"Of course," Anastasia nodded and left.

Alexander turned to the others. "I think we should let Mike join us. Keeping things from him would arouse his suspicion. Besides, this concerns Nick, and Mike has done a great deal. We can't exclude him."

Cameron nodded in agreement.

Soon after Anastasia went upstairs, Mike came down. He looked exhausted and unwell, his shoulders slumped. They knew, however, that he was doing remarkably well considering the circumstances.

"Secretary Rollins," Mike greeted the man formally, nodding at Alexander before sitting.

"How are you holding up?" Alexander asked.

Mike took a deep breath and nodded, running a hand through his hair. "I'm okay."

Alexander looked at him intently, then turned to Cameron. "What do you have to tell us?"

Cameron sipped his tea. "The truth is, we knew Queen Yasmin was secretly in our country, but we couldn't deport her—given who she is. However, we'll try to subtly encourage her departure through official channels. From an official standpoint, she won't risk a diplomatic incident. Since she hasn't achieved her goal, she'll avoid making enemies and leave as soon as possible."

Mike's voice was husky. "So she'll either take Nicky with her or expedite the experiment."

Silence fell; they all knew he was right.

Instead of responding directly, Cameron said, "The Burnwken pandemic has ended, but its effects linger. The government established a vaccine research center, but…"

Lily nodded. "Yes, it's a shame…"

It's a shame the organization used it to create havoc.

Despite raiding the laboratory, the public needed to know the truth. They were told the vaccine was still under development, and a new medical team was working diligently on it—a team from the X Department, of course.

While seemingly inactive, Cameron had eliminated the traitors and spies who infiltrated the research center, his office, and the X Department. The incident also uncovered espionage from other countries.

"Even though we don't urgently need the vaccine," Cameron said, glancing around thoughtfully, "the virus affected not just Burnwken and Hyderland, but the whole world. If people discover what happened…"