"I heard you," Rhea said, holding up her phone. "Come the day after tomorrow, then."

"The day after tomorrow? Why not tomorrow?" Mike asked. "Don't you need it urgently?"

Rhea grunted. "I do, but it's not that urgent. If you must come tomorrow, come tomorrow night."

"Can't I come during the day?" Mike asked.

Rhea's temper flared. "Don't push it, Mike! Do you still want to save your son or not?"

"Of course," Mike murmured. "Don't get upset. I'll deliver it tomorrow night. Is that okay?"

Rhea calmed slightly, grunted an affirmative, and hung up.

Fred sneered. "Your hypnosis isn't so effective, is it? He still dared to talk back."

"My men would never dare to talk to me like that," he muttered.

Rhea disagreed. "Do you feel you have firmer control over your men than I do over Mike?"

Fred raised an eyebrow, a confident look on his face. "Isn't that the case?" He clearly doubted the hypnosis's effectiveness based on their conversation.

Rhea smiled. "R20 is effective because no one can tell whether the subject is under its influence. Even someone like you couldn't tell, let alone others." She chuckled confidently. "If it were obvious, it would defeat the purpose, wouldn't it? The human mind is highly complex. I want him to obey subconsciously while retaining some volition. No matter what Mike thinks, he will ultimately obey my instructions." This, she felt, was true control.

She had been exploring new methods. Her experiments with Cameron had raised suspicions due to his complete lack of volition and changed behavior. This current drug represented numerous improvements. She was pleased with its effect on Mike, though she felt it might have been better for Ross. She suspected that while the prince seemed more obedient, he had lost more of his free will. She attributed this to their lack of closeness and her reliance on secondhand information.

Fred considered her words, studying her thoughtfully. He nodded. "All right, as long as you know what you're doing. Just make sure the experiment goes smoothly tomorrow, got it?"

"Yes, Your Grace," Rhea replied, handing him back her phone, knowing he intended to keep it.