After returning to his senses, he nodded hurriedly. "Yes! Of course! Who dares to touch my woman like that? Once you tell me who he is, I'll tie him up and cut him into a million pieces until you're satisfied!""It's Alexander," She said lightly as she licked the blood from the corner of her lower lips."So, it's him. That cowardโฆ" Excitedly rambling on to express his sincerity in assisting her, Ralph did not realize he had missed the name she had said until he was halfway through. "Who did you say it was?" He thought that he had misheard."Alexander, your wonderful nephew! What's wrong? Are you reluctant now?" With her arms crossed and her gaze fixed on him, Heather questioned him calmly as if to test his sincerity. "It appears that what you just said was a lie. It's normal for men to lie, but I thought you were different. It turns out you're just like them. Forget it. I thought too highly of you!" She sighed, lowered her arms, and stood up."Wait, no, that's not what I meantโฆ
"Answer my question!" Heather snapped impatiently. She did not want to beat around the bush any longer.Seeing how she was losing her temper, Alexander quickly answered, "I'm just concerned about you! Alexander was sent somewhere to pick up some self-defense skills when he was younger. โI have no idea where he went, but my father sent him there. He was probably only around seven or eight years old back then. I don't quite remember. However, don't worry. Nothing he learned was authentic. I don't even think itโs considered kickboxing. He can't compete with you.โDid he use hidden weapons or pull some tricks out of his sleeve to hurt you? Otherwise, there's no way he could win a fight against you!" Ralph felt that Alexander's victory over Heather was improbable. After all, Heather was a serious and well-known kickboxer from a long line of kickboxers. If that kid, Alexander, could easily hurt her like this, it would not be impossible for Ralph to hold her down.His mind began to tur
She was a little too moody! One instant, she would be conversing and laughing softly with him, and the next, she could turn around and snap his neck. He could not bear to remain with such a woman. "When have I offended you?" Ralph asked as he blew on his fingers. "Okay, if Alexander hurt you, I mean, if it were him, I'd accept all the anger you've thrown at me. I can't choose who my nephew is. No matter what heโs done, heโs still my nephew at the end of the day. I'll just apologize to you on his behalf.โHowever, Heather, weโre still to be married at the end of the day. We're a family. Alexander and I have never gotten along with each other. Could it be that he came to you for trouble because of me? Could it be that he threatened you because of me?" He was trying to reason with himself about Heather's anger. If Alexander really injured her, Ralph wanted to know why Alexander hurt her and why he came over. Could it be thatโฆA thought flashed across Ralph's mind, and he said, "He
When Alexander received the call from Margaret, he was in a meeting at the company. He needed to report on establishing new projects and expansion ideas overseas. Initially, he did not want to answer the call, but as he used his phone to read the data analysis, he had no choice.After declining the call, he quickly summed up his meeting and returned to the office to call her back. On the phone, the old lady sounded aggressive. "Where are you now?""I'm in the company."It seemed like Margaret was in a bad mood. "Come back right away!""You mean, now?""Yes, now!" After a pause, she said again, "Bring your wife with you!"Before Alexander could refuse, Margaret immediately said, "If you don't bring her, I'll send someone to pick her up myself! Is she unable to leave the house now that she's pregnant? As your grandmother, I don't even get to meet her at least once?"Alexander kept quiet for a moment and pursed his lips. He did not want to argue with her on the phone. "Got it."He
The walking stick Margaret held was drilling into the ground, showing her anger. "Is she hurt?"Alexander knew his limits, so he calculated each of his moves. Initially, that fight would never have hurt Heather. However, she had her pride, so she used all her killer moves to try and beat him. It was inevitable for him to respond and fight back. His moves were a little heavier than anticipated. Thus, he expected that she might get hurt.'Did she go around complaining to people?'It was a little out of character for someone as strong as her to do such a thing. Was this her way to get the Russells to put pressure on Alexander?"She was so badly injured that she vomited blood!" Ralph roared. Then he turned to look at Margaret. "Mom, you didnโt see how messy her house was when I arrived. The tables were upside down, and the blood Heather vomited formed a small puddle on the floor.โShe's still recovering from her injuries now. I'm afraid she would have died if she didn't learn kickboxi
Now, it was Ralph's turn to be at a loss for words.It was true; there would always be winners and losers when it came to sparring, and it was common for the fighters to get injured. It was also true that Heather was indeed not a feeble woman. Even as Ralph said it just now, he felt a pang of guilt in his chest.His words were unjustified in the first place, but after Alexander's rebuttal, Ralph was stunned.On the other hand, Celine, who had been quietly sipping tea and watching the whole thing, calmly said, "Alex, you're right. Although it was just a sparring session, why would Heather want to spar with you? Besides, when did you get so good at kickboxing? As an aunt, a mother, and a grandmother, I have never heard about it."Her words seemed to have enlightened Ralph, and he immediately returned to his senses. "Yes! Exactly! When did you learn how to kickbox like that? What are you trying to prove here?""Grandpa took me to classes when I was younger. It wasn't a secret, but no
โEnough!" Alexander suddenly yelled. His voice echoed in the room, startling Margaret, who immediately stopped crying. She looked at him with wide eyes, not knowing why he had suddenly gotten angry. Alexander had always been a firm person, but for the sake of his grandfather and seeing how they were his elders, he had always been more lenient on them. However, they were going overboard. While changing the policies in recent years, Alexander had quietly kicked out all the moles in the company. He had not planned on kicking Ralph out if the latter had been honest with his work. However, Ralph was cunning. His greed for personal gain was too strong, and it did not take him long to get into trouble as he managed a branch. Hence, he could only be booted out. Now, he was just a tiny shareholder who did nothing and got a small share of the bonuses. This caused a lot of dissatisfaction in the family. They could only rely on their status as elders to talk to Alexander. "As a descend
His threatening aura was so overpowering that it frightened the others, causing them to freeze on the spot.Not long after he left, Margaret returned to her senses and howled, "Where have I gone wrong?!" "Mom, don't cry! He's just an ungrateful child, and you know that. He doesnโt even look like a Russell! He's always been so distant from us! โI've said since the beginning that this family could not be handed over to him, but Dad wouldn't listen! Look at him now! He doesn't even care about you!" Every single word Ralph uttered struck Margaret's heart like an arrow. She hated it, but there was nothing she could do.When Hugo was still alive, they argued about this many times. She wanted to entrust the family to their youngest son. There was no reason for Hugo to skip his son and give it directly to their grandson. However, Hugo was stubborn. After all, he was the head of the household. Once he had decided that Alexander would take over, he kept his promise until his deathbed,
Lily tilted her head up to fight back her tears, saying, โThereโs something I find strange.โโWhat is it?โ Mike asked after comforting his son.โInstead of detaining Prince Ross, Her Majesty has sent him back to Yudonia. If so, why couldnโt we reach him?โAfter some thought, Mike answered, โThere are two possibilities. Itโs probably due to poor signals, or he doesnโt want us to contact him.โThe two shared a look, knowing what each other was wondering.โWhy canโt we contact Ross? Is he planning something?โโฆThree days later, Lily inserted the last needle into the queenโs leg and looked up at her, saying, โYou should start feeling your legs tomorrow. Still, itโll take some time before you can stand.โSuddenly, Lily chuckled.โWhy are you laughing?โ 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, โOf course, you wouldnโt.โโThatโsโฆ quite a pity,โ the queen murmured thoughtfully.โWell, thereโs a price to pay for everything. Thatโs how the world balances itself,โ Lily continued, โI canโt stop you if you must carry on with R10. Still, I wonโt witness whether or not it succeeds. I just wish the outcome isnโt something youโll regret.โLily 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 Yasminโs legs. โYour Majesty, those needlesโโThe queen waved dismissively. โItโs okay. Lily will remove them later.โEven so, Rick was wary. โYouโre being too careless, Your Majesty. What if that womanโโโShe wouldnโt,โ 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.โTell me. What do you want?โ The queen took a deep breath to calm herself. She then reminded herself that she could always say no to Lilyโs 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 donโt 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 wasnโt sure if youโd blame him, but he did rescue me once. If I don't do anything, it would be ungrateful of me," Lily said gently, "Also, didnโt 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.โThatโs it?!โ 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.โI havenโt felt my legs for over a decade. I wouldnโt mind waiting for three more days.โโAre you sure I can get up and walk in just three days?โ 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, โI canโt guarantee that youโll walk as fast as you once could. After all, you havenโt used your legs for a long time, and your muscles have atrophied. Still, youโll recover slowly.โYasmin nodded repeatedly, thinking it was good enough. She never dreamed of walking as well a
โBecause only our opinions matter." Lily thought of something and said, "Unless you choose to believe Rhea.""Iโฆ don't trust anyone." Yasminโs 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? Youโve done enough as a queen over the last few decades. Arenโt you tired of living a lonely life?โLily gently spoke as she gazed at Yasminโs back.The older woman caressed her knees with both hands and stared down at her legs, murmuring, โSightsee, huh? Iโve forgotten what thatโs like.โYasmin 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 Lilyโs suggestion.Lily asked, โWhat 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 couldnโt 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 whoโs willing to die for him. If Mike decides to take drastic action against youโ Yes, you're a queen, and you don't care much about an insignificant businessman.โHowever, 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?""Youโฆ" 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, โBring Lily over. Iโd like to see what excuses that sly woman can come up with.โ"Your Majesty?" Rick was puzzled. "You know she'll just lie to you. Why must youโ"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, โHer Majesty wants to see you.โLily 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. โYou stay.โ"But we came together!" Mike glanced over his shoulder at Lily, signaling her to persuade the man. Rick added, "The queen doesnโt 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 queenโs 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, โIf any of you go with her, they might stop or suspect you. They wonโt do that to me. Itโs natural for me to want to see and rescue my son. Iโm the best candidate because it makes sense for me to sacrifice myself for him.โAfter a short silence, Lily said, โYouโre right.โ She then looked at Alexander, who pondered before slowly raising his head and saying, โMe too.โDominic 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, โThanks, you guys!โ"Why are you thanking us? Just be careful, and donโt be rash like you promised," Aust