Ch. 1771..1780

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1771-Lily could not leave for the time being.

More accurately, even if she went over, she could not do much.She had analyzed the blood on the needle but needed more time to further investigate certain substances.

Only when she knew what they were could she devise a counteracting medicine to cure Cameron.

Although she had done it fast enough under the circumstances, Anastasia could hardly wait.

Cameron was in a position of authority where many people wanted to speak with him daily.

It was difficult for a young woman like Anastasia to deal with their requests to see him.It was okay to claim he had been sick for two days, but people would get suspicious if he remained that way.

"Not yet."

Lily pondered for a moment.

While conducting an analysis, she examined the liquid inside a test tube.

"Then, how much longer do we have to wait?" Anastasia was anxious.

"It’s not that I want to rush you, but it’s truly..."

Holding her phone tight, Lily said solemnly, "Tasia, I know you’re in a tight spot, and it’s not easy for you to deal with others, but without the data and before I can develop a cure, there’s nothing I can do if I come over.Give me one more day."

After a moment of contemplation, Lily gave a timeframe.

"Just one more day! I’ll bring the cure over tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay..."

The young woman had no other choice.

Besides trusting Lily, she indeed had no alternatives.

Turning around, she returned to the bedside and slowly crouched down.no.vel.e.book She saw her father’s hand lying outside the blanket and gently held it, feeling sad.

"Dad, you must be strong.You'll get through this and return to your old self.You’re going to be fine," she said softly.

Although her father showed no movement, she believed he could hear her.

"Miss? Miss Rollins?"

There was a soft knock on the door and a servant's voice coming from outside.

On the pretext that her father was sick and she was taking care of him, Anastasia had instructed that no one else was to enter the room.

Anyone who needed her had to knock on the door.She took a deep breath, wiped the tears off her cheeks, and approached the door.

Before Anastasia opened the door, she looked at her father despite herself and saw he was still.She let out a sigh and went out.

Closing the door behind her, she looked at the servant and asked, "What’s the matter?"

As Cameron’s daughter, she still held authority over others.

Although her father had locked her up for a while due to the influence of the drug, the servants thought they were having a little fight and that it was not a big deal.

‘Now that Secretary Rollins is sick, Anastasia still looks after him, right?’ "Mr.Moore is here and refuses to leave," the servant whispered.

Furrowing her brow, Anastasia said, "Didn’t I say my father has to recuperate and can’t see anyone?"

"Yes, but Mr.Moore says he wants to see you."

The servant was in a tight spot as well.

Fabian was Anastasia’s uncle, after all.

Since he was there and wanted to see his niece, the servant could only inform Anastasia about it.

"Me?"

Anastasia furrowed her brows in reflection and said, "Tell him that I'm not home."

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1772 -"Okay! n As the servant turned around, they heard a commotion downstairs, followed by hectic footsteps.

There seemed to be more than one person, and it was rather crowded.

"Miss Rollins?"

Shocked, the servant looked at Anastasia.She was also surprised but merely waved dismissively.

"Don’t panic.Let’s go check it out."

Anastasia led the way, and when she got to the stairwell, she saw a dozen or more burly men below and heard voices.She could tell one of the voices belonged to another servant.

"Mr.Moore, Secretary Rollins would be mad if he finds out you’ re misbehaving in the house."

"Then let him come out and give me an earful!" Fabian shouted boldly.

"I don’t care even if he beats me up! No matter what, I must see him.I’d like to ask him if he treats me as his family!"

"Miss..."

The servant beside her whispered.

Anastasia stopped her by raising a hand, then went downstairs.

"I was wondering who was making a ruckus.It turns out to be you, Uncle Fabian."

Her voice drew everyone’s attention, and the men looked toward the stairs.

As if seeing his savior, the servant downstairs rushed over, wiping his sweat.

"Miss, Mr.Moore refused to listen and barged in.We really couldn’t stop-"

"Leave us! He’s not an outsider, but my dear uncle,"

Anastasia said casually, and she signaled the servants to leave with her eyes.

The servants hesitated but did as they were told since she had given the instruction.

Fabian perked up a little and nodded when he saw that Anastasia did not kick him out and was quite polite.

"That’s more like it! It’s good that you still remember I’m your uncle.Let me ask you something.no.vel.e.book Do you know what day it is today?"

The question baffled Anastasia.

Seeing her blank expression, Fabian knew she could not recall] and chuckled coldly.

"Your cousin’s funeral is today.Don’t you remember?"

She truly had forgotten about it.

Many things had happened at home, and her father's condition was still unknown, not to mention the influx of visitors, both with good and bad intentions.She had been shocked and conflicted upon hearing the news of what had happened to Rhea, but had since forgotten about it because of her busy schedule.

Besides, Rhea’s death was too sudden and suspicious.

Not knowing how long the medical examiner would take to ascertain the deceased's identity, she was clueless about when the funeral would be held.

Anastasia assumed Fabian had come to question their absence after seeing his red face and angry expression.

‘But why is he angry? Is it a crime not to go to Rhea’s funeral? She nearly killed me! Even if 1 knew that her funeral would be held today, it was reasonable that I chose not to go"

Anastasia bent over to pour Fabian a glass of water as she contemplated the situation.

"Things have gotten a bit chaotic at home, and I truly didn’t know her funeral was today.Anyway...I’m sorry for your loss."

She handed the glass over.

Fabian looked at her and at the glass.

The white wine he had consumed before coming here had inebriated him, and his chest was rising and falling rapidly.

When he saw his niece, whom he had doted on since she was a little girl, looking completely unconcerned, he became furious.He thought about his wife passing out and his only daughter being buried in that cold grave.

Fabian slapped the glass off her hand, rose to his feet, and pointed at her nose.

"Stop wasting my time! Where's your father?!"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1773-The glass made a crisp, shattering sound as it smashed onto the floor.The servants immediately rushed in from outside.

"Miss Rollins?"

Anastasia waved them off, then casually looked at Fabian as she said, "What are you doing, Uncle Fabian?"

Her tone was calm, but she had dropped her smile, and her cold expression looked dignified.

Slightly drunk, Fabian continued to yell, "What am I doing?! It’s your cousin’s funeral today, yet neither you nor your dad bothered to ask about it.Also, your father hasn’t answered my calls for the last few days.What is that supposed to mean?!"

"My father hasn’t been feeling well and needs to rest.If there’s anything you would like to ask him, please wait until he gets better."

After a pause, she said meaningfully, "However, I don’t know how he’II feel if you ask him with your current tone.After all, he hasn’t been feeling well, and you know we all tend to be in a bad mood when we're sick."

Fabia’s shock was evident since he was still scared of Cameron.He only forgot how much he feared the man as his brother-in-law had done everything Rhea told him.

Before this, even a cough from Cameron would make Fabian wonder if he had done anything wrong.However, his heart ached with sadness about Rhea, and his fear became less intense.

"Stop trying to scare me, okay? I’m visiting to see how he’s doing, right? He’s feeling unwell, isn’t he? As his brother-in-law, of course, I'll visit him."He walked toward the stairs, continuing, "Ron, I’m here to see you! Are you feeling better?! Ron?!"

He shouted as he headed forward.

Anastasia panicked when she saw Fabian reaching the stairs.She hurried over and blocked his path with her open arms.

"My father isn’t feeling well and won't be seeing anyone! You shouldn't disturb him unless you want to upset him and things get ugly!"

Since Anastasia had barred his way, Fabian stopped.Instead of feeling unnerved, he scanned her up and down before sneering meaningfully.

"Tasia, what game are you playing with me? Your father isn't even sick, is he?"

He pointed upstairs and looked as if he knew everything.

"He’s not even around, is he?"

‘If he were home, the commotion would’ve alarmed him long ago.Considering what I know about Ron, he would surely send someone to kick me out, even if he didn't personally scold me.

‘Yet, only this wench shows up to stop me after such a commotion.I know something is up!’

"No!"

Anastasia mustered her courage and looked up.

"My father is just in his room upstairs.As I've said, he’s ill and is resting.no.vel.e.book I'm trying to spare you the embarrassment, but if you insist on disturbing him, be my guest!"

She retracted her hands, straightened her back, and revealed a do- as-you-please look.However, Fabian became hesitant when his niece did that.He narrowed his eyes and leaned against the stair railing.

Fabian looked at her, gazed upstairs, and then back at her.After doing this several times, he pointed at her.

"Are you trying to pull my leg?"-

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1774-"What a joke! Why would I deceive you? What good would that do?"

Anastasia scoffed, then looked around at the men Fabian had brought to her house.

"Uncle Fabian, I know how you feel, but you have barged in with this many people.

"Have you considered how we feel? If my father is unwell, could you come in so effortlessly? Besides, even if I’m lying to you and my father isn’t around, he would eventually return home.

"What do you think he’ll do when he finds out what you've done today?"

Her casual remark made Fabian shiver, and a chill ran up his spine.Cameron’s icy eyes flashed through his mind, and he sobered up a bit.

Fabian subconsciously stepped back, then hesitated and looked suspiciously at Anastasia, thinking before saying, "Is your father truly sick? What kind of illness does he have?"

Anastasia bit her lower lip and said, "He has overworked himself, so he feels weak and needs to rest."

"Really?"

Fabian then asked, "Has he seen a doctor yet? Which hospital has he visited? Are their services reliable? If not, we should take him to another hospital before his condition worsens."

As he seemed to want to go upstairs again, Anastasia hastily said, "He went to the doctor he always sees, so the person is very reliable.Don’t forget who my father is.He doesn’t just go to any hospital."

"That's true, but I won’t take him to any random doctor, okay?"

He cleared his throat and continued, "Since I’m already here, I should see your father.I shouldn’t just leave without seeing him, am I right?"

He was still suspicious and felt that Anastasia was up to something.

Fabian had not seen Cameron for days, and his calls could not go through.

Fabian heard that others could not meet Cameron either, and rumors claimed he was dying after an assault.Some even said Cameron had gone missing, while others alleged he had gotten arrested for a crime.

Still, news about Cameron had yet to go public.

Rhea’s death was already a massive blow to Fabian, and he felt further disturbed hearing such rumors.

‘How can I leave before finding out what’s happening?’

"Uncle Fabian..."

Anastasia frowned.

"My father says he’s not seeing anyone.Are you truly not going to listen to him?"

Fabian cleared his throat and looked behind him.Then he slowly turned to face Anastasia.

"Girl, I’m not an outsider or one of those busybodies.Have you heard the rumors about your father going around lately because he hasn’t shown himself?"

He lowered his voice and came closer when he said the last sentence.

Anastasia pursed her lips and did not reply.

Fabian’s eyes shifted as he said, "Of course, I would never believe those groundless gossips, but your father is my brother-in-law.I’m sure he wouldn’t blame me if I visited him now that he’s sick.

"Or if you have anything you can't tell others, why not share it with me? I might be able to give you some advice."

Anastasia had heard about the rumors.She noticed her uncle would not give up and glanced at the men in the living room before looking back at Fabian.She said smilingly, "Do you sincerely want to see my father?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1775-Fabian followed his niece’s gaze and glanced behind him before casually turning his head back and curling his lip.

"Why? Can’t I see him?"

"Well, it’s not that you can’t.However, you’ve brought many men over.Are you here to see my father or to threaten him? I would understand your intention because you’re my uncle, but it’s hard to tell what my father would think."

Anastasia looked so indifferent and calm that Fabian was unsure what to make of her.He gave it some thought and looked upstairs.

Then he moved closer and lowered his voice, saying, "Tell me honestly.Is your father truly home?"

"Please! Everyone knows my father has taken a few days off.no.vel.e.book Since he’s not at work, he’s at home.Where else could he be?"

Anastasia scoffed and spoke naturally.

Pensive, he looked up again.He coughed hard and turned to his men.

"Go outside and wait for me."

After receiving the order, Fabian’s men left together, and the house became quiet.

Anastasia felt relieved when the men left.However, she did not let down her guard and maintained a calm and indifferent look as if she was not concerned.

"Uncle Fabian, you still insist on seeing my father, huh? However, I must remind you he hasn’t been in a good mood.Besides, I know you’re not in a good mood either, so you shouldn’t see each other.What do you think?"

She spoke quietly, covering her mouth with one hand as if she did not want to alarm others.

Fabian rubbed his fingers together and frowned in hesitation.His eyes then darted around as if he had decided something.

"Even if your father gets angry, I should see him.He’s my brother-in-law, after all.Since he’s sick, I have more of a reason to visit him."

He went around Anastasia and immediately bolted upstairs when he finished his sentence.He moved fast and took significant strides as he quickly went up.

Anastasia could not stop him, even if she tried.

"Uncle Fabian!"

Anastasia did not expect that and shouted before chasing after him.

However, Fabian was already outside the door when she caught up with him.She grabbed the doorknob and blocked the door, out of breath.

Fabian saw her blocking his way with her flushed face and suddenly realized something.

Then he took a half step back and sized her up.

"Tasia, there are no outsiders now.Tell me the truth.Your father isn’t inside, is he?"

"What are you talking about?"

Anastasia chuckled, still catching her breath.

"Come on, cut the act, okay? What the hell happened to your father? If he’s in trouble, I can give you some advice.So? Has he been arrested?"

He was nervous deep down as he gestured.

‘If Cameron has gotten arrested, will it affect me and the project?’ Fabian thought so and desperately needed to find out what had happened.

"Uncle Fabian, you’re overthinking it."

Anastasia was calm as she spoke.

‘He is overthinking.Why would he think dad has gotten arrested?’ "Since that’s not the case, let me see him!"

Fabian said half- probingly, wanting to move forward.

"Uncle Fabian!"

She called out loudly as she held the doorknob.

Anastasia seemingly decided something and bit her lower lip, saying, "Since you're so concerned, I shouldn’t stop you, especially because I’m your niece.However, I hope you’ve thought it through."

She turned the doorknob, opened the door, then remained where she was before gesturing for him to enter the room.

Fabian hesitated instead.He stood at the doorway and looked at her, wondering if it was a trap.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1776 -"Uncle Fabian, why aren’t you going in? My father is resting inside."

Anastasia made an inward pointing motion and stated blandly.

The half-smile on her face made Fabian feel that she was up to something.

‘I’m already here.If I back off now, not only could I not resolve my doubts, but I’d also look like a complete coward"

He gave her a deep look, gritted his teeth, and quickly stepped in.

As he went in, he chuckled and said, "Ron, I heard you’re sick, so I’ve come to check on...you..."

Even before he could finish saying "you,"

Anastasia entered and shut the door with a bang.

Fabian was somewhat shocked.

"Ron?"

‘Cameron is lying on the bed, but...he doesn’t seem to be just sick.Why isn’t he moving at all?’ "Ron?"

He called out again, but Cameron showed no sign of response and did not even open his eyes.

His eyes shifted to Anastasia, and he was struck by a sense of strangeness at the sight of her closing the door and blocking the exit.

"asia, your father..."

"I told you he was sick, but you didn’t believe me.Well, you see it now.I wasn’t lying, was I?"

Anastasia was calm.

Prior to this, she had to quickly improvise excuses to chase him off without raising his suspicions.

Now that she had let Fabian see her father for himself, she stopped being anxious.

"What illness does your father have?"

Suppressing his panic, Fabian took two steps over and craned his neck to look.

Seeing that Cameron was still breathing, he sighed in relief.

‘He's still not waking up with me being so close and talking.I’m sure he’s not just asleep"

"My father isn’t sick but poisoned."

Leaning against the door, Anastasia said, "That’s why I’m in a tight spot, Uncle Fabian."

"Tight spot? Why?"

Blinking his eyes, Fabian was befuddled.

"Your father’s poisoned? How did it happen? What type of poison?"

"I wish to know as well.Too bad that..."

Looking at him, she wanted to say that it was too bad that her cousin had died, but she caught herself.

"Too bad?" Fabian asked.

Anastasia shook her head.

"Uncle Fabian, you must help me with this!"

"Help you?" Fabian gulped and grew nervous.

"How?"

Taking a step forward, Anastasia looked at him and whispered, "You can see my father's condition, and you know that many people have been trying to see him lately.I can hardly deal with them anymore, so you must help me keep this from them!"

"why?"

Fabian was puzzled.

"If your father is poisoned, then send him to the hospital! Why is he still here? Also, how do you know he was poisoned and not sick? That means he’s been lying here for the past few days?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1777 -Fabian questioned Anastasia, who nodded and pursed her lips.

"Yes!"

Without waiting for his reply, she said, "There’s no doubt that my father has been poisoned.Besides...don’t you know about it?"

She asked probingly, but Fabian shouted, "How would I know?! I didn’t poison him, did I?!"

He looked upset but did not avert his gaze, and this got Anastasia thinking.

‘Rhea was able to slowly poison me behind her parents’ backs at a young age, so I guess they wouldn’t know about what happened to dad either"

In the last few days, the young woman had been blaming herself.

‘ Why didn’t I pay more attention to dad? How could I let dad become her victim when I know how vicious and unreliable Rhea was? ‘I know it’s useless to feel bad about it now as I can't turn back time, and Rhea can’t come back to life.I only wish that Lily would come up with the cure and dad could recover sooner"

Thinking so, she looked toward Fabian and took a deep breath.

"Don’t be mad, okay? I was only asking.I thought you'd know how he was poisoned since you hung out with him recently."

"If I knew, would I have to ask you? I even..."

He probably felt guilty that he had brought so many men over to make a scene, so he stopped himself from saying more.He coughed twice, then said, "Alright, now’s not the time to talk about that.Your father shouldn’t be lying here.Let’s send him to the hospital!"

Fabian pulled out his cell phone as he spoke, "I’ll make the call."

"No!"

Reaching out her hand to stop him, Anastasia said, "My father isn’t a nobody.If this gets out, you know how serious the consequences will be.Furthermore..."

She lowered her voice but sounded particularly solemn.

"I heard the vaccine research project is in its last phase.Even at the beginning, it was controversial, and many people seem upset that you took over the project.They are still eyeing it.If words get out that my father is seriously ill, then..."

She did not elaborate further, but her gaze was meaningful.

Although Anastasia had randomly used this as an excuse, Fabian was alarmed.

What she said struck the right chord with him.

He did not like what she said, but he knew she was right.

Although many had tried to curry favor with him, Fabian did not hire many outsiders or have any partners due to the nature of the project and the demands of Rhea and her research team.

People who had sent him gifts were upset that they did not get a share of the project, but they dared not do anything because of Fabian’s relationship with Cameron.

Fabian initially thought he could rake in a huge profit through the project, and when his company grew famous, he would not need to worry about these nobodies anymore.

However, he did not expect his daughter to die.

Rhea’s death was a massive blow to him.

Other than losing a daughter, he knew Rhea was instrumental to the project.

Also, would Cameron remain cooperative without Rhea and continue to help him? He was not sure about it.

Therefore, on the pretext that it was Rhea’s funeral today, he had first come to vent his anger and frustration and probe.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1778-Fabian wondered whether or not Cameron was still approachable and whether or not he would still have his back.

Fabian was surprised to face such a situation.He slowly lowered his phone- holding hand in response to Anastasia's words and hesitated.

"Then..."

"Uncle Fabian, I’ve kept this from everyone because I’m worried.I've got no idea how far along the project is or whether it would be affected now that Rhea has suddenly passed away," she said, placing her hand on Fabian's hand.

"Still, we’re family, Uncle Fabian.You must help me keep this a secret."

Her suddenly pressing the back of his hand startled him, and he became flustered.

"Until when? People will find out sooner or later! He hesitated but seemed open to the idea.

"As long as we can."

Anastasia added, "I'm trying to find a cure for my father.When he wakes up, we’ll have nothing to worry about, and I'll tell my father you helped us get through this difficult time."

Hearing this, Fabian was tempted.

‘If I help her and Cameron get through this, they’d owe me big time! He’d have to treat me as his benefactor then, wouldn’t he?’ With Rhea dead, he was unsure whether he could continue to cash in on his relationship with Cameron.He did not even know if Cameron would give him the cold shoulder like he used to.

‘However, if I help them now, Cameron can no longer snub me, can he? Even if he does, I can threaten him with this!’ As his thoughts ran wild, Anastasia could tell he was tempted and called out softly, "Uncle Fabian? Uncle Fabian?"

Catching himself, Fabian cleared his throat and said, "Of course, I’m your uncle, and as a family, we should help one another.

However...

"However, how long will your father be in this state? Can he truly wake up? Where are you going to get the cure? Can we rely on it? Otherwise, I should get a trustworthy doctor to come and check on him."

He wondered if his efforts would go to waste if Cameron did not wake up.

"Well, rest assured the doctor I found is reliable, and my father used to go to him.The fewer people know about it, the better, to avoid complications.When my father helped you secure the project, he offended some people, and if they know my father..."

Knitting his brow, Fabian felt she was right.

"All right! However, I can only help you keep it a secret for two days.If he doesn’t wake up in two days, we'll have to devise other solutions!" He said this as he looked at Cameron, whose eyes were closed, and was secretly excited.

Anastasia nodded with a thankful look.

"He will, Uncle Fabian! However, the fewer people who know about it, the better.

Please don’t tell Aunt Maria, or she’l] worry."

"I know what to do." Fabian dismissed her with a wave of his hand before looking thoughtfully at her.

"Tasia, why do I feel that you're different than you used to be?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1779-Anastasia sighed lightly.

"Maybe it's because I’ve grown up."

"Grown up?"

Fabian was momentarily confused.

"Yes. I used to lead a carefree life under Aunt Maria's, yours, and my father’s care. Now that my father is like this and with so many things happening at home, I must become more mature than I used to be."

She looked sincerely at Fabian.

"Uncle Fabian, I know you and Aunt Maria are sad by Rhea’s sudden passing, but you mustn’t give up. You still have to take care of your business, and there are many things you need to handle.

"Aunt Maria needs you to look after her as well.We must both be strong for our family’s sake!"

She let out along sigh, her eyes filled with resignation. Anastasia’s words touched Fabian, and he nodded.

"You're right.We can’t give up, and we must be strong! Tasia, you’ve done well.We shouldn’t let others know about what has happened to your father.Rest assured.I'll help you keep it a secret."

"Thank you, Uncle Fabian."

Anastasia glanced over her shoulder at her father lying quietly on the bed.

"When my father learns about it, he will be grateful for your decision today."

Hearing that, Fabian felt even more psyched.

After seeing him and his men off, Anastasia felt her legs were limp and was exhausted now that the drive that kept her going had suddenly vanished.She had never handled a situation like this.

Having to lie through her teeth and go around in circles telling half-truths was more exhausting and difficult than controlling her diet. However, she had to force herself to adapt and learn.

Having said so much, she was truthful about one thing—she had to be more mature as she could not live forever under her father’s care.

This time, she was determined to protect her father.

Lily had resumed working in the little studio left unused for days.She sat on a chair with a cushion behind her back and a small blanket on her lap.She was determined to care for her unborn children and herself since she had promised Alexander.

However, her eyes focused on the workbench not far ahead while the simmering herbal medicine gurgled to her left.

She conducted two experiments simultaneously to speed things up.

Still, it was difficult since several people suffered from entirely different toxins.

The toxins or viruses in Austin and Cameron, and the ones previously found in Alexander, were of different types and produced distinct impacts on human bodies.

Based on Benedict's information, the research institute’s intentions behind their experiments were to create different biological weapons and turn people into expandable puppets.

While Lily waited for the test results, her phone vibrated as she had previously turned on its silent mode.

She picked up her phone and saw Mike's phone number.

Although she erased his contact information, she still remembered his number.

She answered the call with a smile.

Mike seemed rushed on the other end of the call.

As soon as he got through, he asked, "Lily, when are you coming over?"

"Give me two more days," she replied blandly, her eyes staring at the workbench container.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 1780-"Two days is unacceptable! We can’t wait that long," Mike rejected straight away.

"How about tomorrow? I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."

"No!"

Lily was firmer and answered readily, "Mike, I only promised to help you for old times’ sake and Nicky, so don’t push it!"

Mike was not upset after Lily scolded him, but he was still anxious.

"Lily, it’s not that I want to rush you, but we’re running out of time.Although we agreed to give you some time, you can’t keep dragging your feet forever! ’ll—"

"He'll pick you up tomorrow!"

Suddenly, a strange hoarse voice sounded over the phone. It sounded eerie, shrill, and distorted.

Taken aback, Lily felt a chill run up her spine, and the phone nearly slipped off her hand.She calmed herself, sat up, leaned forward, and asked, "Who are you?"

A peal of giggles came, so ear-piercing and creepy that it made Lily’s hairs stand on end.She felt uncomfortable, but the person kept giggling.

He halted just as she could not take it anymore and wanted him to stop.

Perhaps it stopped too abruptly, but she felt even more ill at ease.

"You'll find out who I am once you're here."

He giggled like a naughty child, but his voice had a hint of cunning and cruelty.

"Mrs.Russell, I advise you to act wisely because our patience is limited.You have been unharmed until now because you or the Russells are not particularly powerful, but we still need you and want to keep you alive.

"However, if you don’t do as we say, then very soon you, your family, and those closest and dearest to you will know what it’s like to run afoul of us!"

The man sounded like he said the last sentence through clenched teeth.

Lily clutched her phone and said coldly, "Since you still need me, I advise you to speak more politely.Otherwise, I will make you realize what it’s like to fail at the last minute!"

‘That this man!’ Even before meeting him and knowing his appearance, she disliked him just by listening to his voice.

She had never hated anyone so much before.

It was not just the man’s threats.

His voice, tone, and manner were so irritating that Lily wished to shove her hands through the phone speaker and strangle the man's neck The man responded to her counter- threat by laughing irksomely and contemptuously.

"Great, I’m looking forward to it!"

He stopped laughing and continued, "Mike will pick you up tomorrow morning at eight.I wonder who will be the first casualty if you refuse to cooperate.Let me think.Will it be your husband? Your son? Or your assistant? Or n "If you dare to lay a finger on any of them, I'll make you suffer immeasurably!"

Lily yelled at her phone.She hung up and caught her breath as her hand trembled uncontrollably.

The unborn twins seemed to have sensed their mother’s agitation and stirred uneasily inside her tummy.

The fetal movement made Lily catch herself.

She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and stroked her belly gently to soothe them.

"Don’t be afraid.Mommy will protect you guys! I'll protect everyone around me, no matter what!"