‘He just had to praise my face, a replica of Heather’s. Does he like Heather, or is it me?’“You’re so beautiful, and I can’t stop looking at you! You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen!” Ralph said quickly, nodding fervently. He was trying to flatter her, but his words were true to a certain extent.‘Heather is indeed beautiful in a unique way. However, it was slightly exaggerated to say that no other woman could compare to her. Forget about other women and just take Alex’s wife as an example. She’s a true beauty and was born beautiful. Anyone would find her gorgeous at first sight. Her beauty isn’t the kind that would take anyone’s breath away, but one wouldn’t be able to avert their gaze from her. The more one looks at her, the more beautiful she is. However, she has nothing to do with me now that she’s married to Alex. What I want is the family’s wealth, not just merely a woman. This woman before me is different. She’s not only good-looking, but she could bring endless we
Their meal went by in a quiet and weird atmosphere. Ralph could not figure her out and could only speculate carefully based on his observations. Her attitude toward him told him she was fine but looked unhappy, although she said she had forgiven him.After the meal, Ralph tried to start a conversation. “Heather, do you like the bracelet?”“I li—” Hannah paused and gave it some thought. “It’s fine, I guess.”Initially, she wanted to say that she liked it, but it hit her that he bought the bracelet for Heather and not for her. Hence, it did not matter whether she liked the bracelet or hated it.“You don’t like it then?” He understood the underlying meaning behind her words instantly. ‘She doesn’t like the gift, but she still wears it, which shows her feelings for me. Mom was right. I should buy her something more expensive.’“What do you like? I’ll buy it for you,” Ralph offered proudly, and it made Hannah’s gaze brighten successfully, but the light in them slowly diminished again
‘In the past, Heather would ask me to pretend to be her and stayed in her office too, but I didn’t have to say much. Sometimes, I’d just put on a dark expression and it would scare those people away. Now she wanted me to pretend to be her completely out here, and I even have to deal with this man and say such strange things to him. I can’t take it anymore.’Ralph stared at Hannah with a probing gaze. When she thought that she was going to be exposed, she heard him say, “Sure! I think what you said makes sense!”‘Huh?’Hannah raised her head and looked at him in surprise. Then, he continued, “It’s right to be honest with each other in a marriage. With that being said, shouldn’t you be more honest with me too?”He stopped there, but his intention was clear as day. If she wanted to learn about his assets, she had to reveal hers. However, Hannah thought of something else. She understood nothing about assets, shares, and all those business jargon, but she understood the word “honest”.
“N-No, no, no. We’re not.” Hannah waved her hand and looked toward Ralph. “I don’t like diamond rings.”Her words stunned him, and after looking at her for a moment, he finally came to his senses. “Oh right! You practice kickboxing…” He paused and looked at the sales advisor before he agreed, “It’s indeed not that suitable.”“What about a necklace then? We can get a diamond necklace for you too.” he continued. The sales advisor was smiling from ear to ear. “We just received several diamond necklaces of the season and it fits your style well. Would you like to try it?”“I actually don’t like diamonds,” she whispered. To Hannah, diamonds were merely stones, and they held no value to her. In fact, she liked the pearl bracelet, but it made her uncomfortable wearing it because Ralph actually bought it for Heather, and not her.“What do you like then?” Ralph asked patiently.“I…” She did not know what she liked as well. Since she was younger, she did not have the right to choose
His gaze was so fiery that it seemed to warmed her ears. While covering her ears, she said, “Okay then. I’ll have them pierced!”Ralph grinned, delighted to hear that. “Heather, you’re the best!”Hannah just stayed silent as the sales advisor brought her to a small cubicle at the side. In that room, there was a tool that was specially used to pierce one’s ears. In fact, the whole process was quick and did not hurt as much as Hannah thought it would, but it still stung a little. It was hard for Ralph to believe that a woman who practiced kickboxing all year long and who was tougher than many men would be afraid of getting her ears pierced, as shown by the frown on her face. There was an indescribable sense of satisfaction in Ralph’s heart at the sight. Initially, he did not care about the type of earrings Hannah wanted to get, but the moment the sales advisor wanted to check out the item, he suddenly had an idea. If he managed to convince her to get her ears pierced, it meant that
“Annie?” Puzzled, Ralph repeated.“Yeah!” Afraid that he would be mistaken again, Hannah quickly explained, “When we go out on dates in the future, could you call me Annie?”“Is… Annie your nickname?” he asked while thinking, ‘This is weird. I’ve never heard that Heather had any nicknames in the past. Plus, where did that nickname come from?’She looked so excited, so Ralph just agreed to her request. “Sure.”His answer made Hannah happy, and her cheeks were red, but she thought of something suddenly. “Don’t call me Annie all the time too. I might not like it sometimes.”“Huh?” Ralph frowned. He was even more puzzled now. ‘What does she even mean?’Ralph knew that she had a weird temper, but he did not expect her to be this weird. She wanted him to address her as Annie sometimes only, and he had to call her something else on some other days.“Do you dislike… how weird I am?” Hannah asked cautiously. She did not want to do this, but her little secret would be exposed if he called
Hannah widened her eyes upon seeing the enlarged face in front of her. She felt scared, nervous, and ashamed the first time he kissed her, but she was feeling something else this time.It was not the first time he kissed her now. This time, he was gentle and cautious, sucking on her lips gently. It was a weird feeling for her.No one had ever done this to her in her life. Forget about getting kissed, but no one had ever held her hand or even hugged her. The strange yet familiar man was doing something intimate and felt weird to her, but she did not want to push him away.Ralph just wanted to test the waters. After all, he did not get a good experience the first time he kissed her. Sensing that she did not resist and accepted him obediently, he became bolder and slid his tongue over.Hannah was taken aback as she did not expect him to do this. She kept her teeth clenched, unwilling to open up due to her fear and nervousness.On the other hand, Ralph was a veteran of this. He caress
She broke free from his embrace and her expression darkened. There was a hint of indifference in her gaze too. “It’s getting late so I’ll get going now.”“What?” Ralph was taken aback. He wanted to invite her to watch a movie together, and he had a lot of moves planned to win her over. He did not understand why she wanted to leave all of sudden. Everything was still going perfectly well earlier.Puzzled, he watched as she got ready to leave. Before she could walk far, he held her hand, “Heather…”He paused, then corrected himself, “Annie, tell me what’s wrong. I want to hear it from you. You’re passionate one moment, then cold the next. It’s driving me crazy…”Hannah turned around and faced him, then lowered her gaze at their joined hands, hesitant to speak. “Annie, tell me honestly about what you’re dissatisfied with me. I don’t know what to do when you’re like this. I don’t know what I should do to make you happy.”Anxiety was written all over his face while his gaze held si
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