โYes, itโs me, my good sister.โ Hannah smiled as she strolled to the bed and looked down at Heather. โWhatโs wrong? Were you expecting anyone else to visit you?โโHow dare you?!โ Heather snapped coldly. โWithout my permission, you have the nerve to-โโHave the nerve to do what?โ Hannah cut her off with a chuckle. โTo talk to you this way, or to enter your room without your permission, orโฆ to leave that dark, damp, and sh*tty basement?โโYouโฆโIt was only then that Heather realized something was off about the woman in front of her. Looking different, she was no longer the same Hannah who used to do everything she was told. She put the top of her hair up because her fringe was short, and unlike Heather, she was wearing makeup. One could easily tell them apart now, as Hannah looked nothing like her at a glance. Although she wore Heatherโs clothes, she matched them differently and did not look like her usual self. Hearing her mocking words and seeing her defiant stare, Heather
What a fallacy!'If they could only keep one of us, why couldnโt they keep me instead of Heather? Is it because she's stronger than me? I don't want to die! I want a chance to live as well!'"What are you so proud of? Do you still think you're the same Heather Riggs as before? Do you think you can still control me like you used to back then? Right now, youโre nothing but a vegetable. What can you do now, huh?!" Hannah suddenly leaned down and snarled. Heather, who was not paying much attention, heard what Hannah said and suddenly thought of something. In an instant, Heather's eyes shot open, and she turned to look at Heather. "What have you done to me?!" This startled Hannah, but she soon collected herself. She laughed triumphantly and exclaimed, "Guess! Guess what I did to you! If you manage to get it right, I might give you a prize!""You!" Heather's brain began to turn in the face of her sister's smirking face and crazy eyes. Her physical fitness had declined sharply recent
Everything happened so suddenly that Heather did not have the strength to resistโshe could not, even if she wanted to.After patting her own face with Heather's hand a few times, Hannah stopped and spat, "My dear sister, this was how you'd hit me in the past. Of course, you'd never hit my face. After all, you still need to use it to help you with things. Now, I'm not scared of you anymore! I don't have to be you anymore! I want to be myself!""Be yourself?" Heather sneered. "Who do you think you are? What do you even have? Even our parents don't acknowledge you. To them, Heather Riggs is the only daughter in the Riggs family. No one in this world would know who Hannah Riggs is.โYou want to be yourself? Wake up, Hannah. You died a long time ago. The Riggs family only has one daughter, and that is me, Heather Riggs!"Heather's words were supposed to come off strong, but she could hardly make a sound with her frail body. Every sentence she said sounded weak. Even so, it made Heather
It seemed like something inside Hannah had snapped as she spoke, and she continuously slapped Heather's face until Heather was dazed with swollen cheeks and could no longer speak properly.However, Hannah did not stop until she was tired. Her palms were red and swollen when she finally looked down at her hands. Hannah felt refreshed as she had never hit anyone like this before, let alone the sister she feared most.An inexplicable feeling of excitement bubbled in Heather as she threw her head back and laughed. "I did it! I really did it! From now on, I am Hannah Riggs. I am no longer Heather Riggsโs shadow!""Stopโฆdreaming!" Heather squeezed out two words through gritted teeth. Although it was hard for her to speak, the burning rage in her remained. "You will always be that loser who should have died long ago!""No! That person is you! That d*mned person is you! It's you!" What Heather said struck a nerve, sending Hannah into a flying fury. She pounced onto Heather and grabbed onto
After Heather got carried away, Hannah remained in the vast room alone. She slowly opened her arms and leaned back, twirling her fingers on the couch. She closed her eyes, taking deep breaths each time, taking in everything here.Her room had always been dark and narrow, without any hint of sunlight. Heather's room was the opposite.When Hannah was a child, she would always secretly peek into Heather's spacious and beautiful room. Heather's bed alone was as big as Hannah's room, and her closet was full of gorgeous clothes. Heather had a desk, a dresser, a sofa, and so on.It was everything Hannah's room lacked. Most importantly, there were big windows with the warm sunlight shining in. Heather even had a balcony where she could bask in the sun.All this while, Hannah could only look from afar and envied Heatherโs room in secret. She had never dared to imagine she would have anything like that.โฆHeather asked if this was all because of that man. It was, yet it wasn't.Although R
"What do you think?" Hannah let out a sigh and asked angrily.After blinking a few times, Ralph suddenly laughed. "You're Annie! You're my Annie! You're my Annie, who never curses or beats anyone! Oh, my beloved Annie! Heheheโฆ"His smirking face was flushed from the alcohol, and his eyes were lost. Even his smile looked goofy.However, Hannah was overjoyed. He recognized her, even when he was so drunk. He knew that it was her and not Heather. He was the only person who knew and cared about her. "Enough with that silly smile!" Hannah held his face with both hands and looked into his eyes before asking earnestly, "Let me ask you, do you like Heather Riggs or Hannah Riggs?"She had always wanted to know if, deep down, he genuinely liked her or not. If he liked her, was it because she looked like Heather, or was it for Hannah herself? This was important to her!The intoxicated Ralph felt a little dizzy after being held that way by Hannah. He blinked and thought for a moment before s
He looked down at her, and his breath reeked of alcohol. However, Hannah did not find it unpleasant at all. Instead, she felt a little special.Ralph was still drunk as he stared at her face with blurry eyes. Then he softly muttered, "Annie, don't go. Don't leave me. You're the only one I have. Youโฆ"He lowered his head and planted a firm kiss on her lips. Hannah did not resist as she closed her eyes obediently, wrapping her hands around his neck and welcoming the kiss.With the alcohol in his system, he kissed her roughly yet tenderly. One moment, he was like a storm trying to swallow her, and the next, he was gentle for fear of hurting her.Hannah had never experienced anything like it before. Ralph had always been her first for everything, from the first time she held a man's hand to her first kiss. Nowโฆ She could vaguely guess what would happen next, but she did not want to stop. Even more so, she looked forward to it.The temperature in the room rose quickly, and the empty
As their boss had ordered, they should be courteous first before using force. If Ralph were willing to go with them without much trouble, everything would go smoothly. However, they would not need to be polite if he resisted. They were given orders to shove their way in and drag him away. These words successfully woke Ralph up. The memories of what happened came rushing in. He remembered the fire he set, the raging flames, and his mother's words. How did they find him so quickly? Were they going to drag him back as a convict?The colors of his face immediately drained, but Hannah had already opened the door before he could decide what to do. The man outside stopped ringing the doorbell and looked at her. With a men's shirt on, Hannah stood there calmly. Her two long, slender legs were exposed. "What do you guys want?" Hannah held the door frame with one hand and pulled the door open a crack with the other. She had no intention of fully opening the door.The man outside the do
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