"I said nothing yet," Mike said, stunned.

"Save it then! I'm pretty sure it's not a good plan. Why should we cooperate with you?" Alexander's voice was tense, his questioning hostile. "You've lost all credibility. Why would we trust you?"

Mike hadn't expected this immediate rejection. For a moment, he was speechless.

"I'll think of a way to save your son, but that's it. Mike, our business partnership ends here!" Alexander rose, extending a hand to help Lily up. He clearly wanted to end the conversation.

Lily remained seated, her gaze shifting from Alexander's outstretched hand to Mike. "What is it? I'm interested."

Alexander was momentarily speechless.

"You're wasting your time on his nonsense!" He bent to pull Lily to her feet. "Don't trust him! He has ulterior motives!" His agitation was evident.

Mike understood Alexander's fear. "I know you're afraid for Lily, but it's our only option."

"Should I sacrifice her because we have no other options?" Alexander demanded angrily.

He didn't need to hear Mike's plan; he already knew it involved endangering Lily by using her as a spy. The organization wanted Lily for their experiment; her voluntary participation was ideal, potentially helping Mike find his son. But it was incredibly dangerous. The sheer risk sent chills down Alexander's spine. He wouldn't allow it.

"Alex..." Lily gently took his hand.

Her voice calmed him. He turned, sighed heavily, and continued, "And why don't we have other options? Such a huge organization—surely they have other candidates besides Lily?

"What are they trying to achieve with these poisons? Why the fragrances? Why the undetectable diffusion? How can they be sure Lily will succeed? What if she doesn't? Does that mean they fail?"

Alexander's rapid-fire questions silenced Mike. He'd considered these points, but he had no answers. He was a mere pawn, carrying out orders. How much could he possibly know about their plans?

"I can't answer those questions, but time is running out," Mike said, his gaze heavy with helplessness. "Time is running out!"