“Enough!” Heather slammed her fists onto the table. Hannah was shocked and started trembling.“Look at you. We don’t resemble each other at all! Stop shaking!” Heather demanded. She wanted to kick her sister so badly. “Are you afraid of me? Genuinely afraid of me?”“Y-Yes, I am,” Hannah said in a nervous and small voice.“You’re afraid, huh?!” Heather smirked coldly. “If you’re terrified of me, then you wouldn’t have gotten your ears pierced without my permission!”Heather also had to get her ears pierced because of Hannah’s selfish desires. Heather had never wanted to change anything on her body and especially hated tattoos and piercings. Training to excel in kickboxing was already tiring and painful, so why would anyone do that to their body?Moreover, having pierced ears would only give Heather’s enemy’s another opportunity to hurt her. Imagine if she was fighting someone and the person took a chance to pull at her earrings. It would cause severe damage. Heather did not want to
“I-I understand,” Hannah answered in a small voice without looking up, “I’m sorry, I won’t repeat this.”Heather was satisfied with Hannah’s attitude and nodded. “Okay. Remember, your body isn’t yours but mine. No matter what you plan to do with it, you must discuss it with me first. Make sure you take good care of your body, too, okay?”“Okay,” Hannah replied.Heather smiled in satisfaction, “Go and get someone to apply some medicine for you. Remember to eat well too. You’ve lost too much weight.”“Yes,” Hannah replied and walked toward her room in the basement. Her small room was the only place where she felt safe.“Right, I’ll be moving into the Russell family’s house from tonight onward. You’ll stay here. Ensure you don’t walk around so the others won’t see you, okay?” Heather called out to Hannah and told her about her plans.Instead of nodding in acknowledgment, Hannah turned around and looked at Heather. “You’re moving in with him?”“What’s wrong?” Heather raised an eyebr
Meanwhile, Alexander did not sit idly by either since he needed to determine Heather’s intentions and the secret his grandfather wanted to discuss before passing away—the Russel family’s secret.Moreover, the Riggs family was most likely the one that had sent the Light-Shadow Killers to the Russell family’s house. However, he was still unsure what they intended to accomplish and whether or not they were planning to harm Lily. Alexander did not know what was happening but was determined to nip everything in the bud.Lily was unaware of these things and had much time on her hands lately. Aside from tending to her garden and caring for herself, she could only focus on caring for her unborn child.She had not been to her lab for a long time, but Olivia occasionally sent her updates about her perfumes. Olivia had succeeded in developing two new formulas and wanted to ask Lily for some opinions. Lily was impressed with Olivia’s progress, as the formulas looked good.To Lily’s delight, an
However, it seemed like her father was right. “Of course, I love the gifts you’ve given me too. I love everything!” Lily knew that Lisa was joking, so she said smilingly, “Come over here and have a seat. What would you like to drink? How about some juice and coffee?” Lily suggested, then told Nick, "Since you have allergies, you need to tell me what foods you can't eat so that I can make sure that they aren’t added to our meals."“Okay, thank you,” Nick said politely. “I’m surprised that you brought Nick along,” Lily said.“Well, I had no other choice. His dad had something to do, so he asked if I could babysit Nick for a day.” Lisa sighed in defeat. She and Nick actually got along great, especially after what transpired at Westwood the last time. Lisa felt sorry for the boy and occasionally called to check in on him. For this reason, Mike sometimes asked her if Lisa could watch Nick for a day or two. In return, Mike would share his business resources and connections with
“Still, it’ll be interesting!” Lisa was also interested now. Two hands, one adult-sized and the other small, reached out toward her tummy. Lily sat there speechless. She could not just move out of their reach, after all. At that moment, Lily’s phone rang, and it was the perfect excuse to get away from them. “I need to take this.” Lisa and Nick both felt disappointed because they could not feel the infant. The caller was none other than Alexander. He was curious about how Lily was doing and wanted to know if she was resting well. "Do you have guests over?" he asked.Ever since Lily got pregnant, Alexander made sure to strengthen the security at home. He was also very strict with who was allowed into their residence. As a result, he was aware of visitors at the house. “Yeah, Lisa’s here, and she brought many gifts, too,” Lily replied as she glanced in Lisa’s direction. While Lisa sat back and enjoyed the fruits laid out for her, Nick sat bolt upright, clearly still
Ralph was startled but quickly recovered when he recalled her snuggling up to him like an innocent girl. He disregarded it and said, “Okay, fine. I know you don’t mean anything by your actions and aren’t an easy girl. Look, we’re getting married soon. Shouldn’t we get acquainted with one another before? We’ll soon be husband and wife, and when that happens, we’d naturally have intimacy between husband and wife…”While speaking, he got to his feet and moved toward her, opening his arms for a hug.Just as he was about to touch her, she lifted her foot and stepped against his chest to block him from getting closer.Heather crossed her arms and stared coldly at him. “Ralph, this is my last warning. If you come close to me again and try to do anything, I’ll kick you out!”“What’s wrong with you, Heather? Weren’t we fine before? You used to like my kisses a lot. You…”“Shut up!”She balanced herself while bending her knees and kicked Ralph forcefully. Ralph flew backward and hit the
Margaret was downstairs eating snacks and could roughly guess Heather had rejected her son again when she saw him dejectedly coming down. She glanced upstairs and said softly, “Is Heather staying over there?”"Yeah.""So, she isn’t staying in the same room as you?""Yeah. Huh?" Ralph looked up in surprise. He frowned and looked at Margaret, "Mom, how can you make fun of me too?!""Silly boy, I’m not making fun of you. I'm helping you find a way to get closer to her." She slowly took a bite of the peach cakes before unhurriedly replying, "You said before that you have managed to capture Ms. Riggs’s heart. I honestly thought you were competent.“You have been to many romantic and debauchery places and have been in a relationship with many women before. How come you can’t even handle what you’re best at? Look at yourself. Even if you obtained the Russell family in the future, can you manage it well?" Margaret sighed.She could not help feeling a little helpless at her son's uselessn
He felt Heather had a bizarre temperament after being around her over the past few days. One minute she was cold toward him, and the next, she was gentle before turning furious, then back into a timidly adorable girl. Ralph thought that he might develop schizophrenia if he continued being with her.Margaret knew who her son referred to and said, “Aren’t all women like that? Did you just find out today?""Still, she's too emotional. I-It’s like I’m seeing two different people!""That may be because she isn’t an ordinary person. Rumor has it that Heather is moody, and I’ve seen it too. If it weren’t for the Riggs family's background and Alexander being the head of the family instead of you, I wouldn’t have agreed to this marriage.“I can't stand such a woman entering the family as a daughter-in-law!" Margaret shook her head, lightly dusted off her hands, and took another sip from her teacup.After a moment of silence, she continued, "There’s no need for you to panic. She’s willing t
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