paid extra attention to these two seemingly useless pieces of wood. Every two or three days, she would water and fertilize them as if she wer
She wanted him to keep guessing. Taking a towel, Alexander walked over and wiped her sweat off. “Take a break and have some tea.”“Okay.” Wiping the sweat off her face, she moved to the shaded area under the pergola, where she felt soothed after taking a few sips of tea. “This weekend…”It was rare that Alexander would hesitate while talking to her. “Yes?” She raised her eyebrows and looked curiously at him. “This weekend, I’d like you to go somewhere with me.”Judging from his look of distaste, it must be a place that Alexander had to go to despite himself. Lily guessed there could only be one such place. “Go to the Russell family’s old house with you?” “You knew?” Surprised, he felt more relaxed now that she had said it aloud. “Yes, it won’t take too long, but we must go.”Lily thought for a moment. “Your youngest uncle is getting engaged?”Alexander snorted, seemingly disapproving of the way she addressed the man. “We’ll just be making our appearances. Anyway,
Although it was only one day, the wait for the lab report was so hard to endure that it seemed like a century to Damian.It was the same for Joseph, who was so restless that he kept getting up to look out of his office as he waited for the lab report. Although his son claimed nothing was wrong with the perfumes, he was still troubled by uncertainty.He has already sent someone to look for the perfumer. If the lab report indicated nothing was wrong with the perfumes, it would be great news to everyone, but if it did not, the perfumer had to be held responsible.Around lunchtime, Arianna knocked on his door with a document in a plastic bag. “Dad?”“So?” Joseph bolted to his feet and asked anxiously.Arianna looked conflicted as she turned to shut the door and went over to close the blinds. Seeing this, Joseph grew nervous. “Ari, what are you doing?”“Dad, you must prepare yourself for this.” She said quietly and handed the document over.“The report is out, but…”Joseph’s fingers
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